The shy susan is a purple flowering shrub that occurs on serpentine outcrops near Beaconsfield in Tasmania. There are less than 100 mature plants left in the wild over a range of less than 5 square km. The species is naturally rare and all sites where it occurs are considered to be important for the species’ survival.
Tetratheca gunnii |
Tetratheca gunnii
Status: Critically Endangered on the EPBC Act list
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Australian Government, Conservation Advice, Tetratheca gunnii
Threats Shy susan has been impacted to varying degrees by historic land clearance; the removal of fire from the landscape (at appropriate intervals); grazing pressure historically by domestic stock; also by European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and native browsers; particularly Macropus sp. (native wallabies) physical disturbance; especially from mineral exploration and mining activities and off road vehicle use associated with illegal woodhooking (non commercial wood harvesting) with wombats causing localized disturbance; and infection by Phytophthora cinnamomi (root rot fungus).
The impact of the fire on the wild and ex situ shy susan sites was found to be quite variable (Schahinger 2010).
Even where the fire was relatively cool; the radiant heat associated with the fire seemed to have affected individual shy susan; with only a couple of healthy looking plants observed.
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