B.2.1 Defining and mapping habitat critiB.2.1 Defining and mapping habitat critical to the survival of the species

B.2.1 Defining and mapping habitat critical to the survival of the species

Definition of habitat that is critical to the survival of Asplenium listeri is based on the following matters from EPBC Regulation 7.09:

• habitat used in periods of stress
• habitat used to meet essential life cycles
• habitat used by important populations
• habitat necessary to maintain genetic diversity and long-term evolutionary development
• habitat necessary to ensure the long-term future of the species through reintroduction or re‑colonisation.

Based on current knowledge of the biology and habitat in known locations, habitat critical to the survival of Asplenium listeri needs to include:

• all limestone rock crevices in the vicinity of known occurrences - reflecting uncertainty regarding reasons for the extremely limited distribution of the species and potential threats to survival; and
• taller vegetation structures on the inland side of cliff-top sites and relatively open exposure to the coast (refer C.1 below)

The environs of any additional populations that are either newly confirmed or newly located or more precisely defined within the term of this plan need to be similarly regarded.

Due to the uncertainty of current location information and limited knowledge on the ecology and specific habitat requirements, the habitat critical to the survival of the species cannot be mapped accurately at this time.

To protect the species the precise locations of all populations should remain confidential in any listing or public record. As an aid to confidentiality, a buffer of at least 1 kilometre around all known populations should be applied in publicly available mapping for EPBC referral and enquiry purposes.