Upper Snowy Landcare Network

Project Understorey

Restoring ground layer species based on original plant community type

Collaborations - LP23-014

The issue

In previous years Upper Snowy Landcare Network has responded to the dieback of E.Viminalis across the Monaro through a series of on ground activities including research, advocacy, and tree plantings. Though this effort now boasts a number of established revegetation zones, we saw a need to further our efforts of increasing the ecological complexity of this heavily degraded area. Due to the decline in E.Vimnalis, coupled with historic land clearing, overgrazing and ongoing land management regimes, we have lost a large suite of diverse species that once made up the diverse ecology of this area, resulting in a steep decline of complexity and landscape resilience.

The solution

 Now that a number of our revegetation plots have an established tree layer, we have moved towards working to restore the shrub and groundcover layer which once made up the diverse plant community type of these grassy woodlands. By using new tools such as the NSW government’s Trees Near Me interactive map, we were able to identify the relevant plant community types which we hoped to rebuild. With funding from Snowy Hydro under their community grants program, we were able to fund Wagtail Natives Nursery, a local business, to grow 900 local but less common native plants, and support the project management and on ground delivery of prepping and planting them out through Stone's Forestry.

The impact

This project will see the complex restoration of grassy woodland, made possible by a number of collaborations between Landcare, local industry, small business, and government supported research and tools. By restoring relevant PCTs these areas will become important habitat nodes, as well as areas which provide resilience in our harsh, degraded landscape. Most importantly, these plantings will be visible and tangible learning sites, where people can see the effect of complex restoration on the surrounding landscape and wildlife. There are a diminishing number of places where people can experience the full suite of species native to this area. We hope the greatest impact of this project will be showing people the beauty and importance of a diverse ecosystem.

Author: Magdalene Lemcke and Lauren Van Dyke

Key facts

  • The Trees Near Me map is a NSW government tool which allows us to know what plant assemblages are relevant to a location including a full species list.
  • The Snowy Monaro region contains 122 specific PCTs
  • The grassy woodland area of the Monaro has suffered a devastating dieback event. Many species which rely on the affected tree - E.Viminalis - are heavily diminished
  • Maintaining a healthy, diverse array of groundcover species helps to deter invasive weeds and supports diverse animal populations

Project Partners