What are protected plant surveys?
Protected plant surveys are a specialised type of flora survey used for assessing threatened and near threatened plant species.
Commonly employed when clearing activities are proposed within a high risk area (as mapped by the Queensland Government), these surveys follow the Department of Environment and Science’s Flora Survey Guidelines – Protected Plants.
As per these guidelines, protected plant surveys include a desktop assessment to determine which threatened flora may occur within the project area, followed by an in-depth field inspection. For more information about how these surveys are conducted, visit our Services page.
At Boobook Ecological Consulting, we have recently conducted protected plant surveys around the Carnarvon Highway as well as the Arcadia Valley.
Wandering fringe-rush, Carnarvon Highway
Our team recently conducted a protected plant survey along a portion of the Carnarvon Highway identified as a high-risk area for the Department of Transport and Main Roads.
Desktop research had indicated that the endangered wandering fringe-rush (Fimbristylis vagans) had been collected at this site back in January 2012 and, upon field inspection, this species was discovered in the survey area with a population of nearly 500 plants.
This discovery meant that the department could incorporate the results of the survey into the design of roadworks and avoid disturbance of the species.
Herbaceous Xerothamnella, Arcadia Valley
Herbaceous Xerothamnella (pronounced Ze-ROW-tham-nell-A) is an endangered low-growing forb known from only a few locations in central and southern inland Queensland.
The purpose of this survey was to evaluate the extent of this species in the Arcadia Valley, so that populations could be avoided during proposed clearing activities.
Want to find out more? Visit our Services page
