Current Research Projects
Description, taxonomic revision and identification tools for the NT Flora
This project seeks to describe, illustrate and develop identification tools and guides for the Northern Territory Flora through a coordinated program of developing key regional flora treatments (Darwin Region, MacDonnell Ranges, Top End), electronic-interactive and traditional keys and scientific papers, leading ultimately to a fully described flora and a “Flora of the Northern Territory” so that the best information can be provided to address key government priorities and client requests.
In many cases, plants are not easily identified by any other than experienced botanists (either professional or amateur) and information on them is scattered through the literature, various internal data bases or carried in the heads of a very few NRETAS staff. In order to manage and ensure the health of biodiversity it is important to know what species are present, where they are located and something of their biology. A lack of knowledge of many plants as well as the tools to readily identify them can hamper attempts to manage and conserve them and may result in inefficiencies in planning and decision making. Development of a cohesive and accessible set of Northern Territory-specific identification tools and information is an important step in facilitating further research, survey and management of plants of conservation significance, weed species and the flora more generally. Part of the process is a long term, staged regional-flora approach to a Flora of the Northern Territory.
Under this project, staff at the Herbarium are currently revising or describing a suite of 30 phrase name taxa across a range of families and genera including Grevillea, Helicteres, Isotropis, Isotoma, Lobelia, Thecanthes and Uraria. An electronic interactive key to the diverse flora of the MacDonnell Ranges in central Australia using LUCID software is well advanced. The well illustrated Volume 1 of Flora of the Darwin Region of the northern Northern Territory is almost complete and will be published electronically. A number of additional flora accounts for the Darwin Region and Northern Territory are also in preparation. The accessibility and delivery of these and other already published materials and knowledge is currently being advanced thorough the development of a new Northern Territory Flora website and associated data base within the NRETAS website. This site will also provide for the interactive generation of fact sheets containing descriptions, images, distribution maps, ecological attributes and habitat information for each of the Territory’s plant species.
Conservation assessment and IUCN coding of the NT Flora
An important part of the Herbarium’s research, this project seeks to establish the distribution, abundance and threats particularly for IUCN Data Deficient, Not Evaluated and threatened Northern Territory plant species. The information collected allows Herbarium staff to better assess and formalise the conservation status of these Northern Territory plants under Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, and ensures that the best information can be provided to address key government priorities and requests for information and where necessary, management can be implemented.
The Northern Territory Herbarium is the primary custodian of the knowledge of the Northern Territory flora and data sets needed to assign a conservation status to Northern Territory plants under Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act (TPWCA). As such, it is a key point of contact for enquiries regarding threatened species and other species of conservation significance. However, a lack of knowledge of more than 950 plant taxa hampers attempts to answer these enquiries, as well as manage and conserve the plants involved. Further, this lack of knowledge may result in misdirected policy and inefficiencies in conservation efforts and reserve planning. Additional research is required in order to establish distribution, abundance and threats (e.g. climate change, fire, land clearing, inappropriate development, introduced plants and feral animals) for these plants. In addition, information on plant species from this project is important to achieving listing, for example for Indigenous Protected Areas. The project provides key information to inform conservation programs for threatened species and in National Parks.
As part of this ongoing project herbarium staff are finalising a major, three year survey of Limmen National Park and completing a survey of the Ecolink – Fish River Block over two years. Other recent surveys focused on species and areas of conservation significance have included the North Tanami Indigenous Protected Area, Bradshaw Field Training Area, Gove area, Bullo River - Spirit Hills (Keep River National Park) area and various indigenous lands in central Australia. The Herbarium also undertakes additional surveys targeting particular species and areas consistent with priorities, as the opportunity and funding arises.
Flora and Vegetation Surveys
The Northern Territory Herbarium coordinates several botanical and ecological surveys on an annual basis. Currently flora and vegetation sampling are being undertaken for:
Bullo River Station:
A floristic inventory and species of conservation significance are included and the vegetation communities described and mapped at a spatial scale of 1:25 000. The information collected and analysed contributes to the periodic reassessment of the conservation status of Northern Territory flora against IUCN criteria, for listing under TPWCA. Collections of specimens will undoubtedly be important for taxonomic revisions and describing phrase name taxa. The study also focused on operational methods for vegetation community mapping in tropical savanna environments.
The Technical Report is available and accompanying map on NRETAS Maps.
Limmen National Park (proposed):
There are three stages to this survey carried out over three years 2008-2010. The purpose of the project is to undertake a floristic inventory, assess species of conservation significance and describe the vegetation communities. This region of the Northern Territory was relatively under-sampled until the survey commenced and has improved knowledge of the flora and vegetation in the area. The information collected is integral to the periodic reassessment of the conservation status of Northern Territory flora against IUCN criteria, for listing under TPWCA. Collections of specimens will undoubtedly be important for taxonomic revisions and describing phrase name taxa. The floristic and structural data is integral for the production of vegetation maps of the Park, thus have important applications for park management. Technical Report in prep.
Fish River block:
This region of the Northern Territory is recognised as a gap in the Territory EcoLink. Northern Territory Herbarium and Land and Vegetation Unit conducted a floristic and soil survey across the block and northern portion of Elizabeth Downs April and June 2010. Full floristic and structural plots were sampled across a good spatial coverage of the block and vegetation communities, and several hundred plant specimens collected (some of which are range extensions for the area & IUCN coded). This data will have numerous applications for current projects, to assist in the revision of rare and threatened species (2010) and inform several mapping datasets 1) Daly Basin Vegetation Map, 2) Elizabeth Downs Land Unit mapping, and 3) Land Systems mapping. The Fish River block flora and vegetation survey, will be completed in 2011and will inevitably feed floristic, vegetation and soil data into the ‘Litchfield Link’.
Bush Blitz:
An initiative of the Australian Biological Resources Study with support through CHAH Council Heads of Australasian Herbaria. Across the country, Bush Blitz is supported by State and Territory conservation, primary industry and agricultural agencies; Australia’s museums and herbaria; leading universities; CSIRO; the Atlas of Living Australia; and the Australian Science Teachers Association. The Northern Territory Herbarium is the lead institution for Bush Blitz in the Northern Territory; scheduled for May 2011, survey area to be confirmed.