Aspects of the distribution, phytosociology, ecology and management of Danthonia popinensis D.I. Morris, an endangered wallaby grass from Tasmania

Danthonia popinensis is a recently discovered, nationally endangered tussock grass, originally known from only one roadside population at Kempton, Tasmania. Six populations have been recorded, all from flat land with mildly acid non-rocky soils, and all in small roadside or paddock remnants, badly invaded by exotic plants. However, one site has recently been destroyed through roadworks. The species germinates best at temperatures of 10°e, indicating a winter germination strategy. Autumn burning at Kempton resulted in an increased cover of D. popinensis two years after the burn, but also resulted in an increased cover of competitive exotics. The future of the species needs to be secured by ex situ plantings, as almost all of its original habitat has been converted to crops or improved pasture

The distribution, ecology and management of two rare Tasmanian sedges - Schoenus absconditus Kuk. and Carex tasmanica Kuk

The sedges, Carex tasmanica and Schoenus absconditus, were considered to be threatened species at the national level. They are species of grassland and grassy woodland in the driest parts of Tasmania, C. tasmanica being associated with drainafe lines, and S. absconditus characteristically occurring in Themeda triandra grassland, in situations where there is a large amount of intertussock space. Both species proved much more common than previously thought, and both species have been downlisted. They are both well-adapted to mechanical disturbance and sheep grazing. C. tasmanica is also herbicide resistant. However, mowing and cattle grazing deleteriously affect C. tasmanica. S. absconditus can no longer be regarded as a rare or threatened species. However, C. tasmanica has disappeared from two localities out of 30 in the past four years and has no substantial populations in any secure reserve. Secure reservation is needed for this vulnerable species

The flora of Township Lagoon Nature Reserve and its management, Tunbridge, Tasmania

Township Lagoon Nature Reserve is 16 ha of remnant native grassland in the lowest rainfall area of Tasmania. A high proportion of rare and threatened species occurs within the reserve. They comprise four endangered species, including three endangered at the national level, four vulnerable species and eight rare species, seven of the above being daisies. There is a strong floristic affinity with the semi-arid mallee ground flora in northwestern Victoria and western New South Wales. The small grassland remnant comprises five floristic communities, the principal influences on floristic variation being exerted by soil factors, such as geology, pH and drainage, and past history of mechanical disturbance and rubbish dumping. Active conservation management, that is favourable to the continued existence of vulnerable and rare species, promotes normal ecosystem functions and prevents threatening processes, is essential

Integration of Biodiversity and Agricultural Production across Australian Temperate Grasslands

The transformation of Australian agriculture over the 20th Century saw the conversion of native pastures to improved pastures, largely through the application of artificial fertilisers. During this time biodiversity conservation was largely confined to iconic scenic reserves on public land. Today, nationally endangered temperate native grassland communities are largely confined to private land. The development of the Landcare Movement in the 1980s highlighted the role that agricultural land managers and agricultural landscapes play in maintaining biodiversity across the continent. Research into on-farm conservation was soon being funded by governments at state and commonwealth levels, as well as industry bodies. These industry bodies generally focused on research into the place of biodiversity in production systems, particularly natural pastures, and more broadly in farm businesses. We present the following: (1) An overview of the research undertaken since 1990 in Tasmania; and (2) The results from a limited survey of graziers assessing the contemporary relevance of this research. We then evaluate the influence of industry-based research on the development of incentive programs targeted at agricultural land managers

Using Expert Knowledge to Develop Management Actions for Tasmanian Lowland Native Grasslands under Climate Change

Climate change projections for Tasmania suggest that the climate in 2070 will be warmer than present, with increasingly variable seasonal rainfall (Grose et al. 2010). Results from climate change modelling suggest that grassland communities may not exist over their current range in the future (Prober et al. 2012). Lowland temperate natural grasslands have been greatly reduced in areal extent since European settlement in the early 1800s. Two ‘Lowland temperate native grassland’ communities are listed as critically endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999): Themeda triandra grasslands and Poa labillardieri grasslands. Careful landscape planning for current and potential future grassland habitat is desirable to reduce negative impacts of climate change on natural grasslands. Experts were gathered at a two-day workshop to discuss potential management options for Tasmanian ecosystems at a range of spatial and temporal scales. This paper reports on the discussion of adaptation actions to allow for the long-term survival of natural grasslands species

Reservation status and priorities for Tasmanian plants I. Angiospermae (Dicotyledonae)

Almost one-fifth of Tasmanian native dicotyledonous angiosperms are not known from any national park or equivalent reserve. Extinct, endangered, vulnerable and unreserved species are "most common among annuals and least common among woody plants. The unreserved species have their distributions concentrated between Launceston and Hobart in the dry, naturally grassy Midlands. A minimum reservation strategy is suggested for those species for which this option still exists

The distribution, ecology and conservation needs of Colobanthus curtisiae West

Colobanthus curtisiae is known from only 16 populations, most ofless than 100 individuals, in the Midlands and Northeastern Highlands of Tasmania. The species occurs in phytosociologically diverse grassy vegetation from 160 m to 1300 m above sea level. This vegetation is rich in herbs and introduced plants, and has much bare ground. C. curtisiae germinants were observed in two grazed sets of permanent quadrats but were absent from ungrazed plots. The species is vulnerable to pasture improvement and land clearance and to the lack of disturbances which create bare ground. It requires protection and appropriate management in the lowland part of its range

Using scenario planning to assess governance reforms for enhancing biodiversity outcomes

Governance arrangements frame and direct how land managers respond to the multiple demands and challenges of conserving biodiversity. Biodiversity conservation requires attention to how social-ecological systems (SES) change and can be influenced over time. It is important that governance settings within these systems can support achievement of biodiversity outcomes. Two questions then arise. Will current arrangements lead to desirable biodiversity outcomes, and if not, are there other arrangements that plausibly might do better? However, methods for answering these questions in collaboration with critical stakeholders such as policy makers and land managers are not evident in the literature. The aim of this paper is to explore the use of a participatory scenario planning process to test the efficacy of proposed governance reforms for enhancing biodiversity outcomes in two contrasting landscapes in Australia. A workshop process was used to consider the effect of the reform options on key drivers of change, and thus how these affected drivers would in turn modify future scenarios, and the biodiversity outcomes of these scenarios. In both landscapes, there was a preference for reforms that retained governmental influence or control, in contrast to academic calls for adaptive governance that emphasises the importance of self-organisation and devolution of authority. The workshop process, although complex and cognitively challenging, was regarded by participants as suitable for testing the utility of alternative governance options for biodiversity conservation. Challenges for the future include designing and considering reforms based on what is possible rather than probable or preferable, and engaging participants over time to build knowledge, engagement and trust. The paper concludes with suggestions for addressing these challenges

Noah's ark conservation will not preserve threatened ecological communities under climate change

Background: Effective conservation of threatened ecological communities requires knowledge of where climatically suitable habitat is likely to persist into the future. We use the critically endangered Lowland Grassland community of Tasmania, Australia a