Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00346:reg:400:p7
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00346
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 400 (pt 7/12)
Character Range: 349237–359940

great variation between them. However, the work done by Melbourne Water at Lake Borrie is a great example of an effective management plan. Through sustained and informed management, including rabbit and weed control and improved ecological burning, Spiny Rice-flower numbers increased on the site by 33%. The management of the site has also been well documented, with a series of annual reports being produced outlining monitoring, progress and the changes that have occurred in the management strategy.                                                                                                                                  * Focus on closing knowledge gaps and placing more emphasis on protecting sites by promoting regeneration and maintaining/restoring habitat free from key threats (Foreman 2012).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   1
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             * Seedling survival was greatest when a biomass reduction event had occurred recently, which means there is a greater percentage of bare soil. Seedlings were also found to survive in greater numbers where there was less leaf litter and weeds. The ploughed forb field at Quandong had the most optimal conditions for establishing seedlings.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           * The Lake Borrie management program can be used to develop management plans for elsewhere.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             * Naturelinks is contracted by Wyndham City Council (in 2018) to improve the viability of the population at Kirksbridge Road, Mambourin and enhance the long-term environmental condition of the Reserve by providing seasonal weed control (herbicide and hand removal), revegetation, and prescribed burning.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             * Management activities conducted by Parks Victoria at Altona Nature Conservation Reserve includes monitoring, rubbish removal, nature strip slashing, spot spraying weeds (Chilean needle grass and serrated tussock), hand weeding, fire break mowing, and prescribed burning.
5.1         Evaluate current reproductive/regenerative status, seed bank status and longevity, fecundity and recruitment levels.                                                                                                                                                 * Seed bank/regenerative potential quantified for target populations.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       * Reynolds (2013) assessed the production, seed viability and germinability, in situ germination and survival of the Spiny Rice-flower across 16 populations and found the following:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        * As understanding the recruitments dynamics across temporal and spatial scales holds the key to long term conservation and recovery (Foreman 2012), further research is required into the seed production, seed bank and seed viability, particularly on the aspects on intraspecific among-population variations, inter-regional variations and inter-seasonal variations and correlations with biogeographic variables such as parental genotype, soil type and rainfall.                                                                        2
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                * Spiny Rice-flower seed has an endogenous non-deep physiological seed dormancy (Baskin & Baskin 2001, & 2004). Treating the seed with 0.1 % gibberellic acid consistently promote germination following progression into cooler conditions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              * Further investigation into breeding system is needed to determine the prevalence and importance of vector-driven outcrossing to better inform conservation actions for the species, e.g. seed sourcing.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                * Seedling survival is the critical stage for recruitment success of the species.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         * Further study to understand environmental and management factors that influence different recruitment stages.
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