Recognising rainforest species at the seedling stage
Regenerating seedlings need to be identified as soon as they germinate. This helps their survival, because they can be protected against browsers and watered during hot spells.
One way of learning to recognise very tiny seedlings is to photograph them either in the plant nursery or in the bush. Our ongoing collection of photographs is shown on this website:
https://sites.google.com/site/rainforestseedlings/
Identification of seedlings of rainforest trees and vines can be tricky. Some seedlings look quite different to their adult forms and botanical keys typically concentrate on what the mature plant looks like, often ignoring the juveniles. If you are helping to regenerate a rainforest, tiny seedlings are all important. They need to be cared for so that they can outgrow the weeds that compete with them for light, water and nutrients.
Transplanting seedlings that come up in roads and gutters saves them from destruction. It is best done as early in their development as possible and before they send down long roots. Older seedlings of red ash, guioa or bangalow palm rarely recover from the shock of transplanting.
