Photo: Terry Barratt
A National Recovery Plan for the Bomaderry Zieria
The NSW Environmental Heritage Trust has approved a grant of $97,361 for implementation of the National Recovery Plan for the Bomaderry Zieria (Zieria baeuerlenii).
This small flowering shrub is found only in the 250 ha Bomaderry Creek Bushland and is listed as ‘Endangered’ on state and federal lists.
Although the plant flowers annually it is unable to set seed and is therefore challenged by its inability to reproduce in the usual way. This has resulted in a scattered population of related but genetically distinct groups which have formed through vegetative reproduction when new plants arise from the roots of a parent plant (suckering).
In addition, the survival of the small, fragmented population of Zieria is subject to a variety of threats including drought, inappropriate fire regimes, browsing pressure from native and introduced herbivores (particularly wallabies and rabbits), damage by human activities and pressure from weeds.
While Zieria numbers have never been known to be high a recent survey has revealed that there has been a 60% reduction in the population over 17 years. In order to provide a level of insurance against the loss of genetic variations within the population, cuttings were taken some years ago and were raised in the Booderee Botanic Gardens in Jervis Bay, the Wollongong Botanic Garden and the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra.
Implementation of the recovery plan involves a multi-faceted approach to the job of restoring the Zieria population in the Bomaderry Creek Bushland, including:
The response of the Zieria population to this undertaking will be monitored over the three year period of the recovery project, during which time the community will be kept informed about the significance and value of the Bomaderry Zieria and the progress of the project.
Bomaderry Creek Bushland is jointly managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Shoalhaven City Council. Other partners in the recovery project are the community (through the Bomaderry Creek Landcare/Bushcare Group) and the Booderee, Wollongong and Canberra Botanic Gardens.
The NSW Environmental Heritage Trust has approved a grant of $97,361 for implementation of the National Recovery Plan for the Bomaderry Zieria (Zieria baeuerlenii).
This small flowering shrub is found only in the 250 ha Bomaderry Creek Bushland and is listed as ‘Endangered’ on state and federal lists.
Although the plant flowers annually it is unable to set seed and is therefore challenged by its inability to reproduce in the usual way. This has resulted in a scattered population of related but genetically distinct groups which have formed through vegetative reproduction when new plants arise from the roots of a parent plant (suckering).
In addition, the survival of the small, fragmented population of Zieria is subject to a variety of threats including drought, inappropriate fire regimes, browsing pressure from native and introduced herbivores (particularly wallabies and rabbits), damage by human activities and pressure from weeds.
While Zieria numbers have never been known to be high a recent survey has revealed that there has been a 60% reduction in the population over 17 years. In order to provide a level of insurance against the loss of genetic variations within the population, cuttings were taken some years ago and were raised in the Booderee Botanic Gardens in Jervis Bay, the Wollongong Botanic Garden and the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra.
Implementation of the recovery plan involves a multi-faceted approach to the job of restoring the Zieria population in the Bomaderry Creek Bushland, including:
- Fencing of some of the plant sites;
- Hand removal of weeds;
- Planting of suitable native species to prevent future weed infestations where necessary;
- Carrying out prescribed burning trials and pruning to stimulate new growth;
- Planting specimens from the populations in the Botanic Gardens into Bushland sites from where the species has disappeared;
- and controlling rabbit infestations.
The response of the Zieria population to this undertaking will be monitored over the three year period of the recovery project, during which time the community will be kept informed about the significance and value of the Bomaderry Zieria and the progress of the project.
Bomaderry Creek Bushland is jointly managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Shoalhaven City Council. Other partners in the recovery project are the community (through the Bomaderry Creek Landcare/Bushcare Group) and the Booderee, Wollongong and Canberra Botanic Gardens.
