Dampiera fusca - endangered species listing

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list the shrub Dampiera fusca Rajput & Carolin as an ENDANGERED SPECIES in Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Act. Listing of endangered species is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.

NSW Scientific Committee - final determination

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1. Dampiera fusca Rajput & Carolin (family Goodeniaceae) is an endemic Australian shrub that has been described by Carolin (1992) as follows:

"Erect multistemmed perennial subshrub to 30 cm high, stem with 3 acute angles, papillate, brownish grey-pubescent or glabrescent. Upper leaves usually bunched towards top of stem, oblong to oblanceolate, 0.8-2.2 cm long, 2-8 mm wide, margins toothed, slightly recurved, papillate; sessile. Flowering branches solitary or 2 together in leaf axils, 1-3 flowered, to 2 cm long. Sepals obscured by hairs, 0.4-0.7 mm long. Corolla c. 8 mm long, with brownish grey hairs outside; wings 1-2 mm wide, slightly smaller above auricle. Fruit 2-3 mm long, with brownish appressed-hairs. Flowers chiefly Dec.-Jan."

2. Dampiera fusca occurs within the South Eastern Highlands Bioregion (Thackway and Creswell 1995). Suitable habitat for the species may also occur in the adjacent South East Corner Bioregion. In New South Wales  it is currently known to occur on and near the eastern edge of the Southern Tablelands. The species is also known from Nunniong Plateau in far north-east Gippsland in Victoria. In addition a population of the species estimated in October 2006 to comprise c. 800-1000 individuals has been reported in the Australian Capital Territory (A Georges  in litt. 2007).

3. In New South Wales the species is known from a small number of locations. Scattered occurrences have been recorded from the northern end of the Kybeyan Range, east-south-east of Cooma, probably all within Wadbilliga National Park. In 1993, a single population consisting of 20 plants was found south of Tinderry Peak in Tinderry Nature Reserve (Alston et al. 1993), about 80 km north of the Kybeyan Range locations. A recent visit to this site indicated that the population has been reduced to a few plants (Douglas, 2005). A single plant has also recently been found on a peak south of the known population in Tinderry Nature Reserve (Douglas, 2005). Given the small areas occupied by these populations, the geographic distribution of the species in New South Wales is estimated to be highly restricted.

4. The species may germinate in large numbers (c. thousands of plants) after fires, rapidly colonising areas and setting seed within two years post-fire. However, few (if any) standing plants are observed in populations c. 20-30 years post fire, resulting in the classification of the species as a sometimes-abundant species (sensu Murray  et al. 1999). The species appears to have a persistent soil seed bank, but the longevity of the seed bank is not known.

5. The association between populations of Dampiera fusca and skeletal drought-prone soils suggests that the species may be susceptible to future climate change involving increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall reliability (Hennessy  et al 2004a & b). 'Anthropogenic climate change' is listed as a Key Threatening Process under the Threatened Species Conservation Act. The existence of feral rabbit and goat populations in tableland habitats, and the potential palatability of  Dampiera fusca, especially in post-fire environments, pose a potential threat to the species. 'Competition and grazing by the feral European Rabbit,  Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.)', and 'Competition and habitat degradation by Feral Goats,  Capra hircus (L.)' are listed as Key Threatening Processes under the Threatened Species Conservation Act. It can be inferred from these threats that  Dampiera fusca may suffer a projected or continuing decline in abundance, geographic distribution or habitat quality.

6. Dampiera fusca Rajput & Carolin is not eligible to be listed as a critically endangered species

7. Dampiera fusca Rajput & Carolin is eligible to be listed as an endangered species as, in the opinion of the Scientific Committee, it is facing a very high risk of extinction in New South Wales in the near future as determined in accordance with the following criteria as prescribed by the Threatened Species Conservation Regulation 2002:

Clause 15

The geographic distribution of the species is estimated or inferred to be:

(a) highly restricted,

and:

(d) a projected or continuing decline is observed, estimated or inferred in:

(i) an index of abundance appropriate to the taxon, and
(ii) geographic distribution, habitat quality or diversity, or genetic diversity.

Professor Lesley Hughes
Chairperson
Scientific Committee

Proposed Gazettal date: 07/09/07
Exhibition period: 07/09/07 - 02/11/07

References 

Alston S, Chandler G, Lawley H, Martin D, Podreka S, Richmond S, Ryan M, Taws N (1993) Dampiera fusca (Goodeniaceae): An extension of range, conservation status assessment, and identification notes.  Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 74, 1-3.

Carolin RC (1992) Dampiera. In 'Flora of New South Wales Volume 3'. (Ed. GJ Harden) pp. 452-453. (New South Wales University Press: Kensington)

Douglas SM (2005) Phoenix flora: a post-fire discovery in the A.C.T. Australasian  Plant  Conservation 13 (3).

Hennessy K, Page C, McInness K, Jones R, Bathols J Collins D, Jones D (2004a) Climate change in New South Wales. Part 1: Past climate variability and projected changes in average climate. CSIRO: Melbourne.

Hennessy K, McInness K, Abbs D, Jones R, Bathols J, Suppiah R, Ricketts J, Rafter T, Collins D, Jones D (2004b) Climate change in New South Wales. Part 2: Projected change in climate extremes. (CSIRO: Melbourne).

Murray BR, Rice BL, Keith DA, Myerscough PJ, Howell J, Floyd AG, Mills K, Westoby M (1999) Species in the tail of rank-abundance curves. Ecology 80, 1806-1816.

Thackway R, Creswell ID (1995) (eds) 'An interim biogeographic regionalisation of Australia: a framework for establishing the national system of reserves.' (Australian Nature Conservation Agency: Canberra).