Robert Berry wrote:
>
> > From: Paul Peake <>
> >.........................There are thousands of examples of weeds > >leading
> >to the demise of birds and other animals and plants. Superb >> Lyrebirds at
> >Sherbrooke Forest near Melbourne, and Grey-crowned >> Babblers .....
>
> Weeds did that? Gee.
>
Not my field but when the Victorian Government identified environmental
weeds as a threatening process in relation to the Flora and Fauna
Guarantee Act the Scientific Advisory Committee stated specifically that
weeds are a threat to the Grey-crowned Babbler.
Rob, take a few hours comparing the diversity of birds associated with
mirror bush (coprosma) and native shrubs along the eastern foreshore of
Port Phillip Bay.
I don't think you'll find much except blackbirds in the coprosma
understorey - busily working at spreading the seeds and scratching the
ground (ie. eliminating native orchids together with their impact on
soil proccesses).
Sure the coprosma berry is eaten by silvereyes and wattlebird: pity they
can't understand that their satisfaction of their short-term wants are
contributing to the long-term destruction of the ecology.
So while you're out there also please gently remove any coprosma
seedlings you see (and boneseed, smilax, sweet pittosporum, pampas lily
of the valley, english ivy, dolicus pea, oxalis, onion weed.....).
Michael Norris
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