Lespedeza juncea subsp sericea population in the Wollongong Local Government Area - endangered population listing

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list a population of the subshrub Lespedeza juncea subsp. sericea (Thunb.) Steenis in the Wollongong Local Government Area as an ENDANGERED POPULATION on Part 2 of Schedule 1 of the Act. Listing of Endangered Populations is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.

NSW Scientific Committee - final determination

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1. Lespedeza juncea subsp.  sericea (Family Fabaceae) is an erect or decumbent subshrub 60-120 cm high (Gardner and James 1991 in Flora of New South Wales Volume 2, ed. G.J. Harden, University of New South Wales Press, Kensington).

2. Lespedeza juncea subsp.  sericea is not listed on Schedule 1 of the Act, so that populations are eligible for listing.

3. Lespedeza juncea subsp.  sericea occurs in woodlands and grasslands on the coast, tablelands and western slopes of NSW. It also occurs in Queensland and Victoria. An isolated population of Lespedeza juncea subsp. sericea occurs in the southern Illawarra area, south of Dapto in the Wollongong Local Government Area. The population is disjunct from other remnant populations in western Sydney, the far South Coast and the Southern Tablelands. This population in the Illawarra is of regional conservation significance as the last known population in the Illawarra area.

4. The habitat of Lespedeza juncea subsp.  sericea in the Wollongong Local Government Area has been severely reduced by clearing and grazing. Only one extant location is known and this is a small roadside population of about 200 plants that only occurs over a 100 m by 5 m strip of remnant vegetation. The population is threatened by further habitat loss, rubbish dumping and invasion of exotic weeds.

5. In view of 2, 3, & 4 above, the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that the population of Lespedeza juncea subsp. sericea in the Wollongong Local Government Area is eligible to be listed as an endangered population because its habitat has been so drastically reduced that it is in immediate danger of extinction and it is not a population of a species already listed in Schedule 1 and it is otherwise of significant conservation value.

Proposed Gazettal date: 15/06/01
Exhibition period: 15/06/01 - 20/07/01