Threatened Tasmanian Orchids Flora Recovery Plan

<p>This Plan is a revision of the <i>Flora Recovery Plan: Threatened Tasmanian Orchids 2006–2010</i> (TTOFRP; TSS 2006) and provides a framework for the continued recovery of threatened orchid species, and for orchid conservation more generally in Tasmania. This revised Plan covers 77 species listed on the Tasmanian <i>Threatened Species Protection Act 1995</i>, and 40 that are also listed on the Commonwealth <i>Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999</i>. This plan will be adopted for 36 of the 40 EPBC listed species.</p> <p>Prior to the 2000s, Tasmania’s threatened orchids were managed largely on an <i>ad hoc</i> basis subject to funding and other priorities. The 2006–2010 TTOFRP provided a mechanism for a coordinated approach to recovery actions, meeting many broad and specific conservation management objectives for Tasmanian threatened orchids. This current Recovery Plan includes a review of progress under the 2006–2010 TTOFRP.</p> <p>The long-term objectives of recovery are to minimise the risk of extinction in the wild to threatened orchids in Tasmania and to increase the likelihood of each species becoming self-maintaining through the staged implementation of recovery actions. A commitment to the management of threatened orchids beyond the life of this Plan is needed if long-term objectives are to be realised. This Plan seeks to address short-term management issues relating to specific orchid populations.</p> <p>Specific recovery objectives for the threatened orchids in this Plan are listed below:</p> <p>1. to maintain and/or increase the number of known subpopulations of each species;</p> <p>2. to maintain and/or increase the number of individuals within subpopulations of each species;</p> <p>3. to maintain and/or increase the extent, condition and security of habitat critical to survival of each species;</p> <p>4. improve the management and prioritisation of recovery actions through a better understanding and resolution of Tasmanian orchid taxonomy;</p> <p>5. conduct research into the life history, and biological and ecological requirements of threatened orchids in Tasmania to improve habitat management and mitigate intrinsic threats to orchid subpopulations;</p> <p>6. better understand the impacts of disturbance on threatened orchids to improve habitat management and mitigate extrinsic threats to orchid subpopulations;</p> <p>7. to establish and maintain a genetically representative ex situ collection of seed and mycorrhizal fungi of all species;</p> <p>8. to successfully trial orchid translocation projects; and</p> <p>9. to raise public awareness of orchid conservation issues, and develop mechanisms to encourage and coordinate community participation in orchid recovery programs.</p>