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UNE researchers discover new population of rare native plant

May 16, 2006

Bertie.thumb.jpgThe long-term conservation of a rare native shrub gained momentum this week when researchers from The University of New England discovered a new population of the elusive plant on an isolated spur at Dangars Gorge in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.

Working on a hunch, Associate Professor Caroline Gross and Dr Mohammad Fatemi skirted the rim at Dangars Gorge to a location that they had spied from the platform at the edge of the falls. “The tell-tale grey foliage of the shrub – Bertya ingramii – was the hint that a big population might exist across the chasm,” Dr Gross said.

Within 30 minutes the researchers reached the site and were overjoyed to discover at least 300 shrubs nestled among the rock outcrops with other rare species such as Acacia ingramii. “This new population brings the known populations of B. ingramii to three, with a total of about 400 plants,” Dr Gross said. “Before this discovery we knew of only about 70 plants in two populations: one on the other side of Dangars Gorge, and the other at Mihi Gorge, about six hours’ walk away.

B. ingramii (pictured here), which is related to wedding bush, resembles lavender in appearance (particularly because of its grey leaves). Biological Conservation students at UNE, who study the endangered plant, refer to it familiarly as “Bertie”. “'Bertie' has been a wonderful vehicle for integrating research into teaching,” Dr Gross said.

The researchers, from UNE’s School of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources Management, have used DNA fingerprinting to genotype the species, and say this new population might explain the novel genes they have detected in one of the other populations. “The flowers are wind pollinated, and so we will check if the plants are exchanging pollen across the 1 km chasm that divides these two closest populations,” Dr Fatemi explained.

Dr Gross suspects that there are other populations of B. ingramii – and other rare and elusive species – in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. “The gorge country is one of the few remaining areas in eastern Australia that are in critical need of a thorough botanical assessment,” she said. “The few areas we have looked at are home to many endemic species, and with a concerted effort we will find many more botanical treasures and probably many new species.”

“Such work is expensive,” she continued, “because of the safety issues and the vastness of the gorge network. However, at UNE we are ideally placed to undertake this work, with the University’s many expert field botanists and its internationally recognised New England Herbarium, where we can check the identities of species and lodge specimens that add to a vast database of Australia’s biodiversity.

“Meanwhile 'Bertie', now represented by three populations, will be put through its paces by Biological Conservation students during their UNE Summer School in January 2007.”

Posted by Jim Scanlan at May 16, 2006 02:52 PM