Athel Pine & Tamarix Threats, Management and Action January 2012

1. Kay Bailey National Athel Pine Coordinator Athel Pine & TamarixThreats, Management and ActionJanuary 2012 Athel pine, Bourke Golf Course 2009 Menindie

2. Overview • National Athel Pine WoNS Program • Identification – 3 species • Impacts • Management – control options • What you can do! T. ramosissima, Nyah VIC

3. Weeds of National Significance • The Australian Weed Strategy (AWS) (renamed from the 1997 National Weeds Strategy in 2007) is a multi jurisdictional framework • Goal 2 of the AWS is to ‘Reduce the impact of existing priority weed problems including weeds issues of national significance - WoNS • Approach – is robust and simple; treats agricultural, forestry & environmental weeds equally to rank species • In 1999, 20 species became WoNS • Australian Government + all States / Territories are supportive of and contribute to WoNS program • Potential addition of new WoNS in 2012

4. National Athel Pine Program • 1999 one of the 20 species declared Weeds of National Significance • 2001 Athel pine National Strategy released (included other Tamarix species) • Nov 2005 National Athel Pine Management Committee (NAPMC) formed • Dec 2006 National Coordinator appointed Full Time • March 2009 launch of Athel pine National Best Practice Management Manual • Draft National Athel Pine Strategic Plan 2011-2015 (awaiting endorsement) Launch of BPM Manual, Alice Springs 2009 NAPMC field trip, Mannum SA March 2011 Athel pine Finke River NT

5. Identification • 3 Tamarix species in Australia Tamarix aphylla Athel pine Tamarix ramosissima Tamarisk Tamarix parviflora Smallflower tamarisk • Common names vary. Athel pine = Tamarix = Tamarisk. • Varying taxonomy over time (eg Tamarix pentandra = T ramosissima)

6. Tools to assist • Fact Sheet • BPM Manual pages 10-11

7. 1. Athel pine – Tamarix aphylla • Tall evergreen tree (to 20m) • Riparian - watercourses • Weedy from Carnarvon WA to Bourke NSW; Central Australia to Hughenden QLD; Menindee NSW to Leigh Creek SA Athel pine planted as a wind break – Copi Hollow, Menindee, NSW 2009

8. Athel pine Declared in all states, WoNS Leaves aphylla = without leaves, minute dull grey, sheath around fine branchlets. Bark mature trees thick, rough grey-brown to black, new stems smooth and reddish-brown to grey-green. Chris Brown Les Tanner Kay Bailey Les Tanner Flowers pinkish-white, 5 flower petals, flower spikes at end of previous year’s branches.

9. Tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima) • No legal status. Weedy in southern, inland NSW, Murray River SA, northern VIC. Flowers pinkish-white to purple, 5 petals, end of current year’s branches Tall deciduous to semi-deciduous shrub to 6m Sandy Leighton Leaves small, smooth surface, evenly thick from base to tip Sandy Leighton Bark smooth, older stems grey-brown, newer stems reddish-brown Jonah Gouldthorpe T. ramosissima along the edge of Lake Murphy, VIC

10. Smallflower tamarisk (T. parviflora) • No legal status. Weedy in Avon Valley & south west WA. Toodyay River WA Tom Dudley Weedy throughout riparian areas of western and south western USA Sandy Leighton Barry A Rice Bark new bark is brown-deep purple Flower pinkish-white, 4 petals Leaves distinctly thickened toward the base

11. Recorded Distribution All Tamarix species in Australia

12. ImpactsWhy are we focussing on athel pine and Tamarix? • Increased surface soil salinity - reduction in native vegetation - expansion at expense of most other vegetation • Reduced water quality • Reduced water quantity • 1 athel pine or Tamarix plant can use up to 757 litres/day • Reduced availability for stock, people, environment • Accelerated rusting of roofs, gutters, fences, buildings • Increased mustering costs (X 6 compared to clear areas) • Reduced biodiversity of native plants & animals • Flooding & alteration of watercourses with accumulated sediment.

13. Examples of areas of major impact: • 620 km of the Finke River system NT has been invaded by athel pine • USA -10 species of Tamarix. (1920’s 4,000 ha; mid-1960s 500,000 ha; current - 1,000,000 ha and still spreading) • Murray River system increasing spread and reporting of weedy Tamarix ramosissima over the past 2-3 years.

14. How can we control athel pine & Tamarixspp? • Understand life cycle and spread • Grows near water • Prolific seeders • Seed is viable for short period only • Need wet conditions to establish • Vegetative propagation is a significant means of local spread • Plan control effort by knowing • Likely costs • Resources required • Location & density of the athel pine (BPM Manual p20-22) Extensive recruitment of athel pine along banks of Gascoyne River, Carnarvon WA

15. Mechanical clearing • Best for large infestations or isolated trees where machinery available. • Remove crown & taproot to at least 1m depth • Follow up regrowth with herbicides Chris Brown Chris Brown

16. Mechanical clearing NO Jonah Gouldthorpe Jonah Gouldthorpe YES

17. Chemical - Herbicides • Herbicide control of Tamarix spp. is fickle • Need everything in your favour • Comply with permits, labels and control-of-use legislation • The BPM Manual (pages 27-29) contains lists of permitted herbicides for each control option & State

18. Foliar spray • Best for extensive seedlings & regrowth <3m and following up regrowth after mechanical control • Good clean water • Use wetter • Good coverage • Minimum 1 metre regrowth from roots • Leave sprayed plants for 12 months

19. Basal bark • Useful for small inaccessible infestations, smooth-barked <10cm, any time of year. • Smooth-barked individuals only • Clear sediment and debris from stems

20. Cut stump • Useful for small, inaccessible infestations & sites for selective control • Cut low and level • Treat stump within 30 seconds

21. Other control options • Stem injection / frilling • Hand pulling • Flooding • Biocontrol • dieback Mount Isa QLD Lower Finke R, NT Gemfields QLD

22. Decision support tree for Tamarix control (p32 BPM Manual) More than 10 mature plants? Y N Is there good access for/availability of machinery? Seedlings <45 cm tall only? N N Y Y Stems >10 cm thick or with rough bark Stems >10 cm thick or with rough bark N Y N Y Cut Stump Section 2.4.3 Basal bark or foliar spray Section 2.4.3 Hand pull Section 2.4.4 Basal bark or foliar spray Section 2.4.3 Mechanical clearing Section 2.4.2 Cut Stump Section 2.4.3 Primary method Remove debris from flood zone if practicable Section 2.4.1 Remove debris from flood zone if practicable Section 2.4.1 Clean down vehicles and machinery on site Section 2.4.1 Monitor and basal bark, cut stump or foliar spray regrowth at 1 m height Monitor and basal bark, cut stump or foliar spray regrowth at 12-18 month intervals Follow-up method Replace with local provenance plants as appropriate Long term eradication Result

23. Success factors • Planning • Persistence • Monitoring • Adaptive, integrated approach using a number of methods • Duration of follow up required. Regrowth following use of cut stump on athel pines, Menindee School, NSW.

24. What you can do! • Look out for high risk plantings (<100m from watercourse, towns, homesteads, bores, stockyards, etc) • Record plants using GPS and take photos • Record & report weedy populations (kay.bailey@nt.gov.au) • Lodge specimens at the Herbarium • Plan to remove athel pines over time.

25. Local and Regional Action Your group, local government agency or regional body could: • Provide identification and awareness information to members / stakeholders; • Encourage mapping and recording of athel pine and other Tamarixspecies; • Identify those at a higher risk of spread; • Develop an action plan to remove over time those higher risk plants and those that have already become weedy; • Provide the mapping information to the National Athel Pine Coordinator or Weed Contacts in each State.

26. Comments & Questions? Prevent this scenario! Dense athel pine infestation on the lower Finke River, NT Further contact: 08 89519213 kay.bailey@nt.gov.au www.weeds.org.au/WoNS/athelpine