Strategic Management Prospects v4.0 Species Forecast Report created on 05 February, 2024
A Species Forecast Report is a summary of currently available information, the predicted 50-year outlook for the species, and potential pathways to recovery through species-specific and landscape-scale actions.
The report collates data from a range of sources including the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas, Strategic Management Prospects (SMP), Specific Needs Assessments, Threatened Species Action Statements, the Genetic Risk Index, and the IUCN Common Assessment Method.
Species Forecast Reports are intended to be used in conjunction with SMP and other spatial outputs in NatureKit, and Action Statements where relevant.
For more information on Species Forecast Reports, SMP and other biodiversity decision support tools, including user guides, visit Choosing actions for nature webpage on the DEECA website.
| Taxon ID | 504904 |
| Scientific name | Lomandra oreophila |
| Common name | Mountain Mat-rush |
| Group | Monocotyledons |
| FFG status | Endangered |
| EPBC status |
Tussocks usually slender, occasionally clump-forming. Leaves stiff and erect, 25-50 cm long, (2.5-)3.3-4(-5.5) mm wide, glabrous, flat with margin usually andplusmn; incurved, or slightly concavo-convex in cross-section, not twisted; margins thickened, smooth to minutely scabrous; basal sheath with margin intact or occasionally slightly torn, 4-6 cm long; apex rounded or with two lateral teeth. Inflorescences usually much-branched, c. one- to two-thirds as long as leaves, with non-flowering axis hidden or exposed; axes conspicuously covered with tubercles to c. 0.1 mm long. Male inflorescences 14-30 cm long; female inflorescences similar to male but 7-21 cm long. Male flowers with tepals 1.9-2.6 mm long; female flowers with tepals 3-4.5 mm long. Fruit ovoid, c. 3 mm diam., pale brown. The taxon flowers from October to January (VicFlora 2019).
The taxon is endemic to Victoria within the Eastern Highlands, Snowfields, and East Gippsland (Conn and Quirico 1994; VicFlora 2019). The taxon is reliably recorded from the Aberfeldy district, Mt Skene in the west to Mt Tingaringy on the New South Wales border in the east, and from The Viking in the north to Mt Useful in the south.
The taxon is scattered, but locally rather common in alpine and subalpine Eucalypus pauciflora and E. dives Woodlands (Conn and Quirico 1994; VicFlora 2019). At the western limit of its known range, 2.2 km north-west of the confluence of O’Keefe Gully and Aberfeldy Road, the taxon is recorded on a ridgetop in subalpine Eucalyptus dives woodland. At the ‘Elephant’s Back’, Mt Skene, the taxon is recorded on grassy slopes among Snow Gum thickets at an elevation of 1585 m. Near the summit of Mt Useful, the taxon is recorded on a gentle south-facing slope in a Eucalyptus kybeanensis stand on soil, with slate derived from Ordovician sediments in association with Acacia obliquenervia, Epacris gunnii, Goodenia hederacea subsp. hederacea, Ozothamnus thyrsoideus, Podolobium alpestre, Polyscias sambucifolia, Rhytidosporum inconspicuum and Stylidium armeria at an elevation of 1263 m. At the summit of The Viking, 23.5 km due east from Mt Buller in the Alpine National Park, the taxon is recorded in sparse Snow Gum woodland on a northerly aspect on shallow shale soil, derived from Devonian mudstones in association with Eucalyptus pauciflora, Poa fawcettiae, Crowea exalata and Podolobium alpestre at an elevation of 1485. At Little Mount Cromwell, the taxon is recorded in Snow Gum woodland in association with Monotoca oreophila at an elevation of 1400 m. Near the summit of Mt Tower in the Bowen Range in East Gippsland, the taxon is recorded in association with Eucalyptus delegatensis and Acrothamnus hookeri at an elevation of 1060m. At Mt Tingaringy on the NSW border in far East Gippsland the taxon is recorded at the exposed, treeless summit area in low shrubland, dominated by Phebalium squamulosum, Prostanthera phylicifolia, Podolobium alpestre, Boronia anemonifolia and Leptospermum brevipes at an elevation of 1450 m. In summary, the taxon is a habitat specialist that is apparently restricted to the summits of the highest peaks in the Victorian Alps, within its very restricted known range at elevations of 1060-1634 m.
This table contains information on the genetic health of Mountain Mat-rush, informed by recent work conducted by Monash University and cesar Pty Ltd (Kriesner et al. 2019; Kriesner and Weeks 2020). The project undertook genetic risk assessments of ~1,100 species of flora and fauna found in Victoria and generated a large database of available genetic and demographic data for these species. A framework was developed for combining these parameters into a Genetic Risk Index that classified species broadly into ‘Low’, ‘Moderate’, ‘High’, ‘Very High’ and ‘Uncertain’ risk categories. The Genetic Risk Index will continue to undergo refinement and validation to provide further insight into the genetic health of species in Victoria.
| Total Australian population size | 2,000 - 10,000 individuals |
| Australian distribution | Only occurs in Victoria |
| Dispersal capacity | Low: ~1km |
| Reproductive mode | Uncertain |
| Average generation time | One generation at a scale longer than 20 years |
| Victorian population trend since ~1975 | Unknown |
| Inbreeding evidence | Not assessed |
| Genetic diversity | Not assessed |
| Genetic rescue potential | Uncertain |
| Genetic Risk Index | High |
The Habitat Distribution Model (HDM) layer shows the modelled distribution of habitat for Mountain Mat-rush in Victoria. Red shading indicates areas of habitat with relatively higher suitability, compared with yellow shaded areas. HDMs are developed by combining Victorian Biodiversity Atlas (VBA) occurrence records for the species with a range of environmental variables to predict where the most suitable habitat for the species is in Victoria. Species may not always occupy areas of suitable habitat. Threatening processes (prior or ongoing) and disturbance regimes (e.g. fire, timber harvesting) may stop species from occupying otherwise suitable habitat for periods of time. Management actions often focus on currently occupied areas, however management of unoccupied areas can also be important to allow populations to re-establish.
No Habitat Distrabution Model is currently available.
No Species Forecast data is available because Mountain Mat-rush is not yet included in our decision-support tools.
A Species Forecast is the estimated likelihood of a species being present in 50 years time. The data for Species Forecasts is drawn from DEECA’s decision support tools, Strategic Management Prospects and Specific Needs Assessments.
Many species benefit from the management of widespread threats, such as weeds and pests, and the benefit of these landscape-scale actions to ~4,200 species is modelled in Strategic Management Prospects. In addition to landscape-scale actions, some species also need actions that improve or protect habitat at certain sites, such as nest boxes or hollow logs, or actions to improve certain populations, such as gene mixing or translocation.
As part of a continuous improvement program for our decision-support tools, we are working to expand the scope of actions modelled in Strategic Management Prospects, and to build the dataset of species benefits from location-specific and population-specific actions.
We can use this data to consider how different actions may benefit a species and examine how different types of on-ground management may contribute to a species’ recovery in 50 years, to develop a Species Forecast.
No Species Forecast data is available because Mountain Mat-rush is not yet included in our decision-support tools.
The benefit data in SMP can be used to consider what the Mountain Mat-rush’s prospects are if the landscape scale management actions in SMP are implemented.
No Species Prospects figure is available becuase Mountain Mat-rush is not yet included in SMP.
For more information on the decision support tools, products and underlying data used in this report, and how the data is collected and developed into products, please visit the following links:
These links include information on how to provide data and feedback into these products.
The Species Forecast Reports will be updated periodically to reflect changes and improvements in the products and tools that inform them (e.g., following updates to SMP).
As the data contained in Species Forecast Reports is drawn from multi-species datasets, it is not currently possible to incorporate species-specific information or feedback directly.
For help or further information get in touch by visiting Choosing actions for nature webpage on the DEECA website.
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