Natural Temperate Grasslands of the Victorian Volcanic Plain are critically endangered, with less than 1% remaining. CMAs work with partners to conserve these grasslands, through programs that control threats and modify management to increase plant diversity. However, the plants that inhabit these grasslands lack the biology to store seed in the soil and cannot be recovered through improvements in management alone. Recovery thus requires species reintroductions.
Reintroductions are inhibited by the rarity of many species and conservation implications of harvesting seed from the wild. To address this the Glenelg Hopkins CMA has partnered with a Landcare Group to develop a threatened species Seed Production Area for 17 grassland plant species. Seed produced has been added to remnant grassland on protected private land, as well as being made available to Landcare Groups, NGOs and First Nations people to create 150 new threatened plant populations.
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Authors:
Aggie Stevenson
