Goodenia macbarronii - removal from vulnerable species list

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to remove the herb Goodenia macbarronii Carolin from the Schedules of the Act by omitting reference to this species from Part 1 of Schedule 2 (Vulnerable species). The omission of species from the Schedules is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.

NSW Scientific Committee - final determination

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1. Goodenia macbarronii is an erect herbaceous plant growing to 40 cm high, with a short taproot and well developed secondary roots. Plants can have an annual life history although most plants continue to live perennially. The species can reproduce vegetatively by underground stems (rhizomes) or ground-level stems with root nodes (stolons), forming clonal colonies. Populations appear to persist during adverse conditions both as a seed bank and as dormant buds on rhizomes (Clarke 2007).

2. Goodenia macbarronii grows in damp sandy soils and is most commonly associated with forest and woodland communities dominated by various species of  Eucalyptus,  Callitris and  Angophora, but has also been reported from  Melaleuca and  Callistemon shrublands, grasslands, and from disturbed sites, such as along roadsides (Clarke 2007).

3. Goodenia macbarronii was assessed as Vulnerable in Briggs & Leigh (1996) and as a consequence was placed in Part 1 of Schedule 1 as Vulnerable at the inception of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.  Goodenia macbarronii has been recorded from the Brigalow Belt South, New England Tableland, Nandewar, South Western Slopes, Sydney Basin, Riverina, South Eastern Highlands, and Victorian Midlands Bioregions ( sensu Thackway and Creswell 1995). There are about 50 herbarium records of this species in NSW and it has been recorded from 16 conservation reserves (Clarke 2007). The species has been reported as seasonally widespread and common in some of these reserves (Porteners 1997, Clarke  et al. 2000). Based on the field surveys the total population size of  Goodenia macbarronii in NSW is estimated to exceed 100 000 plants (Porteners 1997, Clarke  et al. 2000). The species has recently been removed from the Schedules of the  Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

4. Large fluctuations in population size and area of occupancy in Goodenia macbarronii are natural responses of the species to variable seasonal conditions. Population growth can be favoured by some forms of disturbance under certain circumstances, as it is known to occur in depressions and clearings made by earthworks along roadsides (Clarke 2007). Populations may also persist under certain grazing regimes (Clarke 2007).

5. Given the absence of evidence for either past or future reductions, or continuing declines in the population of Goodenia macbarronii, and the large population size, in the opinion of the Scientific Committee, this species does not currently meet any of the criteria for listing of species under the  Threatened Species Conservation Regulation 2002.

6. In view of the above the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that Goodenia macbarronii Carolin is no longer eligible to be listed as a Vulnerable species in Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Act.

Professor Lesley Hughes
Chairperson
Scientific Committee

Proposed Gazettal date: 04/07/08
Exhibition period: 04/07/08 – 29/08/08

References:

Briggs JD, Leigh JH (1996) Rare or Threatened Australian Plants, (CSIRO publishing: Melbourne).

Clarke PJ (2007) Assessment of the status of Goodenia macbarronii in NSW. Unpublished Report to the NSW Scientific Committee.

Clarke PJ, Copeland LM, Noble NE (2000) The vegetation and plants species of Single National Park. Report, Botany, The University of New England, Armidale.

Porteners M F (1997). Vegetation survey of Goobang National Park. Report for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sydney.

Thackway R, Creswell ID (1995) ‘An interim biogeographic regionalisation for Australia: a framework for setting priorities in the National Reserves System Cooperative Program’. Version 4.0. (Australian Nature Conservation Agency: Canberra)