Acacia dangarensis - profile

Conservation status in NSW: Endangered

Description

Acacia dangarensis is a small tree that grows up to 10 metres. Young bark is smooth and grey, and later becomes fissured and blackish at the base. The phyllodes (wattle ‘leaves’) are frond-like with 2-6 fronds per phyllode with 14-30 pin-like ‘leaves’ on each frond 4-9 mm long. The golden-yellow flowers are produced in sprays from August to September. Each spray has 12-26 heads.

Location and habitat

Distribution
 Acacia dangarensis is endemic to NSW and confined to the summit and surrounding slopes of Mount Dangar south of Merriwa, within Goulburn River National Park. The total population size of Acacia dangarensis is estimated to be of the order of 1750 plants extending over an area of about 70 hectares. It is not known to occur in any other location despite considerable survey around the Hunter district in recent years

• Acacia dangarensis occurs in pure stands or as a co-dominant tree in sclerophyll woodland on the edge of dry rainforest on basalt and basalt colluvium.

Regional information
This species is found in the following catchment management authority regions. Click on a region name to see more details about the distribution, vegetation types and habitat preference of the species in that region.

• Hunter/Central Rivers

Threats

• Weed infestation, particularly from prickly pear, Opuntia stricta, may reduce seedling recruitment and threaten the future persistence.
• The low total number of plants and the highly restricted distribution of Acacia dangarensis make it susceptible to demographic and environmental stochasticity, such as frequent or very severe fires, or storms.

Recovery strategies

Priority actions are the specific, practical things that must be done to recover a threatened species, population or ecological community. The Department of Environment and Conservation has identified 5 priority actions to help recover the Acacia dangarensis in New South Wales.

What needs to be done to recover this species?

• Control infestations of prickly pear.
• Continue to monitor the population.

References

• Bell SAJ, Vollmer J, Gellie N (1993) Yengo National Park and Parr State Recreation Area. Vegetation survey for use in fire management. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sydney.
• Bell, S. (1998). Wollemi National Park vegetation survey. Volumes 1 & 2. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Hurstville.
• Hill L. (2000) Goulburn River National Park and Munghorn Gap Nature Reserve: vegetation survey for fire management purposes. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Muswellbrook.
• NSW Scientific Committee (2005) Acacia dangarensis (a small tree) - endangered species determination - final. DEC (NSW), Sydney.
• NSW Scientific Committee (2005) Acacia dangarensis - final. DEC (NSW), Sydney.
• Thomas D. (1998) Vegetation communities of the Singleton Military Area. Department of Defence, Singleton.
• Tindale M.D. and Kodela P.G. (1991) Acacia tessellata, A. cangaiensis and A. dangarensis (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae), three new species from northern New South Wales, Australia. Australian Systematic Botany 4, 579-589.