page_title: Summerland Peninsula
section_title: Flora
hierarchical_section_title: Summerland Peninsula / Flora
caption_attribution_description: Dansk: Hvid klit, bevokset med hjælme (Ammophila arenaria). Grenen, Nordjylland English: White dune with Marram grass (Ammophila arenaria), Grenen, Denmark
context_page_description: The Summerland Peninsula is located at the western end of Phillip Island in Victoria, Australia. The peninsula lies within the Gippsland Plain Bioregion and is a site of high conservation significance.
  As part of a protected area the peninsula supports a diverse array of animal and plant life, including a number of species listed as of conservation concern by international, federal and state bodies including the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and it is a BirdLife International Important Bird Area. It is home to one of the largest Little Penguin breeding colonies in Australia, the second largest breeding colony of Australian Fur Seals in the world, one of the largest breeding colonies of Greater crested terns in Victoria and an important breeding ground for Short-tailed shearwaters. Several plants regarded as rare or threatened in either Victoria or Australia have been recorded on the peninsula, including River Swamp Wallaby-grass listed as vulnerable in Australia.
context_section_description: The peninsula supports a variety of ecological vegetation communities which are of conservation concern within the Gippsland Plains Bioregion. These include Grassy Woodland (Endangered), Bird Colony Succulent Herbland (Rare), Estuarine Flats Grassland (Endangered), Coastal Tussock Grassland (Vulnerable) and Coastal Dune Scrub (Depleted). Overall vegetation of the Summerland Peninsula is dominated by Coast Tussock-grass (Poa poiformis), Bower Spinach (Tetragonia implexicoma), Seaberry Saltbush (Rhagodia candolleana), Rounded Noon-flower (Disphyma crassifolium subsp. davellatum) and coastal tea-tree (Leptospermum laevigatum).
  Several species of plant found on the peninsula are listed as either rare or threatened in Victoria or Australia including River Swamp Wallaby-grass (Amphibromus fluitans) listed as vulnerable in Australia, Purple Blown-grass (Lachnagrostis punicea subsp. filifolia) listed as vulnerable in Victoria and Pale-flower Cranesbill (Geranium sp. 3), Creeping Rush (Juncus revolutus), Dune Wood-sorrel (Oxalis rubens) and Dune Poa (Poa poiformis var. ramifer) all listed as rare in Victoria.
  Pest plants and weeds are a significant threat on the peninsula, impacting wildlife and habitat as well as threatened plant species and vegetation communities. African Boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum), Gorse (Ulex europaeus), Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) and Melaleuca species have been given priority for management as they threaten seabird habitat and provide shelter for feral cats and foxes. Introduced species such as Marram Grass (Ammophila arenaria) and Sea Wheat-grass (Thinopyrum junceiforme) have become well-established in many areas affecting dune development and morphology.
  Intensive revegetation and weed control work continues on the peninsula with the aim of restoring it nearer to the pre-European settlement environment, in 2015 over 2,500 plants were planted with works focused on Allocasuarina shrubs to assist in slowing the spread of Melaleuca.
caption: Marram Grass (Ammophila arenaria)
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