INTERIM RECOVERY PLAN NO. 282 MASON’S DARWINIA (Darwinia masonii) INTERIM RECOVERY PLAN 2008 - 2012 26 August 2008 Mount Gibson Mining Limited PO Box 55 West Perth 6872 Extension Hill Pty Ltd PO Box 82 West Perth WA 6872 Coffey Environments (formerly ATA Environmental), Dilhorn House, 2 Bulwer St, Perth 6000 Botanic Gardens & Parks Authority PO Box 48 Floreat WA 6014 Department of Environment and Conservation Locked Bag 104 Bentley Delivery Centre WA 6983 Interim Recovery Plan Darwinia masonii V5 26 August 2008 FOREWORD Interim Recovery Plans (IRPs) are developed within the framework laid down in Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) Policy Statement numbers 44 and 50 (CALM, 1992 and 1994 respectively) and the draft Policy Statement No. 9 (CALM, 1999). Note that CALM formally became the Department of Conservation and Environment (DEC) in July 2006. DEC will continue to adhere to these Policy Statements until they are revised and reissued. Interim Recovery Plans (IRP’s) outline the 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 (RP) or IRPs, and by ensuring that conservation action commences as soon as possible and, in the case of Critically Endangered (CR) taxa, always within one year of endorsement of that rank by the Minister. This Interim Recovery Plan (IRP) will operate from August 2008 to August 2012 but will remain in force until withdrawn or replaced. It is intended that this IRP will be reviewed after 4 years and the need for a full Recovery Plan assessed at that time. An IRP for Darwinia masonii is required by the Minister for the Environment (State) and the Minister for the Environment and Heritage (Commonwealth) under environmental approvals granted to Mount Gibson Mining Limited (MGM) and Extension Hill Pty Ltd (EHPL) in 2007 and 2008 for iron ore mining at Extension Hill and Extension Hill North, in the Mt Gibson Ranges, approximately 350km north east of Perth. The plan will be implemented by MGM and EHPL (the “project proponents”) in close consultation with DEC and the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (BGPA). This Plan has been prepared in accordance with Condition 6.2 of Ministerial Statement 753 (24th October, 2007). The Plan includes a timetable and actions to: 1) locate and report any additional populations of the species; 2) enhance the survival of existing populations of the species; and 3) expand the existing populations or establish new populations. This Interim RP was approved by the Director of Nature Conservation on 3 September, 2008. Information in this IRP was accurate at August 2008. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This IRP was prepared by Ms Martine Scheltema and Ms Cassyanna Gray of Coffey Environments. The following people have provided assistance and advice in the preparation of this IRP: Dr Mathew Barrett Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority Shaun Grein Coffey Environments CITATION This IRP should be cited as: Department of Environment and Conservation (2008) Mason’s Darwinia (Darwinia masonii) Interim Recovery Plan 2008-2012. Interim Recovery Plan No. 282. Department of Environment and Conservation, Western Australia. Interim Recovery Plan Darwinia masonii V5 26 August 2008 Interim Recovery Plan for Darwinia masonii SUMMARY Scientific Darwinia masonii Common Name: Mason’s Darwinia Name: Family: Myrtaceae Flowering April to November Period: DEC Region: Midwest DEC District: Geraldton Shire: Yalgoo Recovery Team: Geraldton District Threatened Flora Recovery Team Illustrations and/or further information: Brown, A., Thomson-Dans, C. and Marchant, N. (eds). (1998) Western Australia’s Threatened Flora. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Western Australia. Current status: Darwinia masonii was declared as Rare Flora under the Western Australian Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 on 14th November 1980 and was ranked as Vulnerable under World Conservation Union (IUCN 2001) Red List criterion VU D2 as it is known from one location (9 populations, one genetic population) The species was listed as Vulnerable under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) in July 2000. Distribution: D. masonii appears to be generally restricted to the upper slopes and ridges over the 6km length of the Mt Gibson Ranges although recently it has been found on a granitic breakaway to the East of Extension Hill and at the base of a valley on granitic substrate, in the mid-west region of Western Australia. Areas with similar geology (banded ironstone formation or chert) and vegetation to that at the Mt Gibson Ranges was surveyed by Paul Armstrong & Associates (2004), ATA Environmental (2004), and more recently BGPA (2008). An additional population on granite was discovered in June 2008 by project personnel, with the taxonomy confirmed by the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (BGPA) on a second field visit, however the population is still to be quantified in respect to the extent of the population. History: A definitive census was undertaken in 2004 (ATA Environmental, 2004) to determine the population size, distribution and age spectrum of D. masonii in the Mt Gibson Ranges. Nine discrete populations of D. masonii were recorded from the Mt Gibson Ranges (based on the DEC 500m separation distance), with a total population of 14,315 adult plants and 1,711 seedlings (ATA Environmental, 2004), see Figure 2. Genetic investigations by BGPA using standard population genetic statistics suggest that the whole Mt Gibson Ranges area can be treated as a single provenance unit for D. masonii (BGPA, 2005a). A preliminary study was undertaken by BGPA between August 2004 and January 2005 to provide benchmark indicators of the research needed to develop an effective integrated conservation and recovery plan for D. masonii (BGPA, 2004). The preliminary study found genetic diversity of the species was generally low, with nearly all (94% of the variation occurring within rather than between populations. No significant population structuring could be detected between populations (BGPA, 2004). Since completion of the preliminary study, DNA sequencing research has shown that D. masonii belongs to a complex of four species; the other three being D. acerosa, D. purpurea and D. sp. Chiddarcooping. A preliminary translocation trial of D. masonii plants grown from cuttings and planted out (with watering) in the Mt Gibson Ranges (Iron Hill East, see Figure 1) in June 2005 has 89% survival, with 50% reaching sexual maturity 18 months after planting, provided plants are watered through summer. Growth rates for these plants were much faster than observed in existing stands, and faster than un-watered plants, suggesting that growth rates of D. masonii are water rather than nutrient limited. D. masonii may be accessing water pooling in the fine cracks between the BIF substrate, although this is yet to be substantiated through research work. Translocated plants that were not watered showed only 20% survival (in a very dry season) and a greatly reduced growth rate more consistent with wild plants. MGM and EHPL have already commenced a 3 plus year research program using researchers at BGPA to conduct studies on D. masonii to facilitate the continued in-situ survival and improvement in the conservation status of the species over time. This will ultimately assist in the development of integrated recovery plan. The research and development plan addresses Condition 6.1 of Ministerial Statement 753. The research plan 2 Interim Recovery Plan Darwinia masonii V5 26 August 2008 Interim Recovery Plan for Darwinia masonii includes conservation genetics, population demography, breeding biology, population viability analysis, environmental interactions, plant health assessment, restoration, plant translocation and ex-situ conservation work (BGPA, 2008). The Research Plan itself commenced in February 2007. MGM and EHPL have Ministerial approval to take approximately 2100 adult plants or 14% of the population during mining that is inclusive of all plants within the approved footprint (Ministerial Statement 753). Figure1: D. masonii growing at Iron Hill East, south of the main project area at Extension Hill (photograph taken in June 2008). Description: D. masonii is an erect shrub 1.5 to 3m tall, with narrow leaves approximately 1cm long, which are almost triangular in cross-section. These leaves are closely crowded towards the ends of the branchlets. The flowering inflorescences are approximately 3cm in diameter and are surrounded by numerous spreading pinkish bracts that are pendulus on the ends of small branchlets. The bracts are broad at the base but narrow to a pointed apex with a distinct midrib. Each bract is approximately 2cm in length and 5mm wide at the base. Each tubular flower is about 5mm long with a style approximately 1.5cm in length with hairs below the stigma (Brown et al., 1998). Habitat Requirements: D. masonii is restricted to Western Australia where it occurs in the Mt Gibson Ranges located approximately 80km northeast of Wubin and 350 km north east of Perth. It is generally restricted to the upper slopes (350m+ ADH), crests and ridges of the eleven major hills that comprise the 6 km range although it has been found on granitic substrate in a valley and breakaway system to the east of Extension Hill . In the majority of locations in which D. masonii was recorded, soil was extremely skeletal and limited to shallow pockets between exposed ironstone and Banded Ironstone Formations (BIF) or granite. Habitat critical to the survival of the species, and important populations: It is considered that all known habitat supporting the existing populations and any successfully transplanted populations, is habitat potentially critical to its survival. Further research is required to determine the substrates, hydrology and spatial location within the landscape, including that in relation to other flora species, to better understand those elements that define critical habitat for the survival of D.