Weed Spotter Queensland Network Newsletter Autumn 2012 edition

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Parkinsonia Dieback Project in the Desert Channels Parkinsonia (Parkinsonia aculeata) is a highly invasive weed of national significance, which has massive potential to spread through inland waterways and rangelands. Thanks to the combination of sharp eyes of NT Barkly Landcare Officer, Colleen Westover, who noticed unexplained deaths of Parkinsonia in 2004, a threeyear PhD study at the University of Queensland (UQ) by Naomi Diplock and the persistence of Dr Vic Galea, Associate Professor in plant pathology at UQ, around 200 local fungal cultures have been identified which can cause Parkinsonia dieback. This is a naturally occurring event which kills Parkinsonia. Over the past 18 months landholders in western Queensland have been participating in a trial funded by Meat and Livestock Australia to test the effectiveness of pathogens. Coordinated by UQ, in partnership with regional NRM groups, 14 field days have been held (eight in 2010, and six follow up in 2011), and 70 trial sites have been set up with individual landholders. Results are promising, with trial participants reporting a range of responses including death and sickness of Parkinsonia trees in a variety of land types. The project leader is Dr Vic Galea, UQ, and supporters are Desert Channels Group, Southern Gulf Catchments, South West NRM, National Prickle Bush Management Group, Capricorn Pest Management and Biodiversity Queensland. Sue Ackers, Desert Channels Queensland Inc. Dr Ken Goulter removing a sample from a healthy Parkinsonia tree for laboratory testing at Holmleigh field day. Photo: Sue Ackers. Page 4 Obtaining a weed list of your area The WildNet application delivers wildlife information and incorporates Queensland Herbarium specimen data (HERBRECS). This application is available online from and can be used by weed spotters to access weed information (images and notes), weed lists for their area of interest, and to determine if specimens have been lodged with the Queensland Herbarium. A summary of how to access weed information from the site is provided below. Wildlife Online can be used to access species lists for protected areas, forestry areas, local government areas and areas defined using coordinates (which can be accessed from websites such as Google Maps). To access weed lists, users should select the ‘introduced’ and ‘plant’ options. The ‘specimen’ option should be used to determine the species that have a specimen lodged with the Queensland Herbarium database. The outputs, which are emailed to the requester, are PDF or text files and include the number of records and number of specimens recorded for the area. WetlandInfo’s Wetland Information Summary Search allows internet users to view a range of summarised environmental information including wildlife statistics for basins, natural resource management regions and local government areas. Specific wildlife lists such as ‘Introduced Plants’ can be accessed from the wildlife statistics table to display a number of attributes including number of specimens, number of occurrences and date of last sighting. Some species on the lists have links to species notes, images and internet pages and the lists can be downloaded. WetlandMaps is an interactive map service that gives users access to wetland information via a web-based Geographic Information System (GIS). As well as delivering spatial data including wetland mapping, WetlandMaps has tools for accessing wildlife and survey data. Species records can be mapped and records and survey data can be viewed using the inventory tool. The report tool can be used to generate fauna or flora lists for a range of area types (current displayed extent, selected polygon(s), buffered polygon(s) and drawn areas). The species list outputs are PDF or text files and include the number of records, number of specimens recorded for the area and date last seen. Any errors found within the information generated from these sites should be reported to the WildNet Team at to rectify. Noleen Brown.
Water lettuce success in the Mulga Lands Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) on the Warrego River at Cunnamulla has been increasing for more than 10 years in spite of yearly spraying and many litres of chemical. Water lettuce seemed to be winning the battle. However a bug, sourced from Brisbane City Council Biocontrol unit has been successful in eating its way through the entire infestation. The water lettuce weevil was reintroduced in November 2010 and no spray has been used for over 12 months. Last year a dense mat covered over two kilometres of the main waterhole, and water lettuce could be found for another eight kilometres down stream to the Allan Tannock Weir. The Allan Tannock Weir Irrigators Group called a meeting and a Water Lettuce Action Group was formed including representatives from the Paroo Shire, landholders and the Biosecurity Queensland. The group drafted an action plan for the Paroo Shire and we hope to see water lettuce eradicated within 10 years. Weevils will be used in the main attack, and then follow-up winter spraying will be trialled. Water lettuce forming mats across the river (photo Nov 2010) Photo: Tobias Bickel. Water lettuce absence November 2011. Photo: Suzanne Nicholls. Page 5 Biosecurity Officer Stephen Downey said the weevil was excellent at reducing the mass of lettuce that is very expensive to spray. “By waiting until winter, after the weevil has killed most plants, there will be fewer plants to spray, and control will be more effective. There will still be seed germinating for many years to come, but water lettuce weevil can be sourced from the Brisbane City Council at the start of each summer to reintroduce into the river,” he said. The Warrego River flows into New South Wales and the Darling River, so the results are promising for those south of Cunnamulla. While no plants have ever been found south of the Weir at Cunnamulla, tonnes of plant material go over the weir each summer in floods, and it is only a matter of time before it makes it to the Darling River. Suzanne Nicholls, Bulloo Shire Council. Water lettuce plant with weevil damage. There are multiple marks on the leaves, some of the emerging new leaves are crippled and the plant is partly submerged. Entire damaged leaves are breaking off as well. Photo: Stephen Downey.
Page 1 and 2: Weed Spotter Queensland Network New
Page 3: Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) in
Page 7 and 8: Some new weed records up to Decembe

Weed Spotter Queensland Network Newsletter Autumn 2012 edition

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?