INTERIM RECOVERY PLAN NO. 323 HAY RIVER FEATHERFLOWER / SCRUFFY VERTICORDIA (Verticordia apecta) INTERIM RECOVERY PLAN 2012–2017 March 2012 Department of Environment and Conservation Warren Region Interim Recovery Plan for Verticordia apecta FOREWORD Interim Recovery Plans (IRPs) are developed within the framework laid down in Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) Policy Statements Nos. 44 and 50. Note: the Department of CALM formally became the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) in July 2006. DEC will continue to adhere to these Policy Statements until they are revised and reissued. These plans outline the recovery actions that are required to urgently address those threatening processes most affecting the ongoing survival of threatened taxa or ecological communities, and begin the recovery process. DEC is committed to ensuring that Threatened taxa are conserved through the preparation and implementation of Recovery Plans (RPs) or IRPs, and by ensuring that conservation action commences as soon as possible and, in the case of Critically Endangered taxa, always within one year of endorsement of that rank by the Minister. This plan will operate from March 2012 to February 2017 but will remain in force until withdrawn or replaced. It is intended that, if the taxon is still ranked as Critically Endangered in WA, this plan will be reviewed after five years and the need for further recovery actions assessed. This plan was given regional approval on 30th March 2012 and was approved by the Director of Nature Conservation on 19th April 2012. The provision of funds identified in this plan is dependent on budgetary and other constraints affecting DEC, as well as the need to address other priorities. Information in this plan was accurate at March 2012. PLAN PREPARATION This plan was prepared by Nikki Rouse1, Karlene Bain2, Roger Hearn3, Andrew Brown4, Cassidy Newland5 and Robyn Luu6. 1 Former Flora Conservation Officer, DEC Frankland District, South Coast Highway, WALPOLE 6398 2 Nature Conservation Coordinator, DEC Frankland District, South Coast Highway, WALPOLE 6398 3 Regional Ecologist, DEC Warren Region, Locked Bag 2, MANJIMUP, WA 6258 4 Threatened Flora Coordinator, DEC Species and Communities Branch, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, WA 6983. 5 Former BCI Threatened Flora Project Officer, DEC, Warren Region, Locked Bag 2, MANJIMUP 6258. 6 Project Officer, DEC Species and Communities Branch, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, WA 6983. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The following people provided assistance and advice in the preparation of this plan: Brad Barton Regional Leader, DEC Warren Region Anne Cochrane Senior Research Scientist, DEC Science Division Janine Liddelow Flora Officer, DEC Frankland District John Riley Previously Administrative Officer Flora, DEC Species and Communities Branch Amanda Shade Assistant Curator (Nursery), Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority Thanks also to the staff of the W.A. Herbarium for providing access to Herbarium databases and specimen information. Cover photograph by Janine Liddelow. CITATION This Interim Recovery Plan should be cited as: Department of Environment and Conservation (2012) Verticordia apecta, Interim Recovery Plan 2012–2017. Interim Recovery Plan No. 323. Department of Environment and Conservation, Western Australia. 2 Interim Recovery Plan for Verticordia apecta SUMMARY Scientific Name: Verticordia apecta Common Name: Scruffy Verticordia/Hay River Featherflower Family: Myrtaceae Flowering Period: November DEC Region: Warren DEC District: Frankland Shire: Plantagenet NRM Region: South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc. Recovery Team: Warren Region Threatened Flora Recovery Team (WRTFRT) Illustrations and/or further information: George, E. A. and George, A. S. (1994) New Taxa of Verticordia (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae) from Western Australia. Nuytsia 9 (3): 33-341; George, E. A. (2002) Verticordia: the turner of hearts. University of Western Australia Press, Perth, Western Australia; Hearn R.W., Meissner R., Brown A.P., Macfarlane T.D., and Annels T.R. (2006) Declared Rare and Poorly Known Flora in the Warren Region. Department of Environment and Conservation, Perth, Western Australia; Western Australian Herbarium (1998−) FloraBase − The Western Australian Flora. Department of Environment and Conservation. http://florabase.dec.wa.gov.au/. Current status: Verticordia apecta is declared as rare flora (DRF) under the Western Australian Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 and is ranked as Critically Endangered (CR) under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN 2001) criteria B1ab(ii,v) in WA due to it being known from a single population and there being a continuing decline in the area of occupancy of mature individuals. The species is listed as Critically Endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act 1999). The main threats to the species are dieback disease, fire, feral pigs, grazing, weeds, small population size, poor recruitment and competition. Description: Verticordia apecta is a lignotuberous slender shrub to 45 cm tall with linear lower stem leaves 3 to 9 mm long and upper narrow elliptic stem leaves about 7 mm long. Floral leaves are elliptic to obovate. Flowers are scarce in the upper axils and have peduncles 9 to 19 mm long. Sepals are deep pink with white fine fringe segments (Hearn et al. 2006). Habitat requirements: Verticordia apecta is known from a single population in an area approximately 8m2 adjacent to the Hay River, southwest of Mt Barker. It grows in sandy clay with loam and broken granite on a west-facing slope in Eucalyptus wandoo low open woodland and low open shrub land. Habitat critical to the survival of the species, and important populations: Verticordia apecta is ranked in WA as CR, and as such it is considered that all known habitat for the wild population is critical to the survival of the species and that the wild population is an important population. Habitat critical to the survival of V. apecta includes the area of occupancy of the population, areas of similar habitat surrounding the population (these providing potential habitat for population expansion and for pollinators), additional occurrences of similar habitat that may contain undiscovered populations of the species or be suitable for future translocations, and the local catchment for the surface and/or groundwater that maintains the habitat of the species. Benefits to other species or ecological communities: Recovery actions implemented to improve the quality or security of the habitat of Verticordia apecta will also improve the status of associated native vegetation. The species occurs in association with three Priority species. International obligations: This plan is fully consistent with the aims and recommendations of the Convention on Biological Diversity, ratified by Australia in June 1993, and will assist in implementing Australia’s responsibilities under that Convention. The species is not listed under Appendix II in the United Nations Environment Program World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and this plan does not affect Australia’s obligations under any other international agreements. Role and interests of Indigenous people: A search of the Department of Indigenous Affairs Aboriginal Heritage Sites Register revealed no sites of Aboriginal significance adjacent to the population of Verticordia apecta. Input and involvement is being sought through the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC) and Department of Indigenous Affairs to determine if there are any issues or interests. Indigenous opportunity for future involvement in the implementation of the Recovery plan is included as an action in the plan. Social and economic impact: The implementation of this recovery plan may cause some economic impact to DEC through the cost of implementing recovery actions. Also, as the population is located near private property, its conservation may potentially affect activities on that land. Affected interests: The known population is on Crown land vested in the Conservation Commission and managed by DEC. 3 Interim Recovery Plan for Verticordia apecta Evaluation of the plan’s performance: DEC, with assistance from the Warren Region Threatened Flora Recovery Team (WRTFRT), will evaluate the performance of this plan. In addition to annual reporting on progress and evaluation against the criteria for success and failure, the plan will be reviewed following four years of implementation. Existing recovery actions: The following recovery actions have been or are currently being implemented. 1. Cuttings were collected in 2000 and 2005 by Frankland District staff for propagation trials by Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (BGPA). 2. Potential habitat has been surveyed by field staff from DECs Frankland District, Warren Region and Science Division. 3. A fire response plan has been developed by DEC Frankland District to be used in the event of further wildfires in the area. 4. Genetic material was collected from Verticordia habrantha, V. endlicheriana var. angustifolia and V. apecta and sent to DEC Science Division to investigate the potential of the species being a hybrid. 5. Staff from DEC’s Frankland District regularly monitors the single known population of the species. 6. The WRTFRT is assisting DEC to coordinate recovery actions for Verticordia apecta along with other threatened species in the Region. Information on progress