Endangered Species To Be Protected (Click To Enlarge)

Spiny Daisy

What Can Exetel/You Do To Help The Spiny Daisy

Exetel, on behalf of you and all other Exetel broadband customers will use a 'pool of money' generated from providing 50 cents per customer per month to be used on this and other similar projects should there be enough money to fund similar research programs.

As well as the money that Exetel will donate on your behalf you may like to donate a further amount of money yourself by authorizing Exetel to add your donation to the monthly debit for your broadband service. You can do this by selecting the project you wish to support and the amount of money you would like to donate monthly from the drop down on the left hand side of this page. You can start/stop donating at any time of your choosing.

The Problem To Be Addressed

There are only five known populations of the Spiny Daisy, Acanthocladium dockeri. Three populations exist to the east of Laura and one population is near Hart, approximately 65 km to the south. The fifth population lies about 30 km north-west of its nearest neighbouring population near Laura. It is located about 1 km east of the Telowie Gorge Conservation Park, and is the only population to be found on the western side of the Southern Flinders Ranges.

The Spiny Daisy (Acanthocladium dockeri) is classified as Critically Endangered under the Commonwealth EPBC Act. The species was presumed to be extinct, after not being recorded for nearly 90 years, until its rediscovery near Laura in 1999 by local farmer Paul Slattery. Genetic studies have shown that Spiny Daisy plants are clonal within populations, but the different populations are genetically distinct. To date no viable seed has been found and the species spreads by suckering. This means that, in genetic terms, there are only five known Spiny Daisy individuals, making this one of the world’s most endangered species.

This project aims to contribute to the long-term conservation of the species, by adopting Objectives 1 and 3 of the National Recovery Plan for Acanthocladium dockeri.

Project Timetable

Date of commencement Ongoing since 2004
Intended date of completion June 2010

Project Location (Click Here For Map)

This project aims to contribute to the long-term conservation of the species, by adopting Objectives 1 and 3 of the National Recovery Plan for Acanthocladium dockeri.

This will be achieved through:

(i) Maintaining habitat integrity at the five known core populations of the species.
(ii) Refining our understanding of the species’ ecology by soil testing at all natural and existing translocated A.dockeri sites. This will enable selection of suitable sites for translocations.
(iii)Establishing at least an additional five translocated populations in suitable areas of intact habitat. These translocated populations will provide "back-up" against the risk of one of the natural populations being lost through natural disaster.

Project Outcomes:

The following performance criteria will be used to gauge whether the project objectives have been achieved:

a) All five existing natural populations remain at current levels or increase in size, over the next two years.
b) The density of annual weeds decrease and diversity and cover of other remnant native species increase at the five existing natural populations, over the next two years.

(ii) Soil testing undertaken by June 2008. Searches for suitable translocation sites completed by April 2009.
(iii) A minium of five translocations undertaken by September 2009.

Project Strategies And Objectives:

a) Weed and white snail control will occur at each of the five sites, on a quarterly basis. Site management plans are in place for the naturally occurring populations, and all weed and snail control activities will follow minimal disturbance guidelines. Each population exists within roadside vegetation and is vulnerable to the effects of exotic weed and pest invasion.
b) Monitoring of the Spiny Daisy populations will follow the established protocols, which have been used since 2004.

(ii) Soil samples will be collected by DEH staff and processed by a commercial laboratory. Surveys for additional suitable translocation sites will be undertaken by a contract botanist, who has undertaken extensive surveys for Spiny Daisy over the past four years. Funding for the surveys is available through a Wildlife Conservation Grant.
(iii) Cuttings will be collected from each of the natural populations and grown-on by the Mid North Plant Diversity Nursery, Blyth. Translocations will occur in early June 2009, to coincide with the break of the winter season. We aim to have a minimum of 50 plants established at each translocation site. Site management will be guided by the results of our previous experimental translocation. These five translocated populations will increase the area of occupancy for the species, thereby contributing to the species’ conservation status and assisting with its down-listing. Because the species will be translocated to areas of intact habitat, less intensive site management will be required. The medium-term goal is to have each genotype existing in at least three field locations; one natural occurrence site and an additional two translocation sites.

Work Schedule and Project Duration

April-August 2008 & 2009 – Snail baiting
May 2008 – April 2009 - Searches for additional populations of A.dockeri and selection of suitable translocation sites
May-June 2008 – Site preparation and translocation of Telowie genotype
June 2008 – Monitoring of previous experimental translocation site
Quarterly - Minimal disturbance weed control at all sites
June 2008 – Soil testing at all natural and existing translocated A.dockeri sites
June 2008 – Spiny Daisy Recovery Team Meeting
July 2008 (& quarterly afterwards) – Progress Report to Exetel
October – December 2008 & 2009 – Monitoring of natural and translocated A.dockeri sites.
October–December 2008 – Collecting of A.dockeri cuttings.
January 2009 – April 2009 – Propagation of A.dockeri cuttings
February 2009 – Spiny Daisy Recovery Team Meeting
June-September 2009 – Translocation of A.dockeri to at least 5 sites TBD in the Mid North &/or Southern Flinders Ranges of SA
August 2009 – Spiny Daisy Recovery Team Meeting
September 2009-April 2010 – Quarterly follow-up monitoring of translocation plantings
February 2010 – Spiny Daisy Recovery Team Meeting

Project Sustainability:

The Spiny Daisy Recovery Team is committed to the long-term recovery of the species and eventual down-listing of its conservation status, in keeping with the stated aims of the National Recovery Plan.

It is envisaged at the conclusion of the funding period site management of the A.dockeri translocation sites will be handed over to the respective local landholders/community groups/local schools, depending where the translocations take place. The Recovery Team and the N&Y Threatened Flora Ecologist will oversee and advise on ongoing management of these sites.

The Recovery Team is aware of the resource limitations and will continue to consider all appropriate linkages to ensure efficient use of resources and avoid unnecessary duplication.

The Spiny Daisy Recovery Team will evaluate the success of the project against the Recovery Plan criteria twice per year.

The N&Y Threatened Flora Ecologist will submit quarterly project progress reports to FAME.

Project Risks

The following actions may hamper the species’ viability and recovery:

Disturbance or narrowing of the road verge at any of the roadside sites.
Tree planting or other inappropriate revegetation projects at any of the sites.
Spraying or slashing that is not in accordance with site action plans/guidelines.
Natural catastrophic events eg fire, floods, drought.
Fire-break activities (cultivation, slashing or spraying) undertaken within road reserves instead of on adjoining land.
Off-target damage associated with control of weeds, eg spray drift of chemicals from management of adjacent crops.
Plant disease or pathogens.
Competition from weeds.
Herbivory

Project Updates

Progress reports by the Project manager for this and other Exetel sponsored projects can be found here:

http://forum.exetel.com.au/viewforum.php?f=323&sid=7921f33759cf99130d18660f0b5ebc49

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