The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) has assisted in returning a locally extinct native legume to Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park.
The mountain Swainson-pea (Swainsona recta), once widespread throughout Victoria, is now considered extinct in the region as a result of land clearing and over grazing, while persisting populations exist in NSW and ACT.
With the help of the Royal Botanical Gardens Victoria in Melbourne, Landcare and local community members, DELWP targeted Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park as the ideal place to reintroduce the mountain Swainson-pea, also called the small purple-pea, to its original Victorian range.
DELWP senior biodiversity officer, Glen Johnson explained the importance of the reintroduction plant for the local ecosystem, which was “known to occur in the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park up until 2012”.
“We are only now starting to reveal the important functions of native legumes in our ecosystem and re-establishing this species might play a role in soil nutrition and assist insect pollinators’ habitat needs,” he said.
In 2015, the project began with the reintroduction of 50 plants into the national park, with an additional 70 established across seven other public and private sites.
Some of the initial plantings were lost as a result of the Barnawartha fires in December, while others have since re-sprouted after the following Autumn rains.
“This week a further 250 seedlings will be planted to consolidate the number of plants within the park, other conservation reserves and on five carefully selected private properties across the northeast,” said Johnson.
Local Carboor property owner Geoff Barrow, who has a voluntary conservation covenant on his property, said the reintroduction of the mountain Swainson-pea was a great opportunity to improve the biodiversity on his property.
“The reintroduction of this threatened species further enhances my property’s biodiversity values which are protected by a Trust for Nature conservation covenant – a permanent, legally-binding agreement I voluntarily placed on title to ensure native vegetation on the property is protected forever.”
Jointly funded by the Victorian government, the North East Catchment Management Authority and the Australian government’s National Landcare Programme, the initiative will see an additional 800 seedlings planted in 2017 to further enhance the species chances of survival.