BEECHMONT ROAD MACADAMIA INTEGRIFOLIA TRANSLOCATION SITE : MONITORING AND EVALUATION PROGRESS REPORT 2016-2017 Prepared By Bush Nuts Native Nursery February 2017 BEECHMONT ROAD MACADAMIA INTEGRIFOLIA TRANSLOCATION PROJECT February 2017 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 4 BACKGROUND INFORMATION .............................................................................. 4 Site Description ............................................................................................................................... 4 Project Start .................................................................................................................................... 5 MILESTONES ........................................................................................................... 5 Project Milestones .......................................................................................................................... 5 Specific Milestones for the current reporting period ...................................................................... 5 WEED CONTROL ..................................................................................................... 6 WEED TREATMENT TECHNIQUES ADOPTED ........................................................... 6 Herbicide Application ..................................................................................................................... 6 Foliar Application: ......................................................................................................................... 6 Cut stump or cut and paste application: ......................................................................................... 6 SUPPLEMENTARY PLANTING AREAS .................................................................. 6 Planting Area 1 ............................................................................................................................... 7 Planting Area 2 ............................................................................................................................... 8 Planting Area 3 ............................................................................................................................... 8 Planting Area 4 ............................................................................................................................... 9 Planting Area 5 ............................................................................................................................... 9 Planting Area 6 ............................................................................................................................. 10 RAINFALL DATA ................................................................................................... 11 RESULTS ............................................................................................................... 13 WEED CONTROL RECORD .................................................................................... 13 SUCCESS OF PLANTED SPECIES ............................................................................. 13 Success Rate of Macadamia integrifolia ....................................................................................... 13 Success Rate of Cupaniopsis newmanii ........................................................................................ 14 Success Rate of Co-occurring Species .......................................................................................... 15 PHOTO POINT MONITORING ............................................................................... 15 DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................... 28 RECOMMENDATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS ........................................................ 29 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 30 APPENDIX 1: SUCCESS RATE OF MACADAMIA PLANTINGS ........................... 31 APPENDIX 2: BEECHMONT ROAD TRANSLOCATION SITE WEED SPECIES LIST ........................................................................................................................ 34 List of Tables Table 1: Laheys Lookout Alert rainfall data (BOM 2016a) ........................................... 11 Table 2: Hinze Dam rainfall data (BOM 2016b) ................................................................ 11 Table 3: Tyungun Alert rainfall data (BOM 2016c) ......................................................... 12 Table 4: Canungra Finch Road rainfall data (BOM 2016d)........................................... 12 ANNUAL MONITORING REPORT 2016-2017 2 BEECHMONT ROAD MACADAMIA INTEGRIFOLIA TRANSLOCATION PROJECT February 2017 Table 5: Weed Control Data Record ...................................................................................... 13 Table 6: Monitoring Quadrat PP1 ........................................................................................... 16 Table 7: Monitoring Quadrat PP2 ........................................................................................... 18 Table 8: Monitoring Quadrat PP3 ........................................................................................... 19 Table 9: Monitoring Quadrat PP4 ........................................................................................... 21 Table 10: Monitoring Quadrat PP5 ........................................................................................ 24 Table 11: Monitoring Quadrat PP6 ........................................................................................ 26 List of Figures Figure 1: Overall site boundary .................................................................................................. 7 Figure 2: Planting Area 1 Location ............................................................................................ 7 Figure 3: Planting Area 2 Location ............................................................................................ 8 Figure 4: Planting Area 3 Location ............................................................................................ 8 Figure 5: Planting Area 4 Location ............................................................................................ 9 Figure 6: Planting Area 5 Location ............................................................................................ 9 Figure 7: Planting Area 6 Location ......................................................................................... 10 Figure 8: Macadamia integrifolia - ......................................................................................... 14 Figure 9: Cupaniopsis newmanii – ........................................................................................... 15 Figure 10: Photo Point 1 – ......................................................................................................... 17 Figure 11: Photo Point 2 – ......................................................................................................... 19 Figure 12: Photo Point 3 – ......................................................................................................... 21 Figure 13: Photo Point 4 – ......................................................................................................... 23 Figure 14: Photo Point 5 – ......................................................................................................... 25 Figure 15: Photo Point 6 – ......................................................................................................... 27 ANNUAL MONITORING REPORT 2016-2017 3 BEECHMONT ROAD MACADAMIA INTEGRIFOLIA TRANSLOCATION PROJECT February 2017 INTRODUCTION In 2011 the Department of Transport and Main Roads South Coast Region prepared the Beechmont Road Macadamia integrifolia and Cupaniopsis newmanii Translocation and Ecosystem Rehabilitation Plan (Reynolds 2011). This plan identified 23 mature and six (6) juvenile Queensland nut ( Macadamia integrifolia ) and 37 mature and 22 juvenile long leaved tuckeroo ( Cupaniopsis newmanii ) that would be impacted upon for road safety improvements on Beechmont Road, Lower Beechmont. The objective of the translocation plan is to establish, over a five-year period from the commencement of the project, a vegetation community offsetting the loss of affected threatened and least concern species. This offset planting will contain no less than 102 Macadamia integrifolia, and 177 plants of Cupaniopsis newmanii that were propagated from seed and cuttings taken from the plants on the ‘road improvement’ site. Achieving this plan will support the conservation of wild Queensland nut (Macadamia integrifolia ) and long leaved tuckeroo ( Cupaniopsis newmanii ) by establishing and maintaining a self- sustaining, coexisting population that has the capacity to survive on the offset site. The plan aims to fulfill the requirements for offsetting a vulnerable species as listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the Nature Conservation Act 1992. As part of this project, the Department of Transport and Main Roads has engaged Bush Nuts Native Nursery, under contract, to implement and rehabilitate 3.24 hectares of M. integrifolia and C. newmanni habitat. BACKGROUND INFORMATION SITE DESCRIPTION Aerial photography suggested that 40% (12,232m 2) of the 30,240m2 translocation site was dominated by