31 August 2005
Monash University researchers are assessing plantings of native vegetation across Victoria to determine their ideal growth conditions. The information will be used to improve future revegetation programs.
Recent years have seen a tremendous community effort in replanting native trees and shrubs in rural areas but little is known about what these sites will look like in 20, 50, 100 or 200 years' time.
A team led by Associate Professor Ralph Mac Nally from Monash and Dr Peter Vesk from the University of Melbourne is identifying forestry, regeneration and revegetation sites - mainly in the northern districts of Victoria - that were planted before 1980 to help answer these questions.
Many early revegetation efforts are not recorded on government databases so research assistant Ms Rachael Nolan (pictured) is keen to speak with foresters, revegetation practitioners and landholders who know the locations and histories of plantings. The goals of these early plantings included farm forestry trials, salinity and erosion control, and shelter for stock.
"The sites may include the older salinity or shelter belt plantings of non-indigenous plants such as sugar gum; farm forestry sites; or forestry land with records of past clearing," Ms Nolan says. "Ideally they will be located in the central Victorian Box-Ironbark region, although they may extend beyond this region.
"By studying sites of a range of ages we can develop a picture of how revegetated sites may change through time," she says. "Then we can run the movie forward, so to speak, to project what current sites might be like 50 or 100 years from now.
"We can also begin to ask how might revegetation sites differ in the future because of factors such as the revegetation method used -- whether it's natural regeneration, direct seeding or tube-stock planting -- and also the role of climate, soil type, or previous land use."
Ms Nolan will examine sites for tree hollows, fruits, flowers, nesting materials for birds, twigs and ground litter.
"The surveys are crucial for the better planning of future revegetation," she says. They will indicate the sort of habitat the revegetated areas will provide for native birds and mammals, soil condition, and whether the sites will be capable of active regeneration.
For interviews or to advise of potential sites contact Rachael Nolan on +61 3 9905 5658. Further information from Penny Fannin in the Monash media office on +61 3 9905 5828 or 0417 125 700. Photographs of Rachael Nolan are available.
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