Fragmentation

Jen Ford’s presentation showcases a well planned, 10 year funded, Threatened Species offset project. Detailed examples of four Species of National Environmental Significance are discussed and picture-perfect photopoints utilised to highlight the changes that have resulted from dedicated professionals undertaking assisted regeneration supported by hazard reduction burns. The project not only achieved the 2 for [...]

Urban creeks in the City of Onkaparinga hold some of the last remnants of bushland within the city as well as containing valuable public recreational space. The ‘Creek Heroes’ project informed and activated the community to care for the creeks by crafting clever ‘heroes and bullies’, listening to the residents and providing opportunities to experience [...]

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 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. [...]

Ross Rapmund provides a clear overview of the production requirements of a community nursery and the role a nursery can play in alleviating the impacts of population fragmentation in the landscape. This snapshot highlights the need for genetic diversity in seed stock, how that diversity is encouraged and the importance of documentation. Topic Mins: [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Just add water...Three wetland restoration case studies are presented by Mark Bachmann which outline the historical basis for the degradation, the process of identifying viable project sites and the setting of goals to deliver significant wetland restoration. Mark references the Six Principles in the National Restoration Standards to highlight their relevance in designing, monitoring and [...]

How do you work out what plants are suitable to grow in a climate changing world? Trevor Booth outlines a process using readily available web tools, the Atlas of Living Australia along side the Climate change in Australia website, which enables a variety of climate change scenarios to be considered and the location of potential [...]