This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister / Delegate of the Minister on: 16/12/2008 Approved Conservation Advice (s266B of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) Approved Conservation Advice for Neoroepera buxifolia This Conservation Advice has been developed based on the best available information at the time this Conservation Advice was approved; this includes existing plans, records or management prescriptions for this species. Description Neoroepera buxifolia, Family Picrodendraceae / Euphorbiaceae, is a monoecious (separate male and female flowers) tree growing to 6 m tall. Leaves are elliptic, 1–4 cm long, 0.6–2 cm wide and evenly spaced along the stem. Flowers are clustered along a short axis and subtended by numerous microscopic, semi-circular hairy bracts. Male flowers are 4.5–8 mm long, have 4– 7 stamens, although usually 6, and ciliate margins on the perianth lobes. Female flowers are solitary and apical with several male flowers below, 1–2 mm in diameter and styles with three distal, flattened, stigmatic portions. Fruit are 5–8 mm long, with ellipsoid seeds which are black when ripe (Airy Shaw, 1980; Henderson, 1992). Conservation Status Neoroepera buxifolia is listed as vulnerable. This species is eligible for listing as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth) (EPBC Act) as, prior to the commencement of the EPBC Act, it was listed as vulnerable under Schedule 1 of the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (Cwlth). Neoroepera buxifolia is also listed as vulnerable under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Queensland). Distribution and Habitat Neoroepera buxifolia is known from two small areas between Marlborough and Yaamba, and between Rockhampton and Yeppoon, in Queensland. This species occurs along creek banks or in creek beds on serpentitite soils (Henderson, 1992; Batianoff et al., 2000) in riparian vine thicket, vine forest, melaleuca or eucalypt woodland or open forest with rainforest species in the understorey. This species occurs within the Fitzroy (Queensland) Natural Resource Management Region. Threats The main identified threats to N. buxifolia are localised extinction due to restricted distribution, vegetation clearing, invasion by exotic weeds, mining, grazing pressure and inappropriately managed timber harvesting (ANRA, 2007). Research Priorities Research priorities that would inform future regional and local priority actions include: Design and implement a monitoring program or, if appropriate, support and enhance existing programs. More precisely assess population size, distribution, ecological requirements and the relative impacts of threatening processes. Undertake survey work in suitable habitat and potential habitat to locate any additional populations/occurrences/remnants. Undertake seed germination and/or vegetative propagation trials to determine the requirements for successful establishment. Neoroepera buxifolia Conservation Advice - Page 1 of 3 This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister / Delegate of the Minister on: 16/12/2008 Regional and Local Priority Actions The following regional and local priority recovery and threat abatement actions can be done to support the recovery of N. buxifolia. Habitat Loss, Disturbance and Modification Monitor known populations to identify key threats. Monitor the progress of recovery, including the effectiveness of management actions and the need to adapt them if necessary. Identify populations of high conservation priority. Ensure forest operations or infrastructure or development activities involving substrate or vegetation disturbance in areas where N. buxifolia occurs do not adversely impact on known populations. Control access routes to suitably constrain public access to known sites on public land. Suitably control and manage access on private land. Minimise adverse impacts from land use at known sites. Investigate formal conservation arrangements, management agreements and covenants on private land, and for crown and private land investigate inclusion in reserve tenure if possible. Invasive Weeds Identify and remove weeds in the local area, which could become a threat to N. buxifolia, using appropriate methods. Manage sites to prevent introduction of invasive weeds, which could become a threat to the species, using appropriate methods. Ensure chemicals or other mechanisms used to eradicate weeds do not have a significant adverse impact on N. buxifolia. Trampling, Browsing or Grazing Manage known sites to ensure appropriate grazing regimes occur. Manage total grazing pressure at important sites through exclusion fencing or other barriers. Conservation Information Raise awareness of N. buxifolia within the local community. Maintain liaisons with private landholders and land managers of land on which populations occur. Enable Recovery of Additional Sites and/or Populations Undertake appropriate seed collection and storage. Investigate options for linking, enhancing or establishing additional populations. Implement national translocation protocols (Vallee et al., 2004) if establishing additional populations is considered necessary and feasible. This list does not necessarily encompass all actions that may be of benefit to N. buxifolia, but highlights those that are considered to be of highest priority at the time of preparing the conservation advice. Existing Plans/Management Prescriptions that are Relevant to the Species Management Program for Protected Plants in Queensland 2006–2010 (EPA, 2006). This prescription was current at the time of publishing; please refer to the relevant agency’s website for any updated versions. Neoroepera buxifolia Conservation Advice - Page 2 of 3 This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister / Delegate of the Minister on: 16/12/2008 Information Sources: Airy Shaw, HK 1980, ‘A partial synopsis of the Euphorbiaceae-Platylobeae of Australia (excluding Phyllanthus, Euphorbia and Calycopeplus)’, Kew Bulletin, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 577-700. Australian Natural Resources Atlas (ANRA) 2007, Biodiversity Assessment – Brigalow Belt North – Species at risk and the Threatening Process, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, viewed 28 July 2008, <http://www.anra.gov.au/topics/vegetation/assessment/qld/ibra-bbn-species-threats.html>. Batianoff, GN, Neldner, VJ & Singh, S 2000, ‘Vascular plant census and floristic analysis of serpentine landscapes in central Queensland’, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, vol. 109, pp. 1-30. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2006, Management Program for Protected Plants in Queensland 2006 – 2010, Queensland Government, viewed 19 May 2008, <http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/trade- use/sources/management-plans/flora-qld/pubs/qld-protected-plants.pdf>. Henderson, RJF 1992, ‘Studies in Euphorbiaceae A.L. Juss., sens. lat. 2*. A revision of Neoroepera Muell. Arg. & F. Muell. (Oldfieldioideae Köhler & Webster, Caletieae Muell. Arg.)’, Austrobaileya, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 615-625. Vallee, L, Hogbin, T, Monks, L, Makinson, B, Matthes, M & Rossetto, M 2004, Guidelines for the Translocation of Threatened Plants in Australia (2nd ed.), Australian Network for Plant Conservation, Canberra. Neoroepera buxifolia Conservation Advice - Page 3 of 3 .