University of Tasmania
Browse

File(s) under permanent embargo

Collateral benefit: unconscious conservation of threatened plant species

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-25, 23:02 authored by Kirkpatrick, JB
In Europe, the conservation of rare or threatened plant species (ROTS) largely involves the manipulation of anthropogenic disturbance regimes rather than the mitigation of human-induced threatening processes, as has been the case in Australia. In Tasmania, there are many ROTS, especially those of the depleted and stock-grazed grasslands and grassy woodlands, which survive because, unconscious of the needs of ROTS, people have disturbed land in ways that suit their life-cycle requirements. Such species are found in quarries, in borrow pits, in scrapes, on roadsides, on track edges, on old roads, under introduced trees, in heavily grazed native pastures, in regenerating clearfell coupes and on mown ground. They are disturbance-dependent species, usually with poor competitive abilities. Many cannot survive stock-grazing. Unconscious conservation of these species needs to become conscious, in the European manner. Spatial heterogeneity in disturbance regimes is important for maintaining this set of species, whereas temporal heterogeneity is likely to lead to their doom.

History

Publication title

Australian Journal of Botany

Volume

55

Article number

3

Number

3

Pagination

221-224

Publication status

  • Published

Rights statement

The definitive version is available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/65.htm

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Usage metrics

    University Of Tasmania

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC