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Impact Assessment - Yellow soldier (lachenalia reflexa) in Victoria

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Assessment of plant invasiveness is done by evaluating biological and ecological characteristics such as germination requirements, growth rate, competitive ability, reproduction methods and dispersal mechanisms. Assessment of plant impacts, however, is determined by the extent to which a plant affects a land manager’s environmental, economic and social resources.

The relative importance of these resources varies depending upon the value people place on them and, as such, the assessment process is subjective. For example, a farmer is likely to place a higher emphasis on the impact of a plant on production (economic resource) than its impact on areas of natural vegetation occurring on the farm. Conversely, a Landcare or Friends group would value environmental or social resources more than economic resources.

Recognising that the value of resources vary between different land tenures, plant impact assessments allow a prioritisation of resources by land managers. Assessments can apply at a local, regional or state level, and the relative values of each resource identified may differ at each level.

The impact assessment method used in the Victorian Pest Plant Prioritisation Process uses three broad resource categories: social, environmental and agricultural, each with a number of related attributes. For example, social resources include such attributes as how the plant affects human access for recreation, or if it creates a health risk due to toxicity or by producing allergens.

Each resource attribute, or criterion, is assessed relative to a list of intensity ratings. Depending upon information found in relation to each criterion, a rating of Low, Medium Low, Medium High or High is assigned. Descriptions of the impact criteria and intensity ratings used in this process can be viewed here.

The following table provides information on the impact of Yellow soldier.

A more detailed description of the methodology of the Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method can be viewed below:

Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method (PDF - 630 KB)
Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method (DOC - 1 MB)
To view the information PDF requires the use of a PDF reader. This can be installed for free from the Adobe website (external link).

Common Name: Yellow soldier
Scientific name: lachenalia reflexa

Question
Comments
Rating
Confidence
Recreation
1. Restrict human access?Low growing plant reaching up to 100 mm (CRC for Australian Weed Management 2003). Weed would not restrict human access.
L
M
2. Reduce tourism?‘Can reduce the recreational enjoyment of bushland by people’ (CRC for Australian Weed Management 2003). May have a minor effect on aesthetics.
ML
M
3. Injurious to people?Weed not documented as having any injurious or toxic effects.
L
M
4. Damage to cultural sites?Plant not recorded as having an effect on cultural sites.
L
M
Abiotic
5. Impact flow?Terrestrial species.
L
M
6. Impact water quality?Terrestrial species.
L
M
7. Increase soil erosion?Plant dies off during summer months (CRC for Australian Weed Management 2003) so would leave some ground exposed although low probability of low scale soil movement.
L
M
8. Reduce biomass?‘Replaces native herbs and annuals in both disturbed and relatively intact bushland’ (CRC for Australian Weed Management 2003). Plants die off during summer months. May be periods where biomass is slightly decreased.
MH
M
9. Change fire regime?Although fire tolerant, no evidence to suggest that the weed would effect the frequency or intensity of fires.
L
M
Community Habitat
10. Impact on composition
(a) high value EVC
EVC= Coastal Mallee Scrub (E); CMA=Glenelg Hopkins; Bioreg=Glenelg Plain; CLIMATE potential=M.
‘.. around Perth where it appears to be replacing the herbaceous and annual components of the native understorey’ (CRC for Australian Weed Management). Displaces all species within the groundcover layer.
H
M
(b) medium value EVCEVC= Heathy herbrich woodland (D); CMA=Glenelg Hopkins; Bioreg=Glenelg Plain; CLIMATE potential=M.
. ‘.. around Perth where it appears to be replacing the herbaceous and annual components of the native understorey’ (CRC for Australian Weed Management). Displaces all species within the groundcover layer.
H
M
(c) low value EVCEVC= Heathy woodland (LC); CMA=Glenelg Hopkins; Bioreg=Glenelg Plain; CLIMATE potential=M.
‘.. around Perth where it appears to be replacing the herbaceous and annual components of the native understorey’ (CRC for Australian Weed Management). Displaces all species within the groundcover layer.
H
M
11. Impact on structure?‘.. around Perth where it appears to be replacing the herbaceous and annual components of the native understorey’ (CRC for Australian Weed Management). Major effect on understorey.
MH
M
12. Effect on threatened flora?This species is not documented as posing an additional risk to threatened flora.
MH
L
Fauna
13. Effect on threatened fauna?This species is not documented as posing an additional risk to threatened fauna.
MH
L
14. Effect on non-threatened fauna?Weed not documented to have an effect on non-threatened fauna species.
L
M
15. Benefits fauna?Weed not documented to provide support to desirable species.
H
M
16. Injurious to fauna?Weed not documented to be toxic or have spines or burrs which may affect indigenous fauna.
L
M
Pest Animal
17. Food source to pests?Not documented as a food source for pest species.
L
M
18. Provides harbour?Weed not documented to provide harbour for pest species.
L
M
Agriculture
19. Impact yield?Not a weed of agriculture.
L
M
20. Impact quality?Not a weed of cropping.
L
M
21. Affect land value?Weed not known to have an effect on land value.
L
M
22. Change land use?Weed not known to cause change in priority of land use.
L
M
23. Increase harvest costs?Not a weed of cropping.
L
M
24. Disease host/vector?Not a known host or vector for disease of agriculture.
L
M

Impact Assessment Record - Yellow soldier (PDF - 68KB)
Impact Assessment Record - Yellow soldier (DOC - 61KB)
This table can also be viewed as a PDF document (printer friendly). To view the information PDF requires the use of a PDF reader. This can be installed for free from the Adobe website (external link).

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