Building suitable restoration approaches in the Brownfields
- Authors: Florentine, Singarayer , Graz, Patrick , Doronila, Augustine , Martin, Rachael , Dowling, Kim , Fernando, Nimesha
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Sustainability in the Mineral and Energy Sectors Chapter 13 p. 223-239
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Human activity has, in the recent past resulted in substantial changes in land cover, ecosystem health, and the ability of affected ecosystems to return to their original state. This necessitates further human intervention to recreate the systems functions than the present. Earlier restoration activities have not been documented extensively. This hinders our efforts to identify approaches that might support further work. "From abstract"
Influence of selected environmental factors on seed germination and seedling survival of the arid zone invasive species tobacco bush (Nicotiana glauca R. Graham)
- Authors: Florentine, Singarayer , Weller, Sandra , Graz, Patrick , Westbrooke, Martin , Florentine, Arunthathy , Javaid, Muhammad , Fernando, Nimesha , Chauhan, Bhagirath , Dowling, Kim
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Rangeland Journal Vol. 38, no. 4 (2016), p. 417-425
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Tobacco bush (Nicotiana glauca R. Graham) is an aggressive invading species, which is active after disturbances such as high rainfall events and flooding. Past studies have focussed on population dynamics and allelopathic effects associated with the species, but little is known about its seed ecology. To address this dearth of information, this study aimed to investigate: (i) the effect of various stress factors (temperature, light, osmotic potential, salt stress, heat-shock, a combination of heat-shock and smoke, pH buffer, and burial depth of seed) on seed germination and seedling emergence, and (ii) factors affecting the fate of seedlings. The results show that N. glauca was able to germinate over a broad range of temperatures with highest seed germination occurring at 30/20°C with 12h of light and 12h of dark conditions. Seed germination was greatest (89%) when seeds were placed on the soil surface and emergence decreased considerably as planting depth increased from 0.5 to 1.5cm. Water stress greatly reduced seed germination (58% germination at osmotic potentials below -0.2 MPa) and germination was completely inhibited at water potentials of -0.4 to -0.6 MPa. Although increasing salinity reduced the seed germination of this invasive species, N. glauca seed was able to germinate in both alkaline (81% at pH 10) and acidic (80% at pH 4) conditions. The trial on the effect of seed age and field seed burial on seed germination showed a slight decline in seed germination after 120 days of burial compared with non-buried seeds. Further, the combined effect of heat-shock and smoke effectively inhibited the germination of N. glauca seeds; however, our study shows that seedlings of N. glauca can withstand heat-shock of up to 130°C. Studies such as this will assist in the development of control strategies to prevent the spread of this invasive species into arid landscapes. © 2016 Australian Rangeland Society.
Decade-long response of arid-land mallee vegetation to fire, flooding and grazing in south-eastern Australia
- Authors: Florentine, Singarayer , Milberg, Per , Di Stefano, Julian , Westbrooke, Martin , Graz, Patrick
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Arid Environments Vol. 121, no. October (2015), p. 7-14
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Australian arid vegetation has evolved within highly variable environments characterised by low rainfall and sporadic fire events. Episodic high rainfall events are a significant factor in plant species recruitment, but their unpredictability makes them difficult to study. We report on the response of vascular plants to a major rainfall event and flood in an arid region of south-eastern Australia. Fire that occurred two months before the flood was incorporated into the study. Paired fenced and unfenced plots were established at control locations and also in areas that had been either flooded, burnt, or flooded and burnt. Objectives were to quantify the long-term effects of fire, flood and vertebrate herbivory, and their interactions, on vegetation composition, plant life forms and species diversity. We found that relative to controls (i) there was a significant effect of flooding on vegetation composition, (ii) changes in life form abundance were driven by flooding and grazing, (iii) there was a strong positive relationship between grazer exclusion and species diversity that was maintained over time and (iv) there was little effect of fire. Understanding the long-term effects of both natural disturbances and vertebrate herbivory will benefit plant conservation in the arid zone. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.
Plant recruitment and survival as indicators of ecological success in abandoned pasture land in Nurcoung
- Authors: Florentine, Singarayer , Gardner, Jessica , Graz, Patrick , Moloney, Sean
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecological Processes Vol. 2, no. 1-3 (2013), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: One of the major impediments to developing better restoration strategies is the inadequate documentation of past restoration efforts. In 2008, Greening Australia commenced ecological restoration on the Nurcoung property in Victoria to enhance local biodiversity, and in this paper we report on the habitat restoration outcomes in the three Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVC) found on this property.
The Current Status Of Different Age, Direct-Seeded Revegetation Sites In An Agricultural Landscape In The Burrumbeet Region, Victoria, Australia
- Authors: Florentine, Singarayer , Graz, Patrick , Ambrose, Graeme , O'Brien, L.
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Land Degradation and Development Vol. 24, no. 1 (2013), p. 81-89
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Many vegetation restoration works have been undertaken in Australia but only a few of those projects have been assessed for effectiveness. Revisiting earlier restoration attempts and analysing data from them is fundamental to the development of evidence-based prescriptions for future restoration work. Therefore, this study's objectives were to (I) compare plant species composition of different age direct-seeded revegetated sites and (II) determine the effect, if any, of different ages of revegetated sites on the natural recruitment of native plants. The study investigated four fenced restoration sites, dating from 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2005. Results showed that the density of plants surviving varied widely between plots of different ages. The highest density was found in the 2001 plot (2195·.7 stemsha-1), followed by 2000 (1877·8 stemsha-1), 2004 (197·6 stemsha-1) and 2005 (195·4 stemsha-1). An ANOVA showed that the overall amount of seed broadcast does not play a significant (p=0·437) role in the establishment rate. Overall, Eucalyptus ovata was found to be dominant in the 2000 (794·4ha-1) and 2001 (971ha-1) sites. In contrast, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Eucalyptus viminalis densities were highest in the 2004 (41ha-1) and 2005 (60·4ha-1) sites, respectively. PERMANOVA showed highly significant differences in the present plant composition between plots (p<0·0001), despite similar species mixes used in sowing. Recruitment was not found in any of the sites. The least weed cover and the highest litter cover were found in the 2001 plot. A similar trend was found in the 2000 plot. In contrast, high weed cover and low litter cover were found in the 2004 and 2005 plots. Since one of the major impediments to developing better restoration strategies is the inadequate documentation of past practices, studies such as these may shed some light on how the direct-seeded technique operates in a farm situation. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modelling the effects of water-point closure and fencing removal : A GIS approach
- Authors: Graz, Patrick , Westbrooke, Martin , Florentine, Singarayer
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Environmental Management Vol. 104, no. (2012), p. 186-194
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Artificial water-points in the form of troughs or ground tanks are used to augment natural water supplies within rangelands in many parts of the world. Access to such water-points leads to the development of a distinct ecological sub-system, the piosphere, where trampling and grazing impact modify the vegetation. This study aims to consolidate existing information in a GIS based model to investigate grazing patterns within the landscape. The model focuses on the closure of water-points and removal of fences on Nanya Station, New South Wales, Australia. We found that the manipulation of water-points and fences in one management intervention may change grazing activity in a way different to that which would be experienced if each had been modified separately. Such effects are further modified by the spatial distribution of the water-points and the underlying vegetation. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.
Short-term gain and long-term pain: Lessons learnt from the control of Lachnagrostis filiformis (fairy grass) in Victoria, Australia
- Authors: Warnock, Andrew , Florentine, Singarayer , Graz, Patrick , Westbrooke, Martin
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Weed Biology and Management Vol. 12, no. 4 (December 2012), p. 156-167
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The indigenous Lachnagrostis filiformis colonized extensive areas of dry lake beds in Victoria, Australia, during the drought from 1997 to 2009. Large numbers of the plants' detached seed heads disperse in the wind, lodging against nearby housing, fences and other obstacles. This accumulation of material creates a fire hazard, degrades townships' aesthetics and presents a nuisance to the communities of lake-side towns. This study aimed to examine the effects of various control methods on L.?filiformis in the short and long term. Although herbicide applications, slashing, grazing and burning were found to be effective in controlling the blown L.?filiformis seed heads in the short term, they failed to prevent subsequent reinvasion and can increase its abundance in the long term. The late application of herbicide resulted in an increase in the foliage cover and seed-head biomass of L.?filiformis by up to 37% and 150%, respectively, in the year following the treatment application. The results from this study highlight how management focused on achieving short-term goals, without consideration of the successional trajectory after implementation, can not only fail but be counter-productive in the long term. In order to achieve sustainable management, the fundamental ecological processes that promote the establishment and persistence of the weed need to be addressed.
Controlling wind blown Lachnagrostis filiformis (fairy grass) seed heads in western Victoria
- Authors: Warnock, Andrew , Florentine, Singarayer , Graz, Patrick , Westbrooke, Martin
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Fourth Victorian Weed Conference : Plants behaving badly - in agriculture and the environment, Mercure Hotel, Geelong, Victoria : 7th-8th October 2009
- Full Text:
- Description: 2003007372
A unique weed problem — the control of fairy grass Lachnagrostis filiformis seedheads on Lake Learmonth in western Victoria
- Authors: Warnock, Andrew , Florentine, Singarayer , Graz, Patrick , Westbrooke, Martin
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 16th Australian Weeds Conference: Weed management 2008 hot topics in the tropics, Cairns, Queensland : May 18th-22nd, 2008 p. 165-167
- Full Text:
- Description: The native fairy grass (Lachnagrostis filiformis (G. Forst.) Trin.) has colonised extensive areas of dry lake beds in western Victoria during the current drought. Large numbers of the plants’ detached mature panicles (seed heads) lodge against housing, fences, railway lines and other obstacles. This can be a fire hazard, degrades township aesthetics and creates a general nuisance to communities of lakeside towns. Current control measures are costly and only provide short-term solutions. A three-year study commencing in 2006 was designed to assess current and innovative control measures and develop a potential long-term management solution to the problem. Treatments applied to the bed of Lake Learmonth during the first year of the study included late-season glyphosate herbicide at two concentrations, late-season slashing, and seed broadcasting of two native species to reduce L. filiformis inflorescence biomass through competition. Slashing reduced L. filiformis inflorescence biomass and herbicide treatments successfully killed L. filiformis plants, while having no effect on germination of seed collected from sprayed plants. Although these treatments successfully limited the impact of L. filiformis on lakeside towns during the first year, the longer term efficiency is doubted. Treatment effects will be monitored over a further two years.
- Description: 2003006269