Roadsides that are weed infested, can often be changed by careful long term care and management. Road verges that that are often mowed, are wonderful sources of plant material for native habitat revegetation purposes. Included, in this concept of road verges, are also stock routes and other transport corridors, rail and powerline corridors & utilities corridors of other types. I will use roadsides as an example for a simple process for building biodiversity resources, by the means of management of vegetation seed banks and propagules.
- google search – Australia: native grassland and roadside environment conservation advice .
- Looking for some native australian grass Alternatives? try here:- Grasses of Subtropical eastern Australia Margaret Elliott : search results bluecray Environmental Search Engine
- and, Grasses of Subtropical Eastern Australia by Penny Watsford & Margaret Elliott Nullum Publications, Murwillumbah .at Brunswick Valley Landcare Inc. BOOKSHOP. This book is worth buying or finding in your library. It comes with a CD, photos and clear illustrations. You may even like to purchase a copy and donate it to the library of your local school or TAFE!!
- search results at Australian Government Biodiversity Search pages : native grasslands roadside .
This source of biodiversity, seed bank and native vegetation is often overlooked as a resource that can be managed by road side natural resource managers. It is definitely overlooked by drainage and earthworks contractors, mowing contractors and herbicide contractors. It is a local natural resource that is very under utilized.
Seed banks are precious in this day of biodiversity stress. Sustainability of development relies on acknowledging this, if it is to be truly sustainable at this level of land management.
Land that is cleared for development and roadworks is often removed by machine, with much top soil vegetative material and seed kept in situ for later re-use, back onto the newly formed landscape, of the road or development. This is done quickly, suddenly and harshly.
PK sees that Transplanting Native seedlings for at risk sites is a great way to keep small micro habitats happy
Localised collection of native seedlings, seed, rhizomes, tubers, and other propagation material can be a wonderful treasure chest for later use on the road verge or developed site.
A localised propagation material collection can be stored locally, collected manually , organically and sustainably stored and reused.
Land Managers of road verges encompass a number of different people, from designers and other who sit in offices, draw plans and do not understand the basic concepts of plant strategies for survival, to vegetation management& maintenance specialists who spend much of their time writing reports, filling out forms and negotiating new contracts, to the contractors, who mow, scrape, excavate and spray the road verge or development site.
All the while, as these guidelines, initiatives, policies, reports, environmental studies and briefs mount up, little bits of road verge keep regrowing little seedlings, that get cut, re-cut, sprayed, resprayed, until they either survive, or die out.
Many of these seedlings and propagules, especially in new developments or new roadworks, may be native. Under the ground there are even native tubers that we cannot see, and seed in the soil, leaf litter and grass thatch.
Sometimes, all it takes is a little help.
Sometimes a little initiative.
Sometimes more land stewardship education.
bluecray Balance of Faeries blog : “roads”
bluecray.org search : “Regional Environmental News Mt Warning Caldera Region NE NSW & SE QLD”
bluecrya.org : ”Advocacy Links search ”
bluecray.org all search engines : ”roads vegetation management”
bluecray.org search : “roads vegetation management”
Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority and Biodiversity
SEQ Catchments and Biodiversity
- Weed Identification – IBRA – SE Qld
- Weed Identification – IBRA – NSW North Coast
- Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management (Weeds CRC) – what does your garden grow
- Indigenous Flora and Fauna Association : New community listing under the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act . (IFFA)
- native grassland and roadside central qld environment conservation advice : This conservation advice was approved by the Minister on: 15/12/08 A statement for the purposes of approved conservation advice (s266B of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
