Cycas calcicola

The overall population was estimated be ca. 18,500 mature plants in the period 1994-1996 (Parks and Wildlife Commission unpublished data 1994, 1995 and 1996) comprising >7,000 for the Daly River; >5,000 for Litchfield Park; >1,500 for Katherine; and >5,000 individuals for Bullo River and Spirit Hills. Subsequent surveys indicated that subpopulations around Katherine were in poor condition due to fire and past uncontrolled collection (Liddle 2009) but that the larger subpopulations in the Daly River and Litchfield were in good condition. During fieldwork in 2015, researchers failed to find plants in some sites close to Katherine and along the Daly River and noted that several subpopulations had declined in number and some had died out completely. The actual extent of decline has not been verified, but is estimated to be between 10 and 30% over the past 40 years (one generation), and so it is precautionarily estimated that the ongoing decline over a three generation time period (120 years) would exceed 30%.