Download 22. Supplementation of the nationally vulnerable

MALLEE CATCHMENT
Technical
Bulletin
Technical Bulletin #22
Above: Planting a Desert Greenhood.
Left: Australasian Native Orchid Society volunteer at
the planting site. Photos: N Reiter, Wimmera CMA.
At a glance
• Less than 30 plants of this species
are known to exist within the
This technical bulletin summaries the
brownish stripes and suffusions, on long,
outcomes of a project to translocate
slender pedicels.
Murray Sunset National Park, of
which only one emerged in 2012;
• A supplementation plan was
the Desert Greenhood, a threatened
orchid, in the Murray Sunset National
The Desert Greenhood is listed as
prepared for this species and 20
Park during winter 2013.
vulnerable under the Commonwealth
plants were reintroduced for the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity
first time within existing habitat in
Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) and is
the Murray Sunset National Park;
Background
The Desert Greenhood is a deciduous,
perennial, terrestrial orchid emerging
annually from an underground tuber.
It produces a ground-hugging, stemencircling, crowded basal rosette of four
listed as threatened under the Victorian
Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988
• The main threat to the Desert
Greenhood is introduced animals;
(FFG). Only eight populations containing
• Its preferred habitat is an ecotone
about 150 plants are known in Australia,
between ecological vegetation
with less than 30 plants in Victoria.
classes Loamy Sands Mallee and
Woorinen Sands Mallee.
to ten greenish leaves, that are usually
Method
withered at flowering time. The plant
The seed was sourced from the Murray
bears one to eight small (to 20mm long),
Sunset National Park population in 2011.
light green flowers with darker green or
Desert Greenhood plants were grown
www.malleecma.vic.gov.au
Supplementation of the nationally vulnerable
Desert Greenhood (Pterostylis xerophila)
Above: Desert Greenhood plants were propagated from
seed. Photo: N Reiter, Wimmera CMA.
Above: Desert Greenhood tubers. Photo: N Reiter,
Wimmera CMA.
Above: A rabbit and goat proof fence surrounds the
site. Photo: N Reiter, Wimmera CMA.
from seed in the Wimmera Catchment
• A 30m by 30m goat and rabbit proof
• Determine optimal conditions for
Management Authority’s Horsham Orchid
fence was installed on the site prior
Propagation Facility.
to translocation. The fence will protect
part of the existing population from
A suitable site for the successful
supplementation of Desert Greenhood
was selected based on observations of
the remnant population at the Murray
Sunset National Park, taking into account
threats to the species. The site chosen
is in the Murray Sunset National Park
and encompasses part (four plants) of
the original population. The criteria for
pest animals, increasing the chances of
successfully collecting seed for future
translocation based on the long term
success of supplementation;
• Continue pest plant and animal control
within Murray Sunset National Park;
• Continue to propagate Desert
recovery efforts. Gates allow access
Greenhood ex-situ until an adequate
for management and watering and will
representation exists of current plants
allow for possible browsing by native
within Murray Sunset National Park and
herbivores during the dormant phase of
at least 100 plants are available for re-
the orchids;
introduction;
• Twenty Desert Greenhoods were
• Conduct further surveys within the
selecting this site were:
planted in suitable microclimates within
Murray Sunset National Park to locate
• The site is secure and managed by
the fenced area;
suitable sites for translocation and any
Parks Victoria;
• The site has the same vegetation
• Each plant was tagged with a disc 10cm
to the north of the plant, mulched and
and soil characteristics as the known
watered as per the supplementation
populations of Desert Greenhood;
plan;
• The site has minimal weeds and low
levels of pest animal disturbance;
• The site is easily accessible for watering
and monitoring;
• The existing population will benefit from
increasing plant numbers and partial
protection through fencing.
This project was carried out under a
permit (10006395) under the FFG Act and
• A 1,000 litre tank was erected on site
additional populations of the Desert
Greenhood.
Acknowledgements
The Mallee Catchment Management
for supplementary watering if needed
Authority (CMA) engaged the Wimmera
during the first growing season;
CMA to undertake this project with
• Only one of the 30 known plants
funding from the Victorian Government.
emerged in 2012, but the winter 2013
Parks Victoria is also a project partner,
census of the population at rosette
and volunteers from the Australasian
stage looks promising, with several
Native Orchid Society helped with the
plants having emerged.
translocation.
the National Parks Act 1975.
Recommendations
Further information
Recommendations from this project
For further information on the Desert
Key outcomes
include:
• The supplementation plan was
• Manage the site to eventually achieve
developed for the project and approved
a translocated population of 100 Desert
by the relevant authorities.
Greenhood plants;
Greenhood supplementation please
contact the Mallee CMA on 03 5051 4377.
Project Partners
Published June 2013
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