Recovery objective 3: Establish, maintaiRecovery objective 3: Establish, maintain and utilize representative ex situ populations

Recovery objective 3: Establish, maintain and utilize representative ex situ populations

The living collection at ABGMA is a key component of the Wollemi Pine conservation program, providing important insurance against loss of genetic diversity in the wild population, and enabling a wide variety of ex situ research. However, like the wild population, a single, concentrated collection is highly vulnerable to stochastic events. Hence, propagation is ongoing to support the maintenance of a comprehensive backup in-ground collection at BMBGMT, and global distribution of a genetically diverse, dispersed living collection under the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) metacollections program (Griffith et al., 2019) to further back-up and protect this vital resource.

Performance criterion 10.3.1 Material is available to allow: commercial propagation; dispersal to other conservation agencies, principally botanic gardens; establishment of a representative off-site collections at BGT; any potential future translocation; and scientific research.

A potted ex situ living collection has been established and maintained at ABGMA. Work is underway to create a comprehensive in-ground backup of this collection at BMBGMT, and a smaller collection is also maintained at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney BMBGMT. Material has been made available to support commercial propagation and distribution; dispersal to other conservation agencies (principally botanic gardens); three recent (2019, 2021 and 2024) translocations into Wollemi National Park (Mackenzie et al. 2021; Mackenzie et al. unpubl. data); and ongoing scientific research.

Performance criterion 10.3.2 Determination of the optimum conditions for seed germination and storage is achieved, providing a means of low-cost off-site conservation. This knowledge is used to inform management of the wild population.

Research has been undertaken into the optimum conditions for seed germination (Offord and Meagher 2001). Wollemi Pine seeds have been banked at the ABGMA PlantBank and research into optimum conditions for storage is ongoing. As more Wollemi Pine individuals in the BMBGMT in-ground collection reach maturity, they will provide the most genetically diverse source of seed available (given collocation of trees from all four wild stands), reducing the need to collect seed from the wild population.

Performance criterion 10.3.3 The optimum conditions for the cultivation of the Wollemi Pine are determined and knowledge gained is used to inform management of the wild population.

An extensive program of research into the propagation and horticulture of the Wollemi Pine has, in large part, been led by the RBGDT. The Wollemi Pine has been successfully germinated from seed (Offord & Meagher 2001), propagated from cuttings (Fensom & Offord 1998, Trueman & Peters 2006) and grown in cultivation (Offord et al. 1999; Offord 2011; Offord et al. 2014). Multiple studies have defined optimal conditions for Wollemi Pine growth in cultivation including:

 Reproductive biology and ecology and early plant growth (Offord et al. 1999).

 Temperature tolerances (Offord 2011).

 Response to CO2 (Haworth et al. 2011).

 Response to temperature and CO2 (Lewis et al. 2015).

 Intolerance of drought (Zimmer et al. 2015b).

 Wollemi Pine growth responses to soil pH and light (Offord et al. 2014).