In 2016, NSW DCCEEW funded a review of database records, fieldwork to check on known populations, establishment of monitoring plots / plant community sampling, and advice for proposed ecological burning of this species in Blue Mountains National Park.
Monitoring will include pre-and-post-fire plots to track the species’ response to prescribed burning that is intended to optimise the population near Faulconbridge Point. The species is known to be disadvantaged by prolonged absence of fire and is facilitated by fire that removes competing shrubs and trees and reinstates its preferred open habitat.
Faulconbridge Point habitat was burnt in May 2018 as part of a wider hazard reduction fire to protect homes in the Faulconbridge / Linden area. I was able to supervise the ecological component of the fire from the air and was one of the photographers documenting this event. The burnt sites will be resampled in May 2019.
The 2019 phase of this project includes a review of records and aerial identification of habitat for the species in southern Wollemi National Park. Further monitoring plots will be installed if population densities are sufficiently high.
