Iconic Aussie park fights to save incredibly rare plant facing 'big threats'
The precious orchid — commonly known as the Northampton midget greenhood or western swan greenhood — can be found in just seven locations in Western Australia's midwest.
Despite its reputation for being a 'tough survivor' due its ability to endure harsh summers and multi-year droughts, serious concerns for its survival have emerged in recent years due to habitat loss from historic land clearing for agriculture and the spread of invasive weeds.
Threats to the species also include changes to hydrology and overland water flow, damage to habitat and plants by pigs, road maintenance and an increasingly drying climate.
This has prompted scientists and horticulturists at Perth's Kings Park to take matters into their own hands.
Rare orchid seeds collected from remaining seven wild locations
Following unusually high rainfall in early 2021, more of the plants emerged from dormancy than previous years, providing experts with the perfect opportunity to gather Northampton midget greenhood (Pterostylis sinuata) seeds and fungi for propagation, Dr Belinda Davis, a research scientist for the Kings Park Science Program specialising in orchid conservation, told Yahoo News.
'Orchid species have complex symbiotic relationships with fungus species — at each stage of an orchid's lifecycle they are dependant on a fungus,' she explained.
'For many orchid species, this relationship is specific to a single fungus species. So it is critical that both orchid and fungus material are collected together.'
To propagate, the seeds and the fungus were introduced to each other in a laboratory to 'encourage the symbiotic partnership' between the pair. Afterwards the seedlings were moved to the park's onsite glasshouses.
'The seed and fungi have also been placed in long-term secure storage in liquid nitrogen to ensure this material is available for conservation efforts in the future such as translocations,' Dr Davis said.
'Having plants growing in the glasshouse now means that we are able to study the species and better understand its ecology.'
🏝️ Man's 'spectacular' beach find Aussies can go years without seeing
🌸 Rare plant that grows in two places in the world found in secret Aussie location
🌱 Scientists stumble upon 'rare' Aussie bush flower thought extinct for 86 years
What have scientists learnt so far?
The Northampton midget greenhood had been previously collected but never successfully germinated, Dr Davis told Yahoo. During the propagation process, scientists found that not all of the fungi was able to germinate seed.
'Previous germination attempts did not have the 'right fungus' to enable germination,' Dr Davis explained. 'We now have the 'right fungus' in long-term storage, helping secure the future for this tiny plant.'
And as of just this week, the first flowers are starting to form on the first plants in captivity. 'These precious plants will become the foundation of a seed orchard from which we will be able to keep harvesting precious seed and fungi without impacting on wild populations,' Dr Davis said.
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
27 minutes ago
- Forbes
China's Research Masks A Military Agenda From Alaska To Manila
China's global research agenda has some fishy findings. This week, the US Coast Guard chased off a Chinese research vessel operating near Alaska. The Philippines is currently tracking three Chinese research vessels inside its Exclusive Economic Zone. China has also been ramping up its research worldwide, leading to conflict with South Korea and other states. While China claims these research activities have benign, scientific purposes, these vessels' behavior suggests otherwise. China's use of these ships is also indicative of China's legal warfare–its use and abuse of international law to achieve military and strategic objectives. Chinese-flagged vessels are collecting marine data on an unprecedented scale, from Australia to Alaska. A state fleet of 64 civilian survey vessels has conducted hundreds of thousands of hours of operations globally in the past four years. 80% of these vessels have some ties to China's military or geopolitical agenda. Japan, India, Taiwan, Australia, and others have also reported extensive marine data collection by Chinese vessels in their EEZs and continental shelves in the past several years. Whether or not all of this activity was illegal, states fear China's potential military intentions. China can easily commandeer civilian research for military purposes. In 2020, Australia expressed concern that Chinese vessels, although they were operating legally, were mapping areas frequently used by Australian submarines to access the South China Sea. India has expressed worries that China has been using unmanned underwater vehicles to collect data for potential military use. Civilian research vessels have been accompanied by the Chinese Coast Guard and Chinese Navy, further calling into question their peaceful purposes. Some of the research vessels carry sophisticated manned submersibles, advanced sonar to scan the ocean floor, and buoys to study sea conditions. Some ships reportedly deploy sea drones and underwater glides. China has ramped up data collection near Taiwan, potentially seeking intelligence that could help with navigation and positioning in combat. China's Standoff With South Korea In the Yellow Sea In February, Chinese and South Korean vessels reached a standoff when Chinese research activities blocked a portion of the Yellow Sea. China recently expanded an aquaculture facility in the Provisional Measures Zone between China and South Korea. The installation consists of a decommissioned offshore oil-drilling rig and two large octagonal steel cages, one of which was in 2024. The PMZ was created by the two countries in 2001 to manage their overlapping EEZ claims in the narrow sea. The agreement allows fishing activities by both states but does not mention aquaculture, leaving China to operate its structure in a legal gray zone. South Korea has expressed concerns about the facility's dual-use purposes. Satellite imagery reveals that the offshore oil platform has the potential for functionality beyond aquaculture. South Korean analysts have expressed concern that China's activities in the Yellow Sea echo its activities in the South China Sea, where Chinese research platforms and oil rigs eventually turned into artificial islands and illegal maritime claims. In a two-hour standoff in February, a South Korean ocean survey vessel tried to inspect the installation, and was blocked by Chinese Coast Guard ships and civilian vessels. China soon expanded its claims elsewhere in the Yellow Sea. In May, a regional branch of the China Maritime Safety Administration declared a 'no-sail zone' and barred vessels from entering an area of the southern Yellow Sea. China concurrently established two zones designated for military exercises in the PMZ and in a zone overlapping with South Korea's EEZ. US Chases Away China-Flagged Research Vessel Near Alaska This Week China has also been spotted conducting research in U.S. waters. Last year, China conductive extensive surveys near Guam. The research could potentially have been for mineral exploration, but the ship routes suggest that China was seeking to better navigate the area with submarines. On July 26, the US Coast Guard responded to a Chinese research vessel in Arctic waters near Alaska, asserting the US's exclusive rights to manage the resources in its Extended Continental Shelf. China's reaction to the US's chasing away of its research vessel near Alaska is revealing. In 2023, the US clarified its claim to an extended continental shelf, which included overlaps with Arctic claims by Russia and Canada. The US claim is based on well-established customary international law. When the US Coast Guard responded to China's research vessel near Alaska, the China blasted the US as an international lawbreaker. The Global Times, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, reported that the US 'hyping up of the 'China threat' rhetoric is only to justify the US' evil deeds in the Arctic, revealing itself as a rule-breaker and global troublemaker . . . . ' The article then accused the US of politicizing and creating confrontation in the International Law Says About China's Maritime Research and Data Collection Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, marine data collection must be used for peaceful purposes. A coastal state must give permission for a foreign state to conduct marine scientific research or exploration for or exploitation of natural resources in its EEZ or continental shelf. The US takes the position, with which not all states agree, that military survey operations and operational oceanography (routine collection of ocean observations) do not require the consent of a coastal state. The Chinese vessels discussed above are civilian vessels, and international law would forbid them from conducting military survey operations. Many, if not most, of their actions appear distinct from operational oceanography and fall into the categories that would require permission from coastal states. Some reported activities of these Chinese vessels, including those around oil and gas exploration areas, imply a commercial purposes that would require coastal states to grant research permissions. China's repeated and frequent use of scientific research vessels, particularly those with military capabilities, suggests its ships are being used to advance its excessive maritime claims—not for peaceful purposes. China routinely blurs the distinction between civilian and military vehicles, thereby eroding the principle of distinction that is core to the law of To Protect Maritime Rights from China's 'Research' The US and its allies must work together to assert their maritime rights against China. The US and its allies should share information about China's maritime data collection to determine the methods and purpose of these activities. They should scrutinize each vessel involved and the type of activities it is conducting to determine whether China's activities violate international law. The US and its allies and partners should collaborate on law enforcement when possible. And if China is mapping out potential conflict over Taiwan or in the region, the US and its allies must share intelligence–and figure out how to stop US and its allies should also expose China's violations of international law. As this week's Global Times article shows, China deplores being cast as a lawbreaker. The US and its allies should not hesitate to use this against China, and to defend the rules-based international system loudly and proudly. The US and its allies must demand compliance with international law with words and actions. If we don't use our maritime rights, we will lose them to China and its competing narrative about US evils
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Australia's heaviest insect has just been discovered
A new species of giant stick insect has been discovered in Far North Queensland—and scientists believe that it could be Australia's heaviest. James Cook University Adjunct Professor Angus Emmott and south-east Queensland scientist Ross Coupland were able to identify the giant stick insect species after being sent a photo of the insect on social media. The stick insect weighed 44 grams and was 40cm long, making it heavier than the giant burrowing cockroach, which, up until now, had been considered the heaviest insect in Australia. Professor Emmott explained in a statement, 'They live in high-altitude forest, high in the canopy, and unless a bird knocks one down or you get a cyclone or storm that knocks one down we just can't find them up there in the canopy. In the world of invertebrates there is so much we don't know yet.' Two specimens of the species—named Acrophylla alta—have been added to a collection in the Queensland Museum to aid further research. Video transcript A new species of stick insect has been discovered in far north Queensland, and scientists believe that it could be Australia's heaviest. James Cook University adjunct professor Angus Emmett and Southeast Queensland scientist Ross Coupland were able to identify the giant stick insect species after being sent a photo of the insect on social media. The stick insect weighed 44 grammes and was 40 centimetres long, making it heavier than the giant burrowing cockroach, which, up until now, had been considered the heaviest insect in Australia, Professor Emmett explained in a statement. They live in high altitude forest, high in the canopy, and unless a bird knocks one down or you get a cyclone or storm that knocks one down, we just can't find them up there in the canopy. In the world of invertebrates, there is so much we don't know yet. Two specimens of the species named Arophyla alta have been added to a collection in the Queensland Museum to aid further research.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Alarm raised after strange backyard phenomenon worsens in Aussie region
For the last two decades, a strange backyard phenomenon has been noticed by alarmed residents in northern Australia. The frogs in their towns have been presenting with strange growths that resemble cancer, and because tumours are rare in frogs there have been increasing concerns about chemical contamination and emerging disease. On Friday, scientists from the University of Queensland announced they would begin investigating the problem, noting it was important to determine whether the tumours were being caused by something that could also impact human health. Dr Viviana Gonzalez-Astudillo from the School of Veterinary Science explained that frogs can get similar types of cancers to humans. And because they breathe and absorb water through their skin, they're a good bio-indicator of any contaminants in the environment. 'Because frogs have such an intimate relationship with our waterways, anything we put out there in the form of chemicals or pathogens — viruses, fungi, parasites or bacteria — they're going to be probably the first type of vertebrate that is going to be exposed and manifest something,' she told Yahoo News Australia. 'That is where the concern is, and that is why we need to investigate.' Related: Mutant turtles discovered in contaminated Aussie waterways Chemical contamination found in one-third of frogs Dr Gonzalez-Astudillo said the investigation should not cause 'wide-scale panic' about new contaminants entering the environment, and it's important to stress the cause of the growths remains a mystery. But there are pervasive substances like PFAS, which is commonly used in non-stick cookware and flame retardants, or even long-banned chemicals that can exist in the environment for decades, and it's important to rule this out. Chemical contamination is a known problem affecting frogs. An Australian Museum and University of NSW study published in April found 36 per cent of frogs in eastern NSW had either a rodenticide or legacy pesticide in their livers. But frogs are also highly susceptible to disease — the introduction of chytrid fungus caused at least six extinctions in Australia. Clusters of the mystery tumours have been restricted to towns around Far North Queensland, and since 1998, non-profit group Frog Safe has assessed 60 animals. Last year, Yahoo reported that since 2020, four new forms of the disease had emerged that hadn't been encountered before. Because the tumours are generally found around the eyes and mouth, without medical attention, vital bodily functions are inhibited, and the frogs die. Herpes virus linked to separate disease cluster In Queensland, the tumours have been found in white-lipped and common green tree frogs. Similar symptoms have been documented in the North American leopard frog, where the problem was linked to a frog herpes virus that develops when the weather is hotter. Anecdotally, the mystery frog tumours in Queensland are becoming more prevalent, but this now needs to be backed up by scientific evidence. It's rare for vets to treat sick frogs, so it's believed most cases go unreported. Plan to revive frog sound not heard since 1980s in Canberra Incredible Australian footage reveals native predator killing city rats Warning 'nowhere is safe' as Australia's 500km toxic problem spreads For the research to be successful, the University of Queensland team need public help. They're calling on anyone who spots a frog with an unusual growth to contact Frog Safe on (07) 4006 3784 and email the photos to sickfrog@ Attempts will be made to treat all sick frogs, and no animals will be killed specifically for the study. The research is expected to run until November, 2026 and is supported by the CSIRO Ecosurveillance Systems team. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
