Yellow Mountain Bell  |  

The main factors that make the species eligible for listing in the Endangered category are restricted distribution and population reduction due to climate change; inappropriate fire regimes; disease; grazing and recreation.

Threats The Yellow Mountain Bell is threatened by climate change; disease; habitat loss; disturbance and modification and invasive species (Table 2).

These types of fire events are increasingly likely to reoccur as a result of climate change.

Given the Yellow Mountain Bell is confined to mountain summits and upper slopes (Robinson Coates 1995 Brown et al. 1998); there may be no suitable bioclimatic zones for it to occupy; following projected warming and drying (Barrett Yates 2015).

Additionally; with ongoing climate change; weed species in the lowlands may rapidly move upwards and threaten mountain ecosystems (Petitpierre et al. 2016).

In many Myrtaceae species; including Mountain Bells; germination of dormant seeds is triggered by fire related cues; including heat; smoke and scarification (Keighery 1985 Dixon et al. 1995 Auld 2008).

The species is threatened by several fire related threats; including high frequency fire; fire drought interactions; fire disease interactions and fire effects on herbivore plant interactions.

Indeed; 74 percent of the Eastern Stirling Range Montane Heath and Thicket TEC has experienced short; nine year fire intervals over the last 50 years (Barrett Yates 2015).

Under this high frequency fire regime ( 10 years); the population size and vigour of the Yellow Mountain Bell will continue to decline; following the destruction of adult plants and depletion of soil stored seed banks (Brown et al. 1998 Hartley Barrett 2008).

Following only 20 percent reduction in post fire winter rainfall; the minimum fire interval for this species is predicted to increase to 15 years (Enright et al. 2014); further imperilling the Yellow Mountain Bell.

A high frequency fire regime can also reduce vegetation cover and increase surface or sub surface flow on mountain slopes; facilitating the spread of P. cinnamomi (Barrett 2000 Moore et al. 2015).

Under the current high frequency fire regime; the Yellow Mountain Bell may not be able to replenish soil stored seed banks before the next fire; putting this species at serious risk of extinction.

Visible impacts and faecal evidence of Quokkas were evident in regenerating vegetation after a bushfire in (Rathbone Barrett 2017).

Detrimental impacts caused by native browsing fauna are not unprecedented and suggest disequilibrium in normal ecosystem processes; potentially due to multiple interacting threats; including fire and disease (DPAW 2016).

This may increase browsing pressure on plants and delay post fire recovery (Rathbone Barrett 2017).

Visible impacts and faecal evidence of Rabbits were evident in regenerating vegetation after a bushfire in 2000 (Rathbone Barrett 2017).

The species is threatened by several fire related threats; including high frequency fire; fire drought interactions; fire disease interactions and fire effects on herbivore plant interactions.

Accordingly; the extent and richness of endemic montane flora are predicted to substantially decrease; due to loss of suitable habitat and competition with species that have migrated upwards in response to warming and drying (Engler et al. 2011 Alexander et al. 2015 Niskanen et al. 2019).