Pultenaea villifera population in the Blue Mountains Local Government Area - endangered population listing

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list the population of Pultenaea villifera Sieber ex DC. in the Blue Mountains local government area as an ENDANGERED POPULATION in 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. Pultenaea villifera is not listed in Schedule 1 of the Act, so that populations are eligible for listing.

2. Pultenaea villifera (family Fabaceae) is an erect shrub that occurs in NSW from the Blue Mountains to the south coast (Harden, G.J. (1991) Flora of New South Wales, Volume 2. University of New South Wales Press, page 490).

3. An isolated population of Pultenaea villifera occurs in the Blue Mountains local government area. This population is disjunct from other known populations and is at or near the limit of the species geographic range.

4. The population of Pultenaea villifera in the Blue Mountains LGA is currently known from a few small sites in the Springwood-Woodford Area . Less than 300 plants are currently known.

5. Pultenaea villifera habitat has been reduced by clearing, with the remaining sites fragmented and subject to a range of disturbance related threats. Loss and degradation of habitat in the area is still occurring. One site is within the Blue Mountains National Park, but is still subject to a number of threats. Threats to the population include clearing, disturbance during trail and maintenance of power lines and their easements, dumping of rubbish, trampling, weed invasion, fragmentation of remaining habitat, and potentially inappropriate fire regimes.

6. In view of the above the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that the population of Pultenaea villifera Sieber ex DC. in the Blue Mountains 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 disjunct and at or near the limit of its geographic range .

Proposed Gazettal date: 23/08/02
Exhibition period: 23/08/02 - 27/09/02