Mason’s Grevillea is a low-growing shrub to 1.5 m tall, with many short, erect branches. The leaves are rounded at the tips and have a tiny projecting point. The lower surface of the leaves have sparse, silky hairs and the new growth is green. The flowers are red and green, hairy inside and out, and occur in groups of six to ten. The dry fruit has a long, upward-curving projection like a swan’s neck.
Grevillea masonii |
Grevillea masonii
Status: Endangered on the EPBC Act list
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Australian Government, Conservation Advice, Grevillea masonii
Threats The main threats impacting Mason s Grevillea are an increased frequency of drought and bushfire due to climate change; invasive weeds; damage due to roadside or powerline easement maintenance; disease and the genetic effects of small populations.
Table 1 Threats impacting Mason s Grevillea Threat Status and severity a Evidence Climate change Fire related threats Timing current In 2019 20; following years of drought (DPI 2020); Confidence inferred catastrophic bushfire conditions resulted in extensive bushfires covering an unusually large area Consequence major of eastern Australia.
This type of event is Trend increasing increasingly likely to reoccur as a result of climate Extent across the entire change.
Understand and ameliorate the effects of climate change on the species by mitigating interactions with other threats such as fire; disease and habitat degradation.
The species is threatened by several fire related threats; including high frequency fire; fire granivore interactions; fire drought interactions; fire disease interactions; and fire promoted weed invasion.
Analysis by the Wildlife and Threatened range Species Bushfire Recovery Expert Panel; based on intersecting the modelled distribution of Mason s Grevillea and the National Indicative Aggregated Fire Extent Dataset; indicates that approximately of the range of the species was within the extent of the 2019 20 bushfires (Gallagher 2020).
A high frequency fire regime is likely to reduce the population size and vigour of Mason s Grevillea; by killing adult and immature plants and depleting the soil stored seed bank (DECCW 2010 DPIE 2020).
Interactions between fire and seed predators may also elevate risks of decline; especially under small or patchy fires (Regan et al. 2003).
Fire drought interactions may also be a threat for Mason s Grevillea; as obligate seeders rely on fire for recruitment; yet seedlings have rudimentary root systems vulnerable to desiccation if post fire drought occurs (Burgman and Lamont 1992).
Introduced grasses have the Extent across the entire potential to invade native vegetation and may range threaten Mason s Grevillea by outcompeting the plants directly; or by indirectly altering fuel loads and fire regimes (D’Antonio Vitousek 1992 NSW Scientific Committee 2003 DECCW 2010 DPIE 2020).
The species is threatened by several fire related threats; including high frequency fire; fire granivore interactions; fire drought interactions; fire disease interactions; and fire promoted weed invasion.
Increased frequency and Timing current From 2017 19; severe drought impacted much of severity of drought Confidence inferred eastern Australia including north eastern NSW (DPI 2020).
Fire drought interactions may also be a threat for Mason s Grevillea; as obligate seeders rely on fire for recruitment; yet seedlings have rudimentary root systems vulnerable to desiccation if post fire drought occurs (Burgman and Lamont 1992).