Register      Login
Australian Journal of Botany Australian Journal of Botany Society
Southern hemisphere botanical ecosystems
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > BT > BT08144
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 57(4)

Demographic variation between populations of Caladenia orientalis – a fire-managed threatened orchid

Fiona Coates A B and Michael Duncan A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Sustainability and Environment, PO Box 137, Heidelberg, Vic. 3084, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: Fiona.Coates@dse.vic.gov.au

Australian Journal of Botany 57(4) 326-339 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT08144
Submitted: 7 August 2008  Accepted: 15 June 2009   Published: 29 July 2009

Abstract

Caladenia orientalis (G.W.Carr) Hopper & A.P.Br. is a critically endangered orchid. The largest known populations are confined to fire-managed coastal heathland in southern Victoria. Trends in population dynamics at two closely occurring sites were evaluated against time since fire and rainfall, between 2000 and 2008, to provide ecological and biological information relevant to population management. At both sites, decreased plant size was inversely correlated with time since fire and the number of non-reproductive plants was positively correlated with time since fire. Rates of flowering were inversely correlated with time since fire at only one site (Population 2). The vegetation at this site rapidly accumulated after fire, whereas recovery was relatively slow at the other site. Rainfall was not correlated with rates of flowering or leaf width at either of the study sites, although there was a weak inverse relationship between rainfall and the number of non-reproductive plants at one site (Population 1). Rates of pollen transport and fruit set were within reported ranges for deceptive species. Fruiting plants were significantly smaller in the following year, whereas non-reproductive plants remained the same size. The results suggest that there may be costs associated with reproductive effort, and that hand-pollinating plants to boost seed production may lead to decreased plant size in the following year. Annual variation in rates of flowering may be influenced by previous reproductive effort. However, long-term population trends are better explained by competition from dominant shrubs, which become increasingly abundant with a lack of fire. Future management prescriptions should include site-specific fire regimes to maintain an open heathland.


Acknowledgements

We thank Karen Lester, Susan Taylor, Terri Allen, Kylie Singleton, Anna Murphy, Steve Sinclair and Danny Drummond for assistance with project administration, fieldwork and management advice. Michael Scroggie and Raymond Tremblay provided comment on an earlier draft. Funding for the study was provided under the Natural Heritage Trust, Canberra.


References


Australian Bureau of Meteorology (2008) ‘Wonthaggi climate statistics.’ Available at www.bom.gov.au [verified December 2008].

Backhouse GN , Jeanes JA (1995) ‘The orchids of Victoria.’ (The Miegunyah Press: Melbourne)

Barnett JM (1984) The initial effects of fire on orchids in a stringybark–box forest. Victorian Naturalist 101, 188–190. open url image1

Bates R (1984) The ecology and biology of Caladenia rigida (Orchidaceae). South Australian Naturalist 58, 56–65. open url image1

Batty AL (2001) The role of symbiotic seed germination in the conservation of selected Western Australian terrestrial orchids. PhD Thesis, University of Western Australia, Perth.

Batty AL, Dixon KW, Brundrett M, Sivasithamparam K (2001) Constraints to symbiotic germination of terrestrial orchid seed in a mediterranean bushland. New Phytologist 152, 511–520.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Beardsell DV, Clements MA, Hutchinson JF, Williams EG (1986) Pollination of Diuris maculata R.Br. (Orchidaceae) by floral mimicry of the native legumes Daviesia spp. and Pultenaea scabra R.Br. Australian Journal of Botany 34, 165–173.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Bickerton D (1998) A pollination study of the endangered orchid Caladenia rigida. Australian Native Orchid Society Victorian Group Bulletin 30, 11–14. open url image1

Bond WJ , van Wilgen BW (1996) ‘Fire and plants.’ (Chapman and Hall: London)

Burrell JP (1981) Invasion of coastal heaths of Victoria by Leptospermum laevigatum (J.Gaertn.) F.Muell. Australian Journal of Botany 29, 747–764.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Calder DM, Cropper SC, Tonkinson D (1989) The ecology of Thelymitra epipactoides F.Muell. (Orchidaceae) in Victoria, Australia, and the implications for management of the species. Australian Journal of Botany 37, 19–32.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Clark RL (1983) Pollen and charcoal evidence for the effects of Aboriginal burning on the vegetation of Australia. Archaeology in Oceania 28, 32–37. open url image1

Coates F , Duncan MJ (2007) Recovery of Caladenia orientalis (eastern spider-orchid) at Wonthaggi Heathland Reserve 2000–2006. Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Melbourne.

Coates F, Lunt I, Tremblay R (2006) Effects of disturbance on population dynamics of the threatened orchid Prasophyllum correctum D.L.Jones and implications for grassland management in south-eastern Australia. Biological Conservation 129, 59–69.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Cropper SC, Calder DM (1990) The floral biology of Thelymitra epipactoides (Orchidaceae), and the implications of pollination by deceit on the survival of this rare orchid. Plant Systematics and Evolution 170, 11–27.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Cropper SC, Calder DM, Tonkinson D (1989) Thelymitra epipactoides F.Muell. (Orchidaceae): the morphology, biology and conservation of an endangered species. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 101, 89–101. open url image1

CSIRO and Australian Bureau of Meteorology (2007) Climate change in Australia: technical report 2007. (CSIRO: Canberra)

Duncan M , Pritchard A , Todd J (2004) ‘Recovery plan for twelve threatened spider orchids (Caladenia R.Br.) in Victoria and South Australia 2005–2009.’ (Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment: Melbourne)

Dunnett NP, Willis AJ, Hunt R, Grime JP (1998) A 38-year study of relations between weather and vegetation dynamics in road verges near Bibury, Gloucestershire. Journal of Ecology 86, 610–623.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Elliot CP, Ladd PG (2002) Pollen limitation and fruit set in Western Australian terrestrial orchids. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 85, 165–168. open url image1

Fiedler PL , Knapp BE , Fredricks N (1998) Rare plant demography: lessons from the Mariposa Lilies (Calochortus: Liliaceae). In ‘Conservation biology for the coming decade’. (Eds PL Fiedler, PM Kareiva) pp. 28–48. (Chapman and Hall: New York)

Goldman DH, Orzell SL (2000) Morphological, geographical, and ecological re-evaluation of Calopogon multiflorus (Orchidaceae). Lindleyana 15, 237–251. open url image1

Gordes C, Gordes F (1992) Effects of slashing and burning on orchids in French Island State Park. Victorian Naturalist 109, 53–54. open url image1

Gregg KB (2004) Recovery of showy lady’s slippers (Cypripedium reginae Walter) from moderate and severe herbivory by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman). Natural Areas Journal 34, 232–241. open url image1

Harden GJ (1993) ‘Flora of New South Wales. Vol. 4.’ (University of New South Wales Press: Sydney)

Head L (1983) Environment as artefact: a geographic perspective on the Holocene occupation of south-western Victoria. Archaeology in Oceania 21, 121–129. open url image1

Head L (1988) Holocene vegetation, fire and environmental history of the Discovery Bay region, south-western Victoria. Australian Journal of Ecology 13, 21–49.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Hope GS (1974) The vegetation history from 6000 BC to present of Wilsons Promontory Victoria, Australia. New Phytologist 73, 1035–1053.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Hutchings MJ (1987) The population biology of the early spider orchid, Ophrys sphegodes Mill. II. Temporal patterns in behaviour. Journal of Ecology 75, 729–742.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Hutchings MJ (1990) The role of demographic studies in plant conservation: the case of Ophrys sphegodes in chalk grassland. In ‘Calcareous grasslands – ecology and management: proceedings of a joint British Ecological Society/Nature Conservancy Council Symposium’, The University of Sheffield, 14–16 September 1987. (Eds SH Hiller, DWH Walton, DA Wells) pp. 106–111. (Bluntisham Books: Huntingdon, UK)

Huynh T (2003) Mycorrhizal fungi in Caladenia species (Orchidaceae). PhD Thesis, RMIT University, Melbourne.

IUCN (2001) ‘IUCN red list categories and criteria, version 3.1.’ (IUCN Species Survival Commission: Gland, Switzerland)

Jessop JP , Toelken HR (1986) ‘Flora of South Australia.’ (South Australian Government Printer: Adelaide)

Jones DL (2007) ‘A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the Island Territories.’ (Reed New Holland: Sydney)

Keith DA (1996) Fire-driven extinction of plant populations: a synthesis of theory and review of evidence from Australian vegetation. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 116, 37–78. open url image1

Keith DA, Bradstock RA (1994) Fire and competition in Australian heath: a conceptual model and field investigations. Journal of Vegetation Science 5, 347–354.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Keith DA , Williams JE , Woinarski CZ (2002 a) Fire management and biodiversity conservation: key approaches and principles. In ‘Flammable Australia: the fire regimes and biodiversity of a continent’. (Eds R Bradstock, J Williams, AM Gill) pp. 401–428. (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK)

Keith DA , McCaw WL , Whelan RJ (2002 b) Fire regimes in Australian heathlands and their effects on plants and animals. In ‘Flammable Australia: the fire regimes and biodiversity of a continent’. (Eds R Bradstock, J Williams, AM Gill) pp. 199–237. (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK)

Kéry M, Gregg KB (2004) Demographic analysis of dormancy and survival in the terrestrial orchid Cypripedium reginae. Journal of Ecology 92, 686–695.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Kéry M, Gregg KB, Schaub M (2005) Demographic estimation methods for plants with unobservable life-states. Oikos 108, 307–320.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Kirkpatrick JB (1977) ‘The disappearing heath.’ (Tasmanian Conservation Trust: Hobart)

Kirkpatrick JB , Harris S (1999) ‘The disappearing heath revisited.’ (Tasmanian Environment Centre Inc.: Hobart)

Kull T (1998) Fruit-set and recruitment in populations of Cypripedium calceolus L. in Estonia. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 126, 27–38. open url image1

Lesica P, Crone EE (2007) Causes and consequences of prolonged dormancy for an iteroparous geophyte, Silene spaldingii. Journal of Ecology 95, 1360–1369.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Light MHS , MacConnaill M (1992) Climate correlations with patterns of appearance of Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz. In ‘Eurorchis 92: proceedings of the international symposium on European orchids’. (Eds P Brederoo, DW Kapteyn den Boumeester) pp. 30–44. (Stichting Uitgeverij Koninklijke Nederlandse Natuurhistorische Vereniging: Utrecht, Netherlands)

Lunt ID , Morgan JW (2002) The role of fire regimes in temperate lowland grasslands of southeastern Australia. In ‘Flammable Australia: the fire regimes and biodiversity of a continent’. (Eds R Bradstock, J Williams, AM Gill) pp. 177–196. (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK)

Menges ES (2007) Integrating demography and fire management: an example from Florida scrub. Australian Journal of Botany 55, 261–272.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Minitab Inc. (2007) ‘Minitab® statistical software release 15.1.1.0.’ (Minitab Inc.: State College, Pennsylvania)

Myerscough PJ, Clarke PJ, Skelton NJ (1995) Plant co-existence in coastal heaths: floristic patterns and species attributes. Australian Journal of Ecology 20, 482–493.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Neiland MRM, Wilcock CC (1998) Fruit set, nectar reward and rarity in the Orchidaceae. American Journal of Botany 85, 1657–1671.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Norton DA, De Lange PJ (2003) Fire and vegetation in a temperate peat bog: implications for the management of threatened species. Conservation Biology 17, 138–148.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Oddie R, Dixon K, McComb J (1994) Influence of substrate on asymbiotic and symbiotic in vitro germination and seedling growth of two Australian terrestrial orchids. Lindleyana 9, 183–189. open url image1

Parsons RF (2000) Monocotyledonous geophytes: comparison of California with Victoria, Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 48, 39–43.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Peakall R, Beattie AJ (1996) Ecological and genetic consequences of pollination by sexual deception in the orchid Caladenia tentaculata. Evolution 50, 2207–2220.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Petit S, Dickson CR (2005) Grass - tree (Xanthorrhoea semiplana, Liliaceae) facilitation of the endangered pink-lipped spider orchid (Caladenia behrii, Orchidaceae) varies in South Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 53, 455–464.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Primack R, Stacey E (1998) Cost of reproduction in the pink lady’s slipper orchid (Cypripedium acaule, Orchidaceae): an eleven – year experimental study of three populations. American Journal of Botany 85, 1672–1679.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Raleigh R (2005) Propagation and biology of Arachnorchis (Orchidaceae) and their mycorrhizal fungi. PhD Thesis, RMIT University, Melbourne.

Rasmussen HN, Whigham DF (1993) Seed ecology of dust seeds in situ: a new study technique and its application in terrestrial orchids. American Journal of Botany 80, 1374–1378.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Shefferson RP, Sandercock BK, Proper J, Beissinger SR (2001) Estimating dormancy and survival of a rare herbaceous perennial using mark–recapture models. Ecology 82, 145–156. open url image1

Shefferson RP, Proper J, Beissinger SR, Simms EL (2003) Life history trade-offs in a rare orchid: the costs of flowering, dormancy, and sprouting. Ecology 84, 1199–1206.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Silvertown J, Franco M, Pisanty I, Mendoza A (1993) Comparative plant demography – relative importance of life cycle components to the finite rate of increase in woody and herbaceous perennials. Journal of Ecology 81, 465–476.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Specht RL (1981) Responses to fires of heathlands and related shrublands. In ‘Fire and the Australian biota’. (Eds AM Gill, RL Groves, IR Noble) pp. 395–416. (Australian Academy of Science: Canberra)

Stoutamire WP (1964) Seeds and seedlings of native orchids. Michigan Botanist 3, 107–119. open url image1

Sydes MA, Calder DM (1993) Comparative reproductive biology of two sun-orchids: the vulnerable Thelymitra circumsepta and the widespread T. ixiodes (Orchidaceae). Australian Journal of Botany 41, 577–589.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

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

Todd JA (2000) ‘Recovery plan for twelve threatened spider-orchids Caladenia R.Br. Taxa of Victoria and South Australia 2000–2004.’ (Victorian Department of Natural Resources and Environment: Melbourne)

Tremblay RL, Ackerman JD, Zimmerman KK, Calvo RN (2005) Variation in sexual reproduction in orchids and its evolutionary consequences: a spasmodic journey to diversification. Biological Journal of the Linnaean Society 84, 1–54.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Vallius E (2001) Factors affecting fruit and seed production in Dactylorhiza maculata (Orchidaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 135, 89–95. open url image1

Waite S , Hutchings MJ (1991) The effects of different management regimes on the population dynamics of Ophrys sphegodes: analysis and description using matrix models. In ‘Population ecology of terrestrial orchids’. (Eds TCE Wells, JH Willems) pp. 161–176. (SPB Academic Publishing: The Hague, The Netherlands)

Waite S , Hopkins N , Hitchings S (1989) Levels of pollinia export, import and fruit set among plants of Anacamptis pyramidalis, Dactylorhiza fuchsii, and Epipactis helleborine. In ‘Population ecology of terrestrial orchids’. (Eds TCE Wells, JH Willems) pp. 103–110. (SPB Academic Publishing: The Hague, The Netherlands)

Walsh NG , Entwisle TJ (1994) ‘Flora of Victoria. Vol. 2: ferns and allied plants, conifers and monocotyledons.’ (Inkata Press: Melbourne)

Werger MJA, Huber H (2006) Tuber size variation and organ preformation constrain growth responses of a spring geophyte. Oecologia 147, 396–405.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Wheeler BD, Lambley PW, Geeson J (1998) Liparis loeselii (L.) Rich. in eastern England: constraints on distribution and population development. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 141, 141–158. open url image1

Whigham DF , O’Neill JP (1991) The dynamics of flowering and fruit production in two eastern North American terrestrial orchids Tipularia discolor and Liparis lilifolia. In ‘Population ecology of terrestrial orchids’. (Eds TCE Wells, JH Willems) pp. 89–102. (SPB Academic Publishing: The Hague, The Netherlands)

Willems JH, Dorland E (2000) Flowering frequency and plant performance and their relation to age in the perennial orchid Spiranthes spiralis (L.) Chevall. Plant Biology 2, 344–349.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1