Ecosystem function

Stormwater flows along the first kilometre of urban streams requires energy and nutrient loads to be managed effectively to ensure the downstream integrity of the riparian systems can be maintained. The Popes Glen Bushcare Group, with the support of the Blue Mountains Council have explored and implemented a variety of highly successful soft-engineering strategies to [...]

Ziggy Marzinelli shares the world of underwater kelp forest recovery. A 70km aquatic restoration project was designed to reinstate Sydney’s Phyllospora comosa - Crayweed forests, a valuable recreational fishing asset as well as a key component of the kelp forest underwater ecosystem. Ziggy’s project successfully reintroduced the missing ecosystem component. In doing so he reinstated [...]

Arid landscapes that have lost their topsoil are subjected to erosive forces of wind and water to form a clay crust that prevents the growth of vegetation. Ray Thompson explains the technique of waterponding, which captures and directs water, slowing runoff and creating an environment for vegetation to reestablish. In the long-term wind erosion is [...]

In 1926 the TGB Osborn Reserve on Koonamore Station was established by fencing 4km2 of the property to exclude sheep and rabbits, it is one of the earliest fencing projects in the world. Permanent photopoints and quadrats were established to monitor the changes. This project highlights the resilience of the natural landscape once threats are [...]

In pursuing a personal passion to restore the Caledonian Forests of Scotland, Alan Watson Featherstone developed an understanding of the key ecological principles needed to guide positive trophic cascades. By fencing remnant vegetation to reduce herbivory, ecological processes were reinstated to do the hard work of recovery. Rewilding projects are underway to complete ecosystem functionality. [...]

Hank and Sue Bower describe a unique assisted regeneration project that is aiming for complete eradication of vertebrate and weed species due to the isolation of Lord Howe Island. The World Heritage status and legal framework provides for unhindered access to all terrain across the island, enabling all pest populations to be targeted thanks to [...]

A concise case study outlining an offset transformation of a highly degraded saltmarsh community at Kurnell. Careful planning and extensive community education is helping to address years of degradation from vehicles and timber getting Unrestricted access to the site was curtailed by fencing. The community has been engaged around the benefits of food chain health [...]

The million dollar question of 'provenance' is eloquently described by Linda Broadhurst within the context of habitat fragmentation and climate change impacts. The talk simply explains the role of genetics in understanding inbreeding depressions and how they can arise from small population sizes or reduced parental numbers. A must see video for anyone who collects [...]

Jen Ford provides a brilliant 10 minute overview of the National Restoration Standards six principles and the contents of the document. Why have standards, what are they and how can they assist with on-ground restoration activities are all clearly explained. Topic Mins: seconds Titles 00:00 Background 00:08 Introduction to the standards 00:35 Relevance of [...]

How do you ensure your restoration project will be resilient in times of changing climate and increased fragmentation across the landscape? Tein McDonald discusses with Linda Broadhurst the implications of population size, the parental gene pool and the significance of pollinators in ensuring genetic diversity and countering inbreeding depression. In this expanding field, the importance [...]