Plant propagation for environmental offset planting: A case study of endangered Pomaderris clivicola and near-threatened Bertya pedicellata

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
File version

Version of Record (VoR)

Author(s)
Roberts, KS
Trueman, SJ
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2016
Size
File type(s)
Location
Abstract

Background: Environmental offset programs for threatened plant species can be limited by the capacity to propagate sufficient plants for establishing offset plantations. This study describes the use of clonal propagation techniques for an offset program that propagated two species impacted by a landslide and road works. Materials and Methods: Cuttings were collected from Pomaderris clivicola (Rhamnaceae) and Bertya pedicellata (Euphorbiaceae) on 9 and 7 occasions, respectively. Shoots were also initiated into tissue culture. Results: Both species proved extremely difficult to propagate from cuttings and tissue culture. Rooting frequencies for P. clivicola cuttings were 4.3%. Repeated harvests of cuttings from the impacted plant population over more than 2 years eventually provided most of the P. clivicola plants required for the offset planting. However, the offset population of P. clivicola also had to be supplemented with some plants produced by tissue culture and with one plant that was excavated from the impacted population. Rooting frequencies for B. pedicellata cuttings were only 1.3%. A combination of cutting propagation and tissue culture did not produce sufficient B. pedicellata plants for the offset planting, but the offset population was supplemented with 27 plants that were excavated during road works. Conclusion: Success in producing the offset plants depended ultimately on a combination of (a) Cutting propagation, (b) Tissue culture propagation and (c) Whole plant excavation and translocation. This case study highlights challenges and successes in propagating poorly-known species for an environmental offset program within a short timeframe and with little prior knowledge of suitable propagation methods.

Journal Title

Journal of Environmental Science and Technology

Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume

9

Issue

6

Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement

© 2016 Katie S. Roberts and Stephen J. Trueman. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the creative commons attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Environmental rehabilitation and restoration

Persistent link to this record
Citation

Roberts, KS; Trueman, SJ, Plant propagation for environmental offset planting: A case study of endangered Pomaderris clivicola and near-threatened Bertya pedicellata, Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 2016, 9 (6), pp. 452-461

Collections