QUEENSLAND’S THREATENED PLANTS - WWFawsassets.wwf.org.au/downloads/sp066_qld_threatened_plant_cycads... · QUEENSLAND’S THREATENED PLANTS : spotlight on cycads 1 CONTENTS Foreword

THREATENED PLANTSSPOTLIGHT ON CYCADS

QUEENSLAND’S

Keryn Hyslop and Caroline Haskard

WWF-Australia. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 1 875941 92 4

WWF-AustraliaHead Offi ceLevel 13, 235 Jones StUltimo NSW 2007Tel: +612 9281 5515Fax: +612 9281 1060www.wwf.org.au

Published 2005 by WWF-Australia. Any reproduction in full or in part of this publication must mention the title and credit the above-mentioned publisher as the copyright owner.

First published 2005.

For bibliographic purposes, this booklet should be cited as: Hyslop, K. & Haskard, C. “Queensland’s Threatened Plants: Spotlight on Cycads” Sydney WWF-Australia

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the views of WWF.

Designer : Design Farm.

Printed by : Foremost Printing Pty Ltd - Sunshine Coast

Cover images: Top photo - Acronychia littoralis credit H. Knowles, Middle photo - Cycas ophiolitica credit G. W. Wilson, Bottom photo - Floydia praealta credit H. Knowles.

For copies of this report, please contact WWF-Australia at [email protected] or call 1800 032 551.

World Wide Fund For Nature ABN: 57 001 594 074

QUEENSLAND’S THREATENED PLANTS : spotlight on cycads 1

CONTENTS

Foreword 2Acknowledgements 3Aim of this booklet 4Queensland’s rich plant life 5

Decline of Queensland plants 7Threatening processes and suggested actions 8

From common to threatened - the downward trend 8Reasons for decline; why so many threatened plants? 8

Major threatening processes 10Vegetation Clearing 10Declining Vegetation Quality 12Invasive Plants 13Invasive Animals 14Inappropriate Fire Regimes 15Inappropriate Grazing Regimes 16Other threats 17

Conservation and protection 18Legislation 18Recovery Plans 19Threatened Plant Case Study 20What the community can do to help threatened plants - generally 21

Species in the spotlight: cycads 22Cycads, an introduction 22Common threats 24Species profi les 25

Cycas megacarpa 26Cycas ophiolitica 27Cycas cairnsiana 28Cycas couttsiana 29Macrozamia lomandroides 30Macrozamia platyrachis 31Macrozamia pauli-guilielmi 32Macrozamia cranei 33

Cycad recovery and benefi ts for other threatened plants 34Bibliography 36Further information 37

QUEENSLAND’S THREATENED PLANTS : spotlight on cycads2

FOREWORD

Our biodiversity, the diversity of life, is our greatest treasure. We depend upon it to sustain and enrich our lives. On the one hand it sustains the functioning of ecosystems - our life support systems - while on the other it creates the unique Australian landscapes that enrich us culturally and spiritually.

Our fl ora has been of tremendous economic value in the development of Queensland through traditional pastoral, tourism and timber industries. This will also be evident in the future as we continue to seek out those unique genetic properties that are of benefi t to us.

Queensland’s fl ora, as well as other components of our biodiversity is particularly rich and unique, and is recognised nationally and internationally.

Unfortunately, much of our biodiversity is threatened and we are only starting to appreciate the ‘extinction debt’ we have created for the future. This means that we have set in train processes where the decline evident today will continue because of the accumulated impacts of past and present development. In parts of Southern Australia, this is startling with fi rst the loss of remnant vegetation from the landscape and now the death of the remaining paddock trees where no recruitment takes place - ‘the living dead’. But in Queensland we have a choice. Our history of development is younger than other parts of Australia and signifi cant remnant vegetation and re-growth potential exists in key areas.

This booklet is a practical work on how we might use this choice to recover a unique component of our biodiversity and to manage on-going threatening processes. It proposes practical measures that can be taken to recover threatened species and in particular our threatened cycads.

The cycads give us a glimpse of what a unique biodiversity we have, from the lovely Byfi eld fern to bizarre looking zamia palms.

Paul SattlerMedal of the Order of Australia (OAM)

2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This booklet was produced by the Threatened Species Network (TSN), a community-based program of the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust and WWF-Australia.

TSN would like to thank the Environmental Protection Agency and Queensland Herbarium for the signifi cant support provided through information regarding species, supply of maps and technical information regarding Queensland fl ora and for photographs, with particular thanks to Paul Forster for his cycad expertise. We are also grateful to the Protected Plant Management Advisory Committee and the peer group advisory panel for providing guidance for this booklet.

For photographs made available to illustrate this booklet, appreciation is extended to Mary White and Jim Frazier from ‘The Greening of Gondwana’, Glenn Leiper, Anne Windsor, Alison Goodland, Heather Knowles, Logan City Council and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

3QUEENSLAND’S THREATENED PLANTSQUEENSLAND’S THREATENED PLANTS : spotlight on cycads : spotlight on cycads

QUEENSLAND’S THREATENED PLANTS : spotlight on cycads4 5

AIM OF THIS BOOKLET

The fi rst part of this booklet focuses on threatened plants - generally. It aims to raise awareness of Queensland’s rich plant life and the need to conserve it, to provide information about the causes of biodiversity decline and to generate enthusiasm and interest in the conservation of Queensland’s rich fl ora.

The second part of the booklet entitled ‘Species in the spotlight’ provides a closer look at the ancient group of threatened Queensland plants – the cycads. Through discovering the secret world of cycads, the threats and problems facing these and other threatened plants are revealed. The recovery actions needed to bring about their improved conservation are outlined and these are representative of the actions that may also be applied more broadly to help conserve other threatened plants. A Recovery Plan is currently being prepared for cycads by the Environmental Protection Agency and will be a formal guide to assist community to start recovery projects for cycads. This booklet aims to support this plan and catalyse community action to help with their conservation.

The fi nal section of the booklet entitled ‘Further Information’ provides details on where and how to fi nd additional information about threatened plants and their conservation.

Importantly, to arrest the decline of Queensland’s rich fl ora effectively, we must address both the causes and symptoms of this decline. The task is beyond that of just one organisation or department and requires the efforts of the whole community.

While the focus of this booklet is on plants and cycads in particular, there is an inextricable link between plants and animals. Many have developed mutually benefi cial relationships and often rely on each other for their survival. Prior to undertaking any type of plant management program, assessment of the potential impacts on animal species needs to be made, to ensure an appropriate plan is set in place for species that share the habitat or rely on a specifi c plant species for reproduction and survival.

4 QUEENSLAND’S THREATENED PLANTS : spotlight on cycads 5

QUEENSLAND’S RICH PLANT LIFE

Queensland is a state rich in biodiversity. It contains 66% of Australia’s birds, mammals, frogs and reptiles, and 47% of the country’s plants. Of Australia’s 23,000 species of plants, Queensland has 8,328 species. Many of these are endemic; they occur nowhere else in the world. Several of Australia’s important centres of endemism, including World Heritage sites and biodiversity hotspots are also found in Queensland.

The importance of plants cannot be overstated. They are the primary producers on which people and animals rely for oxygen, shelter and food. They provide a multitude of services, including fi ltering pollution and the provision of erosion control along waterways. They provide medicines for a range of diseases and illnesses, and the ecosystems they occur in are places of relaxation and inspiration. They also provide the basis for a growing ecotourism industry, which contributes to the economy and livelihoods of many people.

Queensland’s diversity of plants is as extensive and varied as the state itself. Iconic vegetation communities include resilient spinifex grasses and saltbushes of arid and semi-arid lands to the west, extensive grasslands such as the Mitchell Grasslands (from which the Mitchell Grass Downs gains its name and on which a signifi cant portion of Queensland’s pastoral industry has been founded), extensive wattle and eucalypt communities of the brigalow belt and inland woodlands, paperbark trees of wetlands, eastern rainforest systems including tall canopy trees such as silky oak and booyong, the characteristic black bean and water gums that grace the banks of south eastern waterways, coastal and montane heathlands, and pigfaces and beach spinifex plants of the coastal dune systems that help bind sands together against the onslaught of coastal winds and seas.

Each of these vegetation communities are made up of many hundreds of plant species. Many varied forms have evolved to take advantage of the multitude of specialised habitats; including understorey, vines, canopy trees, epiphytes, shrubs, grasses, sedges and herbs. Together they constitute Queensland’s rich fl ora.

Long since the fi rst botanists made forays into the new and unexplored plant life of Queensland, dozens of new species are still being discovered each year. The world of marine and aquatic plants has barely been touched and many species are yet to be named. These new discoveries continue to broaden our understanding of Queensland’s rich plant life.

7

Australia has more than 18,000 endemic plant species and is ranked fi fth in the world for its number of endemic plants. Australia’s unique species are a result of its relatively long period of geological isolation - at least 35 million years - from other continents and its relatively stable geology, which have contributed to the development of its many diverse habitats.

While the steady evolutionary development of the country’s unique fl owering fl ora occurred mostly during this time, moulded by climate change, Australia is home to even older species such as cycads and conifers. These species evolved from a time when Australia was part of the giant super-continent ‘Pangea’ over 200 million years ago.

Queensland is a key centre for global biodiversity, and has a signifi cant international role to play in the conservation of species and ecosystems.



DECLINE OF QUEENSLAND PLANTSAlthough Queensland is a state rich in biodiversity, many of its natural assets have declined to the point that they are now threatened with extinction. Of the more than 8,300 plant species in Queensland, 428 are listed as threatened under state legislation, with more than 250 of those species also being listed under commonwealth legislation. This is a matter of national signifi cance for Australia. There is also a recent trend of entire vegetation communities declining to the point of becoming threatened, which paints a grave picture for the future of Australia’s plant and animal species.

Threatened plants are those at risk of extinction and are classed as either endangered (those at most risk) or vulnerable (those at lesser risk but which may be heading toward endangered). Assessment of a plant as threatened is judged against a range of criteria and undertaken by a specialist panel.

Plants have declined due to a range of threats. The main drivers are the direct and related impacts of vegetation clearing, invasive species (weeds are the second biggest threat to plants after vegetation clearing), and land management practices such as inappropriate grazing and burning regimes. The results of land clearing and the fragmentation and isolation of plant communities have long-lasting implications.


THREATENING PROCESSES AND SUGGESTED ACTIONS

FROM COMMON TO THREATENED - THE DOWNWARD TRENDThe decline of plant biodiversity in Queensland has resulted in many plants, once regarded as common or widespread, becoming so limited in their numbers, and/or extent, that they have become at risk of extinction. They have unfortunately earned the title of threatened.

Australia-wide more than 1600 species are nationally threatened and a large number of plants are starting to become ‘poorly known’ for the fi rst time. Since 1989 the number of listed threatened species in Queensland has increased by over 50%.

Under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act, 1992 (NCA) of the 428 plants listed as threatened, 149 are ‘endangered’ and 279 are ‘vulnerable’. In addition, 27 plant species are listed as ‘presumed extinct’, that is they haven’t been seen in the wild for many years. These fi gures do not include the dozens of vegetation communities listed as threatened under the Queensland Vegetation Management Act, 1999 (VMA) as this booklet focuses on plant species.

Whilst some people may be familiar with popularised and charismatic international threatened species such as whales, pandas and tigers and some may even know of the signifi cant discovery of the threatened plant in New South Wales, the Wollemi pine, most would be unable to name any of Queensland’s hundreds of threatened species. Plants tend to be even more poorly known by the broader community than animals, and given the trend of increasing numbers of plants becoming threatened, Queensland’s plants deserve greater community attention and awareness. The ‘Species in the spotlight’ section helps to address this identity problem for at least one group of plants.

REASONS FOR DECLINE; WHY SO MANY THREATENED PLANTS?Whilst there are a myriad of causes for the loss and decline of plants from ‘least concern’ to threatened (‘endangered’ or ‘vulnerable’) or ‘presumed extinct’, four main drivers may be identifi ed; vegetation removal or land clearing, invasive species (plant weeds and animals), inappropriate fi re regimes, and inappropriate grazing regimes. These main threats affect not only plants but also animals and often even entire vegetation communities (described in the following section). Another threat which is often overlooked is the close proximity of bushland to urban areas which brings with it pressures from human traffi c, litter, domestic pets, poaching and vandalism.


A further signifi cant and relatively recent threat, and yet one that is expected to have profound and far-reaching implications for plants, animals and ecosystems alike, is climate change. The effects of this phenomenon are not yet fully known.

Settlement and the development of land resources resulted in unprecedented broad-scale changes for the Queensland landscape. These changes included the introduction of invasive species such as foxes, feral cats and dogs, cane toads, and plants that have become major weeds including buffel grass, cat’s claw creeper, Chinese elm and rubber vine; disruption to historical fi re regimes that were once practiced that native vegetation may have evolved with; and the introduction of new types of farm animals that grazed the landscape and competed with native marsupial grazers. These changes had major consequences for native plants, their distribution and numbers, and in some situations resulted in irrevocable losses.

The pressures that came with this new style of land management have left in its wake a high rate of plant species loss, with 27 recorded extinctions. Many of these past pressures continue to have a serious impact upon Queensland’s plants and may put plants considered to be ‘of least concern’ (those that are not at risk of extinction) at risk of becoming threatened.

Action is being taken to curtail these threats and some of these pressures are formally listed under the commonwealth government’s Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999 (EPBC) as ‘threatening processes’, for example fox predation, and have ‘threat abatement plans’ prepared to help reduce impacts upon Australia’s biodiversity, plants, animals and ecosystems alike.

However, prevention is better than a cure. Recovery and restoration programs for threatened species are often resource intensive and costly. As a result, fewer recovery programs are implemented than there are threatened species. For those species without recovery programs the future is uncertain. However not all threatened plants require highly resource intensive recovery programs and recovery of some species may be more readily achievable than others.

Addressing the causes threatening plants will help not only ensure their long-term viability, but also that of the economy, the environment and society to which the plant world makes a signifi cant contribution.

11

K.L. Hyslop

MAJOR THREATENING PROCESSES

VEGETATION CLEARING Since European settlement, Queensland has lost 34% (2001 statistics) of its pre-clearing vegetation. This has resulted in many species becoming threatened with extinction. Despite laws that have halted most land clearing activities, this pressure continues to put plants at risk.

Broad-scale vegetation clearing in rural areas for agricultural, pastoral, forestry and mining industries and major infrastructure development including dams, roads and powerlines has immediate consequences for plants. However, smaller scale, incremental urban clearing for housing also has a major impact. The high population growth occurring in south-east Queensland has driven high rates of vegetation clearing for housing. This has exacerbated the vulnerability of threatened plants; often rare and or limited in numbers or distribution in their natural state, through habitat loss, habitat degradation and fragmentation.

In addition to the direct impacts from clearing, the cumulative, fl ow-on effects such as habitat fragmentation and isolation, edge effects, erosion and salinity may continue to cause the demise of plants that survived the initial clearing event.

Much vegetation remains only as a fragmented mosaic of island habitats within a surrounding ocean competing against various land-use activities. These remnants often provide crucial habitat for threatened plants. Remnant vegetation in urban areas is exempt from clearing restrictions under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 and is often the last refuge of some of Queensland’s 22 endangered regional ecosystems. These areas need to be protected by other means, such as conservation agreements or by establishment as reserves.

10 Queensland’s threatened plants : spotlight on cycads


Consequences• Reduces area of critical habitat for survival of

threatened plants• Puts plants at risk of becoming threatened • Puts threatened plants at risk from salinity, erosion,

weed and pest invasion, inappropriate fi re and grazing regimes

• Effects plant and animal interactions such as pollination and seed dispersal

• Increases distances between vegetation patches, which makes it diffi cult for plants to exchange genes, therefore making them less able to resist disturbances, and leading to long-term decline from in-breeding

Suggested Actions• Protect and restore remaining vegetation,

reconnect remnant vegetation patches• Undertake a whole of property approach to property management• Leave isolated trees standing as they are important habitat for a myriad of species

and are important as stepping stones for wildlife to cross cleared landscapes • When conducting maintenance work or building infrastructure, ensure all layers

of vegetation are retained in remaining bushland• Resist the impulse to ‘clean-up’ small acreages, as understorey and fallen logs

provide valuable habitat• Ensure retention of remnant vegetation in land development activities

Potential Benefi ts• Increased habitat for threatened plants and other plants and animals• Reduced greenhouse effects• Reduced salinity, water-logging, wind and water erosion• Climatic extremes buffered (less frost, cooler in summer,

warmer in winter, reduced winds)• Reduced aridity• Benefi ts from ecosystem services such as clean water and air,

source for medicines, and healthy soils

Qld Remnant Vegetation 2001: Green illustrates pre-clearing vegetation,

white shows areas of substantial vegetation lossQueensland Herbarium


DECLINING VEGETATION QUALITYDeclining vegetation is closely linked to vegetation clearing and is often a fl ow-on effect of clearing. Declining vegetation may be evident through a less dense canopy of trees than usual, less diversity of plants and animals than would normally be present, loss of grasses or other ground cover, with erosion or bare soil obvious and invasive weed and or animals present. Vegetation decline may also be caused or exacerbated by competition from invasive plants and animals; inappropriate grazing by stock and pest species; inappropriate fi re regimes, where fi re may be too frequent or not frequent enough, unsuitable fi re temperature and effects from salinisation and erosion. Decline may render the vegetation unsuitable for the needs of threatened plants, causing their reduction or complete loss from the local area.

Consequences• Reduces quality of habitat required by threatened plants• Limits regeneration of threatened plants and plants that

share the habitat• May render the remnant prone to fi re and invasive weed

and animal invasion• Loss of plant species and diversity of vegetation

structure

Suggested Actions• Protect remaining vegetation • Develop and implement a remnant vegetation

restoration program• Allow native ground cover and understorey to

regenerate to re-establish vegetation structure and diversity

• Control invasive plants• Fence remnants to prevent over-grazing • Put in place suitable fi re regimes

Potential Benefi ts• Increased habitat for threatened plants• Re-establishment of vegetation structure providing improved habitat• Increased nutrient cycling back into the soil• Reduced water run-off and increased moisture penetration

K.L. Hyslop


INVASIVE PLANTS After vegetation clearing, invasive plants, or weeds, are the biggest threat to native plants whose survival may already be threatened. This pressure is closely linked to declining vegetation quality. The major sources of invasive plants are from nursery or ornamental garden plants and agricultural plants. Many of these plants have escaped from their original situation and have established themselves as major environmental weeds. The total expenditure by authorities and producers in Queensland to control weeds exceeds several hundred million dollars every year.

Consequences• Invasive vines directly compete with threatened plants and may

smother trees and entire canopies, reducing the area of habitat available for threatened plants

• Invasive plants inhibit natural regeneration and seedling growth• Many invasive plants are toxic to native insect pollinators • Invasive plants may increase natural levels of fi re fuel loads• Increasing costs of weed control (manually, mechanically and chemically)• Increasing health incidents and costs of treating allergies, asthma and hay fever

relating to some invasive plants

Suggested Actions• Check published weed lists prior to purchasing or planting plants • Consider using local native plants, particularly when planting near bushland• Do not dump garden waste in bushland• Conduct routine property inspections and control weed outbreaks• Alert authorities about any new declared weed invasions• Remove weeds from new areas before heavily infected areas to contain them and

slow their spread• Check vehicles, machinery and clothing for weed seeds and wash down in control

areas to contain them and slow their spread

Potential Benefi ts• Improved habitat for threatened plants, and other native plants and animals• Reduced competition for threatened plants• Reduced fuel loads and therefore fi re risk levels• Decreased expenditure of public funds on the war against weeds• Reduced health costs

Anne Windsor


INVASIVE ANIMALSInvasive animals, also known as feral animals may directly put pressure on threatened plants through feeding upon their foliage, fl owers, fruit and seeds, which could in turn interfere with the plant’s ability to reproduce successfully. They may also hunt the animals that plants rely upon for pollination, seed dispersal, nutrient cycling and germination, such as fl ying foxes, birds and insects. Changes to soil structure and nutrient levels that threatened plants grow in, may become unsuitable as a result of droppings and compaction from invasive animals.

Consequences• Reduction in quality of habitat for threatened plants• Interruption of plant and animal interactions important

for pollination, seed dispersal and germination• Decline or eventual loss of threatened plant populations• Places non-threatened plants at risk due to reduced

numbers and area available for suitable habitat• Reduces plant health as a result of soil disturbance,

compaction and changes to nutrient levels

Suggested Actions• Implement integrated and strategic invasive animal control programs• Fence out invasive animals where damage to vegetation is occurring• Do not release domestic animals into the wild which may then become feral• Report new outbreaks of declared invasive animals to the authorities

Potential Benefi ts• Reduced costs of control and eradication of invasive species• Maintenance of threatened plant populations and ecosystems• Re-establishment of vegetation structure• Maintenance of soils and nutrient levels• Increase in populations of native plants and animals

QPWS


INAPPROPRIATE FIRE REGIMESWhile fi re is an integral part of the Australian landscape, characterising and infl uencing most major types of vegetation, the right fi re regime and intensity is required. Burning too frequently or too infrequently can cause threatened plants to be lost from ecosystems. Burning at the wrong time of year may destroy fl owers, seeds and seedlings, or may be too cool to stimulate germination of woody seeds. Fire may also encroach on non fi re adapted vegetation, such as rainforest, causing irreparable damage or loss of threatened plants.

Consequences• Direct decline or loss of threatened plants through unsuitable fi re regimes• Dominance of frequent fi re adapted species and weed invasion• Soil surface crusting, increased run-off and loss of nutrients • Loss of hollow-bearing trees for animals that threatened plants may rely upon

for pollination or seed dispersal• Loss of ground litter and debris that may be important for germination• Increased carbon dioxide emissions

Suggested Actions• Prepare property fi re management plans• Implement a fi re regime suitable for the threatened plant and

the vegetation it occurs within, by adjusting the frequency and season to control the fi re intensity

• Burn-off to maintain a range of vegetation age structures and green mosaics within burnt areas (for fi re adapted plants)

• Prevent fi re from encroaching upon fi re sensitive threatened plants

• Control unnaturally high fuel loads around fi re sensitive vegetation by grazing or slashing

Potential Benefi ts• Maintenance of threatened plant habitat and reduced risk of

threatened plants being lost • Protection of infrastructure, lives and remnant bushland• Reduced opportunity for invasive plants to enter threatened plant habitat• Maintenance of the carbon and water cycles, aiding the health of the habitat in

which the threatened plant occurs

Neil Gourley


INAPPROPRIATE GRAZING REGIMESGrazing may put pressure on threatened plants through direct browsing upon their foliage or the foliage of vegetation they occur with, through compaction of soil and changes in nutrient levels as a result of droppings or manure. Whole plants may be trampled or uprooted through the actions of grazing. There may also be a link between inappropriate grazing regimes and invasive species invasion. Tracks opened up by grazers may allow entry of invasive weeds and animals. Current land management systems promoted to graziers have a biodiversity component, as high biodiversity levels are known to assist ecosystems to recover more quickly after grazing and extended drought periods. This helps to bring about sustainability of production and maintenance of habitat for threatened species.

Consequences• Loss or decline of threatened plants and their habitat • Interruption of plants reproduction cycles• Erosion, loss of nutrients and compaction of soils• Declining water quality from increased sediment and nutrient loads as a result

of erosion from trampling and compaction• Increased spread of invasive plants and diseases

Suggested Actions• Put in place appropriate grazing regimes for threatened

plants and their habitat (refer to useful contacts in back of booklet)

• Fence waterways and remnant vegetation, particularly where habitat for threatened plants occurs

• Put in place integrated programs to control the impacts of inappropriate grazing regimes such as weed control, fencing to reduce trampling, and regeneration of understorey plants

• Protect threatened plants and their habitat through conservation agreements and conserving their habitat (see contacts in the back of this booklet)

Potential Benefi ts• Improved habitat for threatened plants• Reduced browsing impacts upon threatened plants• Reduced erosion and run-off• Reduced soil compaction• Improved water quality

Alison Goodland


OTHER THREATS There are a myriad of threats contributing to the decline of threatened plants and vegetation in general. The following provides an overview of some of these:

Illegal CollectingMany native plants are collected illegally in the wild for their foliage, fl owers, fruits and other plant parts, and at times whole plants may be taken. Often the plants most under attack are those already threatened in the wild, as their rarity makes them more attractive for private collections. Illegal collection it is not subject to any controls and puts threatened plants at risk of entire population loss and even extinction.

Inadequate Legislation To Ensure Sustainability Of Legally Harvested PlantsPlants may be collected or harvested legally from the wild and such collection is subject to the Protected Plant Management System (PPMS). The PPMS is linked to the Nature Conservation Act 1992. This system incorporates legislation, policy, management prescriptions, a licensing system and compliance tools that are meant to ensure that harvesting is sustainable. The system incorporates permit systems for the taking and use of protected plants under certain conditions. Whilst the program provides a good framework to ensure sustainable use of plants, further resources are required to implement effective monitoring systems to ensure compliance is adhered to by permit holders, and to ensure the rate of use of plants in their wild habitat is actually sustainable. In addition, resources are required to enhance the enforcement program for offenders not complying, and for those found to be illegally collecting.

Climate ChangeSome plants of ancient lineage, such as cycads, are indicators of climate change. The effects on these climate sensitive species to increasing temperatures, changes in rainfall, and increasing carbon dioxide emissions are likely to include interruption to reproductive cycles and death of populations unable to adapt to such rapid changes. Other processes associated with climate change impacting on threatened plants are the spread of pests and diseases to new regions, changes to canopy cover of their habitat and the increasing severity of weather events and shifting rainfall patterns.

Herbicides, Pesticides And Other ChemicalsUse of chemicals needs to be managed carefully and within strict guidelines of their recommended use and dosages. Secondary effects from chemicals may include detrimental impacts on adjoining or nearby threatened plants and vegetation from spray drift and soil leachates. Results of secondary effects may include leaf drop, interruption to plant reproduction, loss of pollinators, loss of important soil fungi, die-back and even plant death. Damage to vegetation may allow invasive species to enter an area and out-compete threatened plants for nutrients and space. The implementation of an integrated pest management system may help to restore a natural balance between pest and predator species.

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CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION

LEGISLATIONIn Queensland, threatened plants are the responsibility of the lead agency for the protection of biodiversity, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and are protected through two main laws: at the state level through the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) and associated regulations, managed by the EPA; and nationally through the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) under the responsibility of the Australian Government’s Department of Environment and Heritage. (Lists of threatened species under these two laws are available through the websites listed at the back of this booklet).

As well as the commonwealth and state governments sharing responsibility for threatened plants, so too does local government. Councils have a range of options in place to help them do this. These may include vegetation management strategies, plans and local guidelines, bushland acquisition programs, vegetation protection ordinances and conservation agreements with landholders. Local government and community get involved together through hands-on ‘Bushcare’ programs.



RECOVERY PLANSThe main management tool used by government to conserve threatened plants is a Recovery Plan. This plan describes the threatened species, the threats and what needs to be done to halt the further decline of the species. The EPA has a program of plan preparation and implementation and the DEH has a legal responsibility, under the EPBC, to develop a recovery plan for threatened species. The state and commonwealth work together to develop recovery plans and implementation of these plans is paramount to achieve the species conservation.

A recovery team usually prepares a recovery plan and comprises specialists and key stakeholders with community involvement an essential ingredient. Successful formal recovery programs may include:

• A current Recovery Plan• An active Recovery Team to oversee the production, implementation and

revision of the plan• A Recovery Coordinator to coordinate the plan’s activities on behalf of the team• Active involvement of all key stakeholders; landholders/landmanagers,

industry, government agencies, traditional owners and indigenous communities, researchers and educators

• Funds and resources to carry out of the plan’s activities

Additional features may include a communications plan and an implementation plan, which identifi es marketing and fundraising tactics. Ideally threatened plant programs have an effective monitoring and evaluation program to allow review and improved management as new information becomes available.


THREATENED PLANT CASE STUDYMost threatened plants in Queensland do not have recovery plans or actively implemented recovery programs, and cycads are amongst these. The following case study looks at one of a handful of plants that have a recovery plan and a successful, actively implemented recovery program. This case study may serve to help inform community wishing to start other plant recovery projects and may even be applied and adapted for the recovery of cycads.

Angle Stemmed Myrtle Gossia gonoclada syn. Austromyrtus gonocladaKey stakeholders and other interested parties joined together to form a recovery team to develop the recovery plan for this endangered plant, occurring only in south east Queensland. Since 1996 recovery actions of the plan have been by carried out in partnership by local government, state agencies, and community groups.

Recovery actions have included propagating and planting seedlings to expand the small number of existing plants, research into the genetics of the plant species and establishing a seed orchard to produce plant stocks with broader genetic variation to assist longer term viability. With the exception of one small population, now fenced and well maintained, all known plants occur within local government protected reserves.

Diffi culties faced by the recovery team have included lack of knowledge about the plant itself and its specifi c needs for survival, absence of seed production during recent years, and identifying the precise environmental conditions within the landscape preferred by the plant.

While results of the plant’s population expansion are good, the lack of seed is a concern for further natural increases in plant numbers in the wild.

Further research and continued maintenance is required, and good rainfall is necessary to stimulate fruit production and natural regeneration. The recovery plan is currently under periodical review and funding for on-going works is being sought to continue with this successful recovery program. Contact Logan City Council for further information.

Logan City Council


WHAT THE COMMUNITY CAN DO TO HELP THREATENED PLANTS - GENERALLYWhilst formal recovery plans and programs are one way to conserve threatened plants, community involvement is essential to halt the further decline of Queensland’s threatened plant species. The community is an integral part of threatened plant recovery, and may assist through:

• Participating in recovery processes - be aware of threatened plant recovery teams and programs in your area or region

• Helping to carry out surveys for threatened plants and learning more about the threatened plants in your local area or region

• Membership of your regional natural resource management planning committee• Working with all tiers of government and advocating to local politicians to gain an

increase in resources to protect and conserve threatened plants• Supporting local groups and actions to protect at-risk native plants before their

populations are reduced to a threatened status• Helping to maintain remnant vegetation, using sustainable land management

practices, and placing voluntary conservation agreements upon remnant vegetation• Planting local native plants and avoiding planting invasive plants that may escape

into bushland, and limiting pet access to bushland• Joining local community organisations such as local Bushcare or Landcare groups

to help conserve threatened plants and their habitats• Not buying threatened plants without a licensed tag number, and

reporting illegal collection or sales

Threatened plants need people to get their hands dirty and to become involved. Use the Further Information section at the back of this booklet to learn where to look for more information to help conserve threatened plants.

Caroline Haskard

22 23

SPECIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT: CYCADS

CYCADS, AN INTRODUCTIONCycads are used as an iconic group to illustrate some of the common problems facing threatened plants generally. The information outlined in the fi rst part of the booklet may be practically applied to cycad recovery.

Today’s cycads are direct descendants of prehistoric plants from over 200 million years ago. They have earned the name ‘dinosaurs of the plant world’ as they have changed very little since dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Cycads are a palm-like group of plants comprising four genera, Lepidozamia, Bowenia (non-threatened), Cycas and Macrozamia (threatened). Most cycads do not have common names with Cycas species simply known as cycads and most Macrozamia species referred to as zamia palms. Some information is available from research and study, however, as with many threatened plants there is still much that remains unknown.

Cycads may reach 14 metres or more in height. Many have sharply pointed leaves, strong spines, and clusters of upward projecting roots held just below the soil surface. Cycads are known to live for 150 years and often take as long as10-20 years to reach reproductive maturity. The chances of them being female are approximately 1:10. Both sexes produce cones; the males loaded with pollen and the females, once pollinated develop large, brightly coloured seeds.

QUEENSLAND’S THREATENED PLANTS : spotlight on cycads

Ancient Cycad; 255 million year old fossil found in NSW

The Greening of Gondwana

Mary E. White 1998Jim Frazier


Cycads have a relationship with fungi that helps them gain nutrients and minerals from the soil. Beetles and thrips are known to pollinate cycads and in return these insects rely on cycads to complete their own reproduction cycles. Disruption to this delicate relationship may have dire consequences for the insects and the cycads.

Collectively 47.5% of Queensland cycads are threatened, slightly less than the world cycad average of 52% (IUCN statistics from Forster, 2004). Nineteen species of cycad are listed on the state threatened species schedules, twelve of which are also listed on the national schedules. Differences in the species on state and commonwealth lists does not always refl ect the plants status, it may mean some state listed species have not yet been nominated to join the national lists.

Nature Conservation Act

Environmental Protectionand

Biodiversity Conservation Act

Vulnerable Endangered Vulnerable EndangeredLepidozamia spp. 0 0 0 0Bowenia spp. 0 0 0 0Cycas spp. 6 2 0 3Macrozamia spp. 5 6 5 4

Whilst the cycads Bowenia and Lepidozamia are well protected in national parks and state forests and not considered to be under threat, several Cycas and Macrozamia species are not yet represented within the protected area estate. Protection of cycads and their habitat is important to ensure their longer term conservation and protection against unforeseen future events. As many cycads and other threatened plants only survive on freehold lands, landholders are integral to their conservation. Landholders may help by placing covenants and conservation agreements on cycad habitats to help protect them. Assistance is often available for landholders wishing to protect threatened plants. (See the Further Information section in the back of this booklet)


COMMON THREATSSome of the primary causes of cycad decline, which are also applicable to many other threatened plants include:

• Occurrence in fragmented or isolated populations, with little chance of transfer of genetic diversity

• Low rates of regeneration, due to loss of seed and seedlings from predation• Effects of climate change • Effects of land clearing• Inappropriate fi re and grazing regimes and • Weed invasion

Whilst threatened cycads are protected by law from harvesting, illegal collecting still occurs due to their value as collector’s items on the world market. The chemical make-up of cycads renders them toxic to stock which has often resulted in their eradication. Some known populations have been completely lost through this type of land management action in the past century. Cycads also have limited seed dispersal, slow growth rates and specialised pollination, which make them more susceptible to the above threats. In addition they may not reproduce regularly, further exacerbating their susceptibility.

It is important that members of the community be able to identify cycads in the fi eld, in case new populations are located, and to help protect existing populations from illegal collectors.

The following cycad profi les provide a more detailed look at the secret world of cycads. Specifi c threats and recovery actions required to bring about their improved conservation are outlined. Whilst some details are specifi c to cycads, many are common to other threatened plants and may be used as a guide to the sort of actions that may be required by other plant recovery programs.

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SPECIES PROFILES

Legend for Natural Resource Management regions on cycad distribution maps

1. Torres Strait2. Cape York3. Southern Gulf Catchments Inc4. Nthern Gulf Regional Mgmt Group5. Cape York/Nthern Gulf Regional Mgmt Group6. Wet Tropics NRM Board7. Burdekin Dry Tropics Board8. Desert Channels Qld Inc9. Mackay Whitsunday NRM Group10. Fitzroy Basin Association11. Burnett Mary Reg Group NRM Inc12. South West NRM Inc13. Qld Murray Darling Committee Inc14. South East Qld NRM15. Condamine Alliance16. SEQ Western Catchments Group Inc


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Cycas megacarpaCycadaceae

Conservation StatusEndangered (NCA); Endangered (EPBC); IUCN listed

The name mega means large, and karpos refers to the seeds. This cycad has a slender trunk to about 5 m tall. The foliage is mid-green growing to 1.1 m long and spiny with numerous, moderately glossy leafl ets to 20 cm long. Male cones are oval in shape, to 7 cm and yellow to orange-brown. Female cones are larger to 18 cm, with oval-shaped seeds that become yellowish, pinkish or purplish with maturity. It may be distinguished from the other local species C. ophiolitica by the green new growth and larger seeds. It is the subject of a recovery plan being prepared for 6 endangered Queensland cycad species.

Threats• Not all populations are conserved within the reserve estate• Sensitivity to climate change• Harvesting pressures• Habitat destruction and fragmentation• Loss of genetic variation• Changes to soil nutrient levels• Loss of pollinator species• Inappropriate fi re regimes

Recovery Actions• Purchase land to protect populations and enter conservation

agreements with landholders• Conduct public and nursery industry educational programs on

cycads and recovery plan processes• Conduct fi eld surveys to locate further populations • Establish a monitoring program to record population

dynamics• Collect samples for genetic and molecular studies• Study dispersal mechanisms and means of pollination • Propagate plants to enhance wild populations• Stabilise existing populations and establish new populations

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Cycas ophioliticaCycadaceae

Conservation StatusEndangered (NCA), Endangered (EPBC), IUCN listed

The name refers to ophis, or ophios, serpent or snake, and lithos, stone or rock – for serpentinite, the type of rock predominant in the soils where it occurs. It is a short cycad growing to 2 m, rarely taller. Mature foliage mostly grey-green to dark green, blue-green when young, borne on spiny stalks to 1.4 m with multiple moderately glossy leafl ets to 24 cm long. Male cones are yellow to orange-brown and slender to 7 cm; female cones are oval to 17 cm, with oval, green seeds that become yellowish with maturity. This species is distinguished from the other local species, C. megacarpa by its blue-green new growth and smaller seeds. It is the subject of a recovery plan, which is being prepared along with 5 other endangered Queensland cycad species.

Threats• Many smaller populations are poorly conserved, including the

northern ‘bluish’ forms which are under signifi cant risk from illegal collecting

• Habitat destruction and fragmentation• Sensitivity to climate change• Changes to soil nutrient levels• Loss of genetic variation• Loss of pollinator species• Inappropriate fi re regimes

Recovery Actions• Purchase land to protect populations within reserve areas• Conduct public and nursery industry educational program on

cycads and recovery plan processes• Propagate plants to enhance wild populations• Establish new populations• Maintain habitat quality• Implement appropriate fi re regimes• Conduct research into the biology and ecology of the species• Encourage the establishment of commercial seed orchards

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Cycas cairnsianaCycadaceae

Conservation StatusVulnerable (NCA), Vulnerable (EPBC), IUCN listed

This species was named in honour of Sir William Wellington Cairns, Governor of Qld from 1875-1877. This cycad can reach 5 m with a stout trunk. It is distinguished from other similar cycads by its dull blue leaf colour and orange hairs on new growth. The foliage reaches 1.4 m long, with numerous leafl ets to 22 cm which are paler below. The male cones are yellow to orange-brown, growing to 20 cm long; female cones are brown and hairy, to 21 cm long with oval fl attened orange-brown seeds. This is a very attractive species and popular with collectors.

Threats• Populations of this species are not protected within the

reserve estate• Due to its striking blue leaves, it is popular with collectors

and consequently under considerable pressure from illegal collection

• Habitat destruction and fragmentation• Sensitivity to climate change• Disruptions to reproductive cycles from inappropriate

fi re regimes• Population decline and loss of genetic variability• Loss of pollinators• Changes to soil nutrient levels

Recovery Actions• Purchase land to protect populations or enter conservation


cycads and recovery plan processes• Conduct fi eld surveys to locate further populations • Establish a monitoring program to record population dynamics• Collect samples for genetic and molecular studies• Study dispersal mechanisms and pollination processes• Propagate plants to enhance wild populations• Stabilise existing population numbers and establish

new populations• Monitor existing populations to learn more about their

reproductive cycle

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Cycas couttsianaCycadaceae

Conservation StatusRare (NCA), not listed (EPBC), IUCN listed. This species is at considerable risk of becoming threatened.

Named in honour of Pat and David Coutts, who brought the species to attention through trying to protect it in its natural habitat. This cycad may reach 7 m tall and is distinguished from other cycads by the white hairs on its foliage and the very greyish-green seeds. The foliage is dull blue to 1.3 m long, consisting of many leafl ets which are paler below. The male cones are orange and oval in shape to 20 cm; the female cones are grey and hairy, to 26 cm, bearing fl attened, oval seeds.

Threats• This species is not well represented in the reserve estate • Because of its notable leaf colour this cycad is under

considerable pressure from illegal collection• Habitat destruction and fragmentation• Sensitivity to climate change• Disruptions to reproductive cycles from inappropriate

fi re regimes• Population decline and loss of genetic variability• Loss of pollinator species• Changes to soil nutrient levels

Recovery Actions• Purchase land to protect populations or enter conservation


cycads and recovery plan processes• Conduct fi eld surveys to locate further populations • Establish a monitoring program to record population

dynamics• Collect samples for genetic and molecular studies• Study dispersal mechanisms and mutualism with pollinators• Propagate plants to enhance wild populations• Stabilise existing population numbers and establish new

populations

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Macrozamia lomandroidesZamiaceae


Macrozamia lomandroides refers to the genus Lomandra – oides means resembling; indicating the similarity of this plant to a clump of Lomandra. This is a small species with an underground trunk and narrow, erect, spirally twisted foliage stems. The foliage is light green to 0.8 m, consisting of many leafl ets to 30 cm, sharply toothed near the tip and paler below. The male cones are green and cylindrical to 15 cm; female cones are oval and hairy at the base, to 18 cm. The seeds are numerous and mature orange–red. This species is distinguished from all other Queensland species by the small, sharp teeth at the apex of the leafl ets. It is the subject of a recovery plan being prepared for 6 endangered Queensland cycad species.

Threats• Habitat loss from land clearing• Inappropriate fi re regimes• Sensitivity to climate change• Soil disturbance and competition from invasive species• Loss of pollinators • Chemical pollutants• Lack of species knowledge• Declining genetic diversity

Recovery Actions• Enter into conservation agreements with landholders to

protect populations on freehold lands• Conduct public and nursery industry educational programs

on cycads and recovery plan processes• Conduct fi eld surveys to locate further populations • Establish a monitoring program to record population

dynamics• Collect samples for genetic and molecular studies• Study dispersal mechanisms and mutualism with pollinators• Propagate plants to enhance wild populations• Stabilise existing population numbers and establish

new populations

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Macrozamia platyrachisZamiaceae


The name is from the Greek platy, broad, and rachis, the part of the leaf-stalk bearing the leafl ets – referring to the strongly fl attened central leaf stem. This is a small cycad with an underground trunk and strongly arched leaves that are soft and woolly at the base. Leaves are bright green and moderate to highly glossy to 0.8 m long, with leafl ets (palm-like foliage) growing up to 40 cm and paler below. Male cones are pale green with slightly fl attened sides, or oval, to 23 cm long; female cones are ovoid to 17 cm. The seeds mature to a bright, shining red colour, and are quite eye-catching. Macrozamia platyrachis can be distinguished from other cycads by its broader leafl ets and shorter leaf stalks. It is the subject of a recovery plan being prepared for 6 endangered Queensland cycad species.

Threats• Habitat loss from land clearing• Inappropriate fi re regimes• Sensitivity to climate change• Changes to soil nutrient levels• Loss of pollinator species• Chemical pollutants• Lack of species knowledge• Declining genetic diversity• Human population and development pressures

Recovery Actions• Conduct public and nursery industry educational programs on

cycads and recovery plan processes• Conduct fi eld surveys to locate other populations • Establish a monitoring program to record population

dynamics• Collect samples for genetic and molecular studies• Study dispersal mechanisms and mutualism with pollinators• Propagate plants to enhance wild populations• Stabilise existing population numbers and establish

new populations• Monitor populations and learn more about the species

reproductive cycles

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Macrozamia pauli-guilielmiZamiaceae


This species was named for Paul William and Latinised to pauli-guilielmi, Prince of Wurtemberg, a nineteenth century patron of German science and an occasional botanical collector. It is a small cycad with an underground trunk and strongly spirally twisted leaf stems that are covered with soft woolly hairs at the base. The mature foliage is a dull mid-green to 0.9 m long. The numerous leafl ets growing up to 40 cm are shiny when young and paler below. The cones of both sexes are oval; the males to 20 cm, the females smaller, bearing seeds which mature to a bright red. It may be distinguished from other cycad species by its tidy appearance and narrow leafl ets. This very attractive species is the subject of a recovery plan being prepared for 6 endangered Queensland cycad species.

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Threats• Reasonably well protected but restricted to a small

geographic region• Sensitivity to climate change• Harvesting pressures• Habitat destruction and fragmentation• Loss of genetic variation• Changes to soil nutrient levels• Loss of pollinators • Inappropriate fi re regimes

Recovery Actions• Conduct public and nursery industry educational programs on


dynamics• Collect samples for genetic and molecular studies• Study dispersal mechanisms and pollination methods• Propagate plants to enhance wild populations• Stabilise existing population numbers and establish

new populations

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Macrozamia craneiZamiaceae


This cycad was named for Ralph Crane, an orchid enthusiast who discovered this species in the early 1990s. It is a small cycad with an underground trunk and spirally twisted leaf stems that are softly hairy at the base. The foliage is grey-green, maturing to a shiny dark green, to 0.9 m consisting of numerous, narrow leafl ets with drooping tips up to 30 cm, which are paler below. The male cones are brown and cylindrical to 22 cm; the female cones are green, to 13 cm. When mature the seeds are an orange-red. It has narrower, glossier leaves than M. occidua which occurs nearby. It is the subject of a recovery plan being prepared for 6 endangered Queensland cycad species.

Threats• Not conserved within the reserve estate• Effects of land clearing and development• Sensitivity to climate change• Harvesting pressures• Loss of genetic variation• Changes to soil nutrient levels• Loss of pollinators• Inappropriate fi re regimes

Recovery Actions• Enter into conservation agreements with landholders to

protect populations on freehold lands• Conduct public and nursery industry educational programs on


dynamics• Collect samples for genetic and molecular studies• Study dispersal mechanisms and pollination methods• Propagate plants to enhance wild populations• Stabilise existing population numbers and establish

new populations

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CYCAD RECOVERY AND BENEFITS FOR OTHER THREATENED PLANTS

Whole-of-community action, partnerships, awareness raising and implementation of recovery actions are required to improve the conservation of these ancient plants and prevent their advance towards extinction. While there may be questions yet to be answered about how best to achieve cycad conservation, there are also many actions that can be taken right now while we wait for science to provide the answers to the more specifi c problems.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT• Form a recovery team to help conserve cycads in your area or region • Work together with key stakeholders in your area or region to prepare management

plans or local management guidelines to address the core causes of cycad decline• Carry out strategic on-ground activities to reduce threats, such as fencing areas

containing threatened cycads to prevent damage by stock, implementing cycad-compatible fi re and grazing regimes, and weed control

• Conserve remnant vegetation not only where the cycad occurs but also in areas of nearby vegetation to allow seed dispersal into new areas, and to aid pollination and genetic transfer between different populations

• Tell people about the issues for cycads and other threatened plants, and get to know about the threatened plants in your local area or region

• Ensure forest timber harvesting operations (such as tracks, erosion control, fi re, thinning) conserve and do not impact upon cycads and other threatened plants

• Industry, government and community may work together to establish cycad plantations for access by the commercial harvesting industry

• Work with government and industry to purchase land to protect unprotected cycad populations

• Private landholders can help protect threatened cycads on their properties by establishing conservation agreements or covenants for cycad habitats

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Benefi ts For Other Threatened PlantsAs well as treating the symptoms of cycad decline, the core threats as outlined in the threatening processes section of this booklet must also be addressed to bring about long term conservation. Addressing these core threats will also help conserve other threatened plants and the fl ora and fauna that share their habitat.

Australia already has the dubious distinction of being the nation with the highest loss of biodiversity in the western world – in a little over 200 years. Lets work together to turn this around.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Australia’s National Report: to the fourth conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 1998, Environment Australia, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.

Australian Biosecurity Group. 2005, Invasive weeds, Pests and Diseases: Solutions to Secure Australia. CRC for Pest Animal Control, CRC for Australian Weed Management and WWF-Australia, Canberra.

Cogger, H.G., Ford, H.A., Johnson, C.N., Holman, J. and Butler, D. 2003. Impacts of Land Clearing on Australia Wildlife in Queensland. WWF–Australia, Brisbane.

Environmental Protection Agency 2001, Conservation and management of protected plants in Queensland 2001-2005, Queensland Government, Brisbane.

Forster, P.I. 2004, ‘Diversity of Cycads together with an assessment of their conservation status’, The Biology, Structure, and Systematics of the Cycadales, Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Cycad Biology, Nong Nooch, Thailand, pp. 60-72.

Forster, P.I. 2004, ‘The Cycads of Queensland – Diversity and Conservation’, Magazine of the Palms & Cycad Societies of Australia Ltd., issue 82, pp. 4-28.

Hill, K. and Osborne, R. 2001, Cycads of Australia, Kangaroo Press, East Roseville.

Department of Environment and Heritage, Australian Government 2005, EPBC Act List of Threatened Flora (WWW-Australia), URL: http://www.deh.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=fl ora:

United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 2005, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (WWW document), URL: http://www.cites.org/index.html

Queensland Government, Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 1994, reprint March 2004, Offi ce of the Queensland Parliamentary Council, Brisbane.

Queensland Herbarium, 2002, Names and Distribution of Queensland Plants, Algae and Lichens, Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane.

Queensland Herbarium, 2005, Recovery Plan for Cycas megacarpa, Cycas ophiolitica, Macrozamia cranei, Macrozamia lomandroides, Macrozamia pauli-guilielmi, Macrozamia platyrhachis 2005 - 2010, Report to Department of Environment and Heritage, Canberra. Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane. in prep.

White, M. E. 1998, The Greening of Gondwana: The 400 Million Year Story of Australian Plants, 3rd edn, Kangaroo Press, East Roseville.


FURTHER INFORMATION

Topics Covered Throughout This PublicationAppropriate fi re regimes for threatened plants and biodiversity - SEQ Fire and Biodiversity Consortium, some local Rural Fire Brigades, Department of Natural Resources & Mines, some local Governments

Conservation Tax Incentives for private landholders - DEH

Declared (invasive) Plant and Animal information and control and reports of new outbreaks - Department of Natural Resources and Mines (NR&M)

Funding for threatened plant recovery - NHT, TSN, EnviroFund, some local governments also have community environment grants

Illegal Collection of Plants, reporting - EPA, QPWS

Property management plans - Greening Australia, Landcare, NRM bodies, NR&M

Purchase of threatened plant habitat - EPA, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS)

Purchasing local plants - Greening Australia, local native nursery, Society for Growing Australian Plants (SGAP)

Purchasing protected plants, licensing - EPA, QPWS

Recovery Plans, Threat Abatement Plans - DEH, EPA for state listed plans

Starting a Recovery Team or Preparing a Recovery Plan or Management Guidelines for threatened plants - DEH, EPA TSEU, local QPWS offi cer, TSN

Sustainable grazing regimes - Landcare

Threatened plant laws and collecting - EPA, QPWS

Threatened plant species information - Queensland Herbarium, WWF-Australia Threatened Species Network, Australian Network for Plant Conservation, EPA Threatened Species and Ecosystems Unit, your local government conservation or environment branch, Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland (WPSQ)

Threatened Species Lists - state EPA, national DEH

Voluntary Conservation Agreements - DEH, local government conservation agreement offi cers, Land for Wildlife, QPWS Nature Refuge Offi cer

Weed control, re-vegetation and sustainable land management options - Landcare, Greening Australia, NRM regional groups, local environment groups, NR&M


Websites Of InterestAustralian Network for Plant Conservation, www.anbg.gov.au/anpc

Department of Environment and Heritage, www.deh.gov.au

Department of Natural Resources & Mines, www.nrm.qld.gov.au

Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries, Safe, Sustainable Systems, www.dpi.qld.gov.au/home/17089.html

Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.qld.gov.au

Grains Research Development Council, Sustainable Farming Systems, www.grdc.com.au/home.cfm

Greening Australia Qld Inc., www.greeningaustralia.org.au/GA/QLD/

Landcare Australia, www.landcareaustralia.com.au

Landcare Farming, Securing the Future for Australian Agriculture, www.clw.csiro.au/new/landcare-report.pdf

Local Government Association of Queensland, www.lgaq.asn.au/portal/dt

Natural Resource Management, www.nrm.gov.au/index.html

Queensland Herbarium, www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/plants/queensland_herbarium/

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, www.epa.qld.gov.au

Society for Growing Australian Plants Qld Region Inc., www.sgapqld.org.au/

The Association of the Societies for Growing Australian Plants, http://farrer.riv.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/index.html

Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, www.wildlife.org.au

WWF-Australia, Threatened Species Network, Queensland, www.wwf.org.au/tsn


Booklets and On-Line Articles Australian Biosecurity Group.2005. Invasive weeds, Pests and Diseases: Solutions to Secure Australia. CRC for Pest Animal Control, CRC for Australian Weed Management and WWF-Australia, Canberra.

Briggs, J.D. and Leigh, J.H. 1995, Rare or Threatened Australian Plants, Revised Edition, CSIRO Publishing, Australia.

Butler, G. 1993, The Cultivation of Australia’s Threatened Flora, Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants, 17th Biennial Seminar, Robert Menzies College, Sydney, September/October 1993.

Cogger, H.G., Ford, H.A., Johnson, C.N. Holman, J. and Butler, D. 2003. Impacts of Land Clearing on Australian Wildlife in Queensland. WWF-Australia: Brisbane.

Department of Environment and Heritage Threat Abatement Plans, www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/tap

Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act information and list of threatened species, www.deh.gov.au/epbc

International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of threatened species, www.redlist.org

Legislation online, www.legislation.qld.gov.au/OQPChome.html

Leigh, J and Briggs, J. 1991, Conservation of Vascular Plants in Australia, in Native Plants for New South Wales (newsletter of the NSW Region of the Society for Growing Australian Plants), Vol.26, No.2, June 1991.

Leigh, J, Boden, R and Briggs, J. 1984, Extinct and Endangered Plants of Australia, MacMillan Australia.

Leigh, J, Briggs, J and Hartley, W. 1981, Rare or Threatened Australian Plants, Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, Special Publication 7.

Miller, K. (ed), 2003, Australia’s Threatened Species, Their Future in Our Hands, WWF-Australia: Sydney.

Native Vegetation Clearance, Habitat Loss and Biodiversity Decline: an Overview of Recent Native Vegetation Clearance in Australia and its Implications for Biodiversity, www.deh.gov.au

Playford, J., and Murray, R. (eds), 2000, Threatened Plants Active Bushcare, The Centre for Conservation Biology, University of Queensland, Brisbane.

Protecting Threatened Plants, Jeanette Mill and Fiona Hall, http://farrer.riv.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/APOL31/sep03-4.html

Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1999, list of threatened species, www.legislation.qld.gov.au/OQPChome.html

Threatened Species Recovery Plans, www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/recovery/index.html


Useful ContactsAustralian Government Queensland NRM Facilitator Biodiversity (Bushcare) – (07) 3214 2650

Australian Network for Plant Conservation – (02) 6250 9509

Department of Environment and Heritage – (02) 6272 4936

Environmental Protection Agency – (07) 3227 7111

Grains Research and Development Council – (02) 6272 5525

Greening Australia Queensland (Inc.) – (07) 3902 4444

Queensland Landcare Foundation - (07) 3211 4413

Natural Resource Management Project Coordinator – (07) 3000 2202

Natural Resource Management SEQ (SEQ Regional body), Biodiversity and Projects Manager – (07) 3211 4404

Queensland Herbarium – (07) 3896 9326

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services – (07) 3227 7111

Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries – 13 25 23

Society for Growing Australia Plants (Qld Region Inc) President – (07) 5546 3322

WWF-Australia, Threatened Species Network – 1800 032 551

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Documents

QUEENSLAND’S THREATENED PLANTS - WWFawsassets.wwf.org.au/downloads/sp066_qld_threatened_plant_cycads... · QUEENSLAND’S THREATENED PLANTS : spotlight on cycads 1 CONTENTS Foreword