This
dataset contains a list of 200 plant species and their priority as appropriate
threatened species for planting in City of Melbourne green spaces. This is
based on a Threatened Species Assessment Tool developed by Royal Botanic
Gardens Victoria that was used to provide a framework to assess and prioritise
the inclusion of threatened species into landscape plantings. The tool includes
information and scoring for cultivation requirements, conservation benefits and
horticultural potential which are the foundation of the assessment. Additional
benefits specific to the City of Melbourne and potential weed threat were also
considered as part of the assessment process. Higher priority was given to
species which are the most threatened and are indigenous to the City of
Melbourne.
From
this assessment process, a priority list of 56 species has been short-listed as
appropriate threatened species for planting.
For
inclusion in the Threatened Species Assessment Tool, all species were required
to be listed as threatened in Victoria.
Scores
were calculated based on the following:
Cultivation
Requirements Subtotal = Cultivation Protocols + Propagation Protocols
Conservation
Subtotal = Germplasm Source + Conservation Status + Germplasm Origin +
Provenance + Additional Conservation Benefit
Total
Score = Cultivation Requirements Subtotal + Conservation Subtotal +
Additional Local Benefits Subtotal
Total
Score including Horticultural Potential = Cultivation Requirements
Subtotal + Conservation Subtotal + Additional Local Benefits Subtotal +
Horticultural Potential
Thresholds
were set in certain categories which resulted in the removal of species from
priority selection. Species with cells marked with an asterisk (*) were removed
from the final priority plant list. In addition, an overall Total Score
threshold of 20 was chosen for final species selection.
This
dataset is based on the “City of Melbourne Threatened Plant Living Collection
Plan” produced by R. Larke, M. Hirst and J. Arnott of the Royal Botanic Gardens
Victoria, and N.S.G. Williams of the University of Melbourne. For documented
methods please refer to the report (attached).
