Approved Recovery Plan Allocasuarina portuensis Recovery Plan June 2000 © NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, 2000. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without prior written permission from NPWS. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service 43 Bridge Street (PO Box 1967) Hurstville NSW 2220 Ph: 02 95856444 www.npws.nsw.gov.au For further information contact Threatened Species Unit, Central Directorate NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service P.O. Box 1967 Hurstville NSW 2220 Ph 02 9585 6678 Cover illustration: Habit, fruiting cone, male flowers and branchlet of Allocasuarina portuensis by Catherine Wardrop, March 2000. This plan should be cited as: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2000). Allocasuarina portuensis Recovery Plan. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Hurstville, NSW. ISBN: 0 7313 6145 8 NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Recovery Planning Program Allocasuarina portuensis Recovery Plan Prepared in accordance with the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and the Commonwealth Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 June 2000 Acknowledgments This plan is largely based on the Conservation Research Statement and Recovery Plan for Allocasuarina portuensis (1994) prepared by Maria Matthes & Sharon Nash under the Commonwealth Endangered Species Protection Act (1992) (ESP Act). Recovery team members Maria Matthes, Bronwyn Conyers and Tony Prior (from NPWS), Cathy Offord and Graeme Errington (from Mt Annan Botanic Gardens) and Katrina Jensz from Environment Australia for their contribution to the recovery plan. Environment Australia through the National Heritage Trust, Endangered Species Program, has provided funding for the preparation of the original recovery plan (prepared under the ESP Act) and has provided resources to implement components of this original plan. Maria Matthes, Geoff Robertson, Tony Auld, Julie Ravallion, Robert Humphries, Bronwyn Conyers, Ron Haering and Russell Couch (all NPWS), Graeme Errington (Mount Annan Botanic Garden) and Karen Wilson (National Herbarium of NSW) provided comments on various versions of this recovery plan. David Keith and Mark Tozer (both NPWS) provided useful discussion about the ecology and biology of the species. Harbour South Area Staff (NPWS) provided field assistance and background information to the preparation of both the original plan and this version of the recovery plan. Mount Annan Botanic Garden and the Australian National Botanic Gardens provided information regarding the propagation of A. portuensis. The National Herbarium of New South Wales gave permission to reproduce figures from the Flora of New South Wales (Harden 1990). i Foreword The conservation of threatened species, populations and ecological communities is crucial for the maintenance of this State’s unique biodiversity. In NSW, the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act) provides the framework to conserve and recover threatened species, populations and ecological communities through the preparation and implementation of recovery plans. The preparation and implementation of recovery plans is identified by both the National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’s Biological Diversity and the NSW Biodiversity Strategy as a key strategy for the conservation of threatened flora, fauna and invertebrates. The object of a recovery plan is to document the research and management actions required to promote the recovery of a threatened species, population or ecological community and to ensure its ongoing viability in nature. This plan describes our current understanding of Allocasuarina portuensis, documents the research and management actions undertaken to date, and identifies the actions required and parties responsible to ensure the ongoing viability of the species in the wild. The Allocasuarina portuensis Recovery Plan was prepared with the assistance of a recovery team comprising relevant land management and other government interests, and was placed on exhibition during June-July 1999. I thank these people for their efforts to date and I look forward to their continued involvement in the implementation of recovery actions identified in this plan. BOB DEBUS MP Minister for the Environment ii Executive Summary Introduction Allocasuarina portuensis L.A.S. Johnson, Casuarinaceae, is a slender shrub, 3-5 m high with branchlets drooping to spreading and dark green in colour. It is a dioecious species; that is, it has separate male and female plants, with the female plants bearing the characteristic fruit-bearing cones. A. portuensis occurs in foreshore vegetation within Nielsen Park, which is part of Sydney Harbour National Park, NSW. Current Conservation Status A. portuensis is listed as an endangered species on Schedule 1 of the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act). The species is also listed as a nationally endangered species on Schedule 1 of the Commonwealth Endangered Species Protection Act 1992. A single population of only ten A. portuensis was discovered in 1986. Since then, the population has diminished to only two female plants. Over 100 cultivated A. portuensis plants have been planted in nine localities throughout the park. Fifty- four plants still remain. Legislative Context The TSC Act is NSW’s legislative framework to protect and encourage the recovery of threatened species, populations and communities. Under the TSC Act, the Director-General of National Parks and Wildlife has certain responsibilities including the preparation of recovery plans for threatened species, populations and ecological communities. This Recovery Plan has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the TSC Act. Preparation of Plan This Recovery Plan has been prepared with the assistance of a recovery team, a non-statutory group of interested parties with relevant expertise, established to discuss issues relating to the plan. Components within the plan do not necessarily represent the views nor the official positions of all the individuals or agencies represented on the recovery team. The information in this Recovery Plan is accurate to the best knowledge of the NPWS. A draft of this Recovery Plan was placed on public exhibition from 28 June to 30 July 1999. Two public submissions were received. The comments of the Scientific Committee were also sought and this plan was finalised in view of these comments. The plan will be reviewed and updated 10 years from the date of publication with an internal review after 5 years. iii Implementation of Plan The TSC Act requires that a government agency must not undertake actions inconsistent with an approved recovery plan. The two government agencies relevant to this plan are the NPWS and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney (RBG). The NPWS must, as the only land manager, manage A. portuensis within Sydney Harbour National Park in accordance with this plan. Relevant land management issues include weed control and habitat restoration. Likewise, the RBG, will participate in the establishment and maintenance of the ex situ collection of A. portuensis. Recovery Objectives Overall Objective The overall objective is to recover A. portuensis through actively seeking to increase the number of known individuals in the wild, and so prevent the extinction of the species. Specific objectives of the plan are: · to protect, restore and maintain the original habitat of A. portuensis and the planted locations; · to establish the distribution of A. portuensis; · to ensure that the recovery program is focused toward the recovery of a population of ‘pure’ (non-hybrid) A. portuensis; · to store a representative collection of A. portuensis ex situ during the recovery process and to enhance the known population of A. portuensis in Sydney Harbour National Park through translocation if no additional viable populations of A. portuensis are found during a targeted survey; and · to enhance future management of A. portuensis by furthering our understanding of essential aspects of the biology and ecology of the species relating to seed ecology, population dynamics and response to fire. Recovery Criteria Overall Recovery Criteria The overall performance criteria of the recovery plan is that the risk of extinction of A. portuensis is reduced, through the implementation of recovery actions to protect and enhance the known population. Specific performance criteria are that: · buffer zones are created around each of the locations of A. portuensis and these will be maintained in good condition with a minimum of weeds; · the original habitat and the planted locations of A. portuensis are not diminished through human induced disturbance; iv · the original habitat is restored to a more suitable state for the recovery of A. portuensis, i.e. open woodland/heath containing sclerophyllous species and minimal weeds; · potential habitat is identified and surveyed for the presence or absence of additional populations of A. portuensis; · in situ and ex situ material contains no hybrid material, so that the genetic integrity of A. portuensis is maintained; · a representative ex situ collection suitable for a translocation program is established and maintained; · the number of individuals within the population of A. portuensis in Sydney Harbour National Park is increased to between 30-60 individuals in at least one sub-population. The plants within these enhanced sub-populations should be fertile and produce non-hybrid seed from which new individuals establish under natural