Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Australian Journal of Botany Australian Journal of Botany Society
Southern hemisphere botanical ecosystems
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > BT > BT06104
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 55(3)

Collateral benefit: unconscious conservation of threatened plant species

J. B. Kirkpatrick
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 78, GPO, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia. Email: J.Kirkpatrick@utas.edu.au

Australian Journal of Botany 55(3) 221-224 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT06104
Submitted: 25 May 2006  Accepted: 17 August 2006   Published: 18 May 2007

Abstract

In Europe, the conservation of rare or threatened plant species (ROTS) largely involves the manipulation of anthropogenic disturbance regimes rather than the mitigation of human-induced threatening processes, as has been the case in Australia. In Tasmania, there are many ROTS, especially those of the depleted and stock-grazed grasslands and grassy woodlands, which survive because, unconscious of the needs of ROTS, people have disturbed land in ways that suit their life-cycle requirements. Such species are found in quarries, in borrow pits, in scrapes, on roadsides, on track edges, on old roads, under introduced trees, in heavily grazed native pastures, in regenerating clearfell coupes and on mown ground. They are disturbance-dependent species, usually with poor competitive abilities. Many cannot survive stock-grazing. Unconscious conservation of these species needs to become conscious, in the European manner. Spatial heterogeneity in disturbance regimes is important for maintaining this set of species, whereas temporal heterogeneity is likely to lead to their doom.


References


Bakker JP (1989) ‘Nature management by cutting and grazing.’ (Kluwer Academic Publishers: London)

Bowman DMJS, Kirkpatrick JB (1986) The establishment, suppression and growth of Eucalyptus delegatensis in multi-aged forests. 111. Intraspecific allelopathy, competition between adult and juvenile for moisture and nutrients, and frost damage to seedlings. Australian Journal of Botany 34, 81–94.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Buchanan AM (2002) ‘A census of the vascular plants of Tasmania.’ 4th edn. (Tasmanian Herbarium: Hobart)

Butterworth J (2001) Conservation ecology of a rare shrub, Spyridium vexilliferum. BSc(Honours) Thesis, School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania.

Coates F (1991) The conservation ecology and management of five rare species in the Rhamnaceae family. Wildlife Scientific Report 91/3. Department of Parks, Wildlife and Heritage, Hobart.

Colhoun EA , van der Geer G (1988) Darwin Crater, the King and Linda valleys. In ‘Cainozoic vegetation of Tasmania’. (Ed. EA Colhoun) pp. 60–71. (University of Newcastle: Newcastle, NSW)

Cosgrove R (1995) Late Pleistocene behavioural variation and time trends: the case from Tasmania. Archeologica Oceania 30, 83–104. open url image1

Cropper SC (1993) ‘Management of endangered plants.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)

Ehrlich PR , Ehrlich AH (1982) ‘Extinction: the causes and consequences of the disappearance of species.’ (Random House: New York)

Fensham RJ (1989) The pre-European vegetation of the Midlands of Tasmania: a floristic and historical analysis of vegetation patterns. Journal of Biogeography 16, 29–45.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Fensham RJ (1991) Management plan case study: Sherwood Bush, Epping Forest, Tasmania. In ‘Tasmanian native bush: a management handbook’. (Ed. JB Kirkpatrick) pp. 162–173. (Tasmanian Environment Centre: Hobart)

Fensham RJ, Kirkpatrick JB (1989) The conservation of original vegetation remnants in the Midlands, Tasmania. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 123, 229–246. open url image1

Gilfedder L (1991) Management plan case study: Waverley Flora Park, Tasmania. In ‘Tasmanian native bush: a management handbook’. (Ed. JB Kirkpatrick) pp. 148–161. (Tasmanian Environment Centre: Hobart)

Gilfedder L, Kirkpatrick JB (1993) Germinable soil seed and competitive relationships between a rare native species and exotics in a semi-natural pasture in the Midlands, Tasmania. Biological Conservation 64, 113–119.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Gilfedder L, Kirkpatrick JB (1994a) Culturally induced rarity? The past and present distributions of Leucochrysum albicans in Tasmania. Australian Journal of Botany 42, 404–416. open url image1

Gilfedder L, Kirkpatrick JB (1994b) Climate, grazing and disturbance and the population dynamics of Leucochrysum albicans at Ross, Tasmania. Australian Journal of Botany 42, 417–430.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Gilfedder L, Kirkpatrick JB (1994c) Genecological variation in the germination, growth and morphology of four populations of a Tasmanian endangered perennial daisy, Leucochrysum albicans. Australian Journal of Botany 42, 431–440.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Gilfedder L, Kirkpatrick JB (1996) The distribution, ecology and conservation needs of Colobanthus curtisiae West. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 130, 25–30. open url image1

Gilfedder L, Kirkpatrick JB (1997) Aspects of the distribution, phytosociology, ecology and management of Danthonia popinensis D. I. Morris, an endangered wallaby grass from Tasmania. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 131, 31–35. open url image1

Gilfedder L, Kirkpatrick JB (1998a) Distribution, disturbance tolerance and conservation of Stackhousia gunnii in Tasmania. Australian Journal of Botany 46, 1–13.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Gilfedder L, Kirkpatrick JB (1998b) Factors influencing the integrity of remnants in subhumid Tasmania. Biological Conservation 84, 89–96.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Jackson WD (1999) Palaeohistory of vegetation change: the last 2 million years. In ‘Vegetation of Tasmania’. (Eds JB Reid, RS Hill, MJ Brown, MJ Hovenden) pp. 64–88. (Australian Biological Resources Study: Canberra)

Kirkpatrick JB (1986) The viability of bush in cities—ten years of change in an urban grassy woodland. Australian Journal of Botany 34, 691–708.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Kirkpatrick JB (2003) Natural history. In ‘The nature of the Midlands’. (Eds L Gilfedder, JB Kirkpatrick, A Wapstra, H Wapstra) pp. 43–57. (Midlands Bushweb: Longford, Tas.)

Kirkpatrick JB (2004) Vegetation change in an urban grassy woodland 1974–2000. Australian Journal of Botany 52, 597–608.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Kirkpatrick JB (2006) ‘The ecologies of Paradise: explaining the garden next door.’ (Pandani Press: Hobart)

Kirkpatrick JB, Gilfedder L (1995) Maintaining integrity compared with maintaining rare and threatened taxa in remnant bushland in subhumid Tasmania. Biological Conservation 74, 1–8.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Kirkpatrick JB, Gilfedder L (1998) Conserving weedy natives: two Tasmanian endangered herbs in the Brassicaceae. Australian Journal of Ecology 23, 466–473.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Kirkpatrick JB , Gilfedder L , Fensham RJ (1988) ‘City parks and cemeteries: Tasmania’s grassy heritage.’ (Tasmanian Conservation Trust: Hobart)

Kirkpatrick JB, Gilfedder L, Bridle KL, Zacharek A (2005) The positive and negative conservation impacts of sheep grazing and other disturbances on the vascular plant species and vegetation of lowland subhumid Tasmania. Ecological Management & Restoration 6, 51–60.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Lavergne S, Thuiller W, Molina J, Debussche M (2005) Environmental and human factors influencing rare plant occurrence, extinction and persistence: a 115 year study in the Mediterranean region. Journal of Biogeography 32, 799–811.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Leaman TC (2004) Conservation ecology of the rare Tasmanian shrub, Odixia achlaena (Asteraceae). BSc(Honours) Thesis, School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania.

Lunt ID (1997) Effects of long term vegetation management on remnant grassy forests and anthropogenic native grasslands in south-eastern Australia. Biological Conservation 81, 287–297.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Muller S (2002) Diversity of management practices required to ensure conservation of rare and locally threatened plant species in grasslands: a case study at a regional scale (Lorraine, France). Biodiversity and Conservation 11, 1173–1184.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Pavlovic NB (1994) Disturbance-dependent persistence of rare plants: anthropogenic impacts and restoration implications. In ‘Restoration of endangered species: conceptual issues, planning, and implementation’. (Eds MN Bowles, CJ Whelan) pp. 159–193. (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge)

Potts W (2001) ‘Threatened species listing statement: swamp eyebright, Euphrasia gibbsiae ssp. psilantherea (F. Muell.) W. R. Barker 1982.’ (Threatened Species Unit, Department of primary Industries, Water and Environment: Hobart)

Pyrke A (1994) Soil disturbance by native mammals and the germination and establishment of plant species. PhD Thesis, University of Tasmania.

Stephens S , Maxwell S (1996) ‘Back from the brink: refining the species recovery process.’ (Surrey Beatty: Sydney)

Stuwe J, Parsons RF (1977) Themeda australis grasslands on the basalt plains, Victoria: floristics and management effects. Australian Journal of Ecology 2, 467–476.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Suffling R , Perera AH (2004) Characterizing natural forest disturbance regimes. In ‘Emulating natural forest landscape disturbances: concepts and applications’. (Eds AH Perera, LJ Buse, MJ Weber) pp. 43–54. (Columbia University Press: New York)

Thomas I (1992) The Holocene archeology and palaeoecology of northeastern Tasmania. PhD Thesis, University of Tasmania.

Thomas I, Hope G (1994) An example of Holocene vegetation stability from Camerons Lagoon, a near treeline site on the Central Plateau, Tasmania. Australian Journal of Ecology 19, 150–158. open url image1

Thomas I, Kirkpatrick JB (1996) The role of coastlines, people and fire in the development of heathlands in northeast Tasmania. Journal of Biogeography 23, 717–728.
| Crossref |
open url image1

Verrier FJ (1999) Ecology and conservation of the native vegetation and vascular flora at the Pontville small-arms range complex, Tasmania. BSc(Honours) Thesis, School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania.

Verrier FJ, Kirkpatrick JB (2005) Frequent mowing is better than grazing for the conservation value of lowland tussock grasssland at Pontville, Tasmania. Austral Ecology 30, 74–78.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1