I attended a recent Lantana control field day run by the Brunswick Valley
Landcare Group (far nth east coast of NSW) focussing on restoration of high
conservation value and riparian vegetation. The "bush regenerators" running
those projects, who are highly competent and run TAFE courses, are very
strategic in the way they approach an area. They deliberately leave large
sections of live lantana and don't remove the tangles of dead (sprayed)
lantana branches in other sections so that bird, insect, animal populations
are not totally removed. This also assists with soil erosion control. The
fauna populations will adjust over the long term (several years) of the
project as eventually even those sections are replaced by regenerating
native bush.
They also start their projects by removing lantana that is climbing up or
growing adjacent to stands of existing vegetation. This removes competition
and allows more light into the regenerating native seedlings coming out from
that natural edge. They also use the "seed planting" skills of birds that
roost/feed along that natural edge.
In this region it appears that tactic may have a real positive as
White-eared Monarchs are often noted at these regeneration sites. I suspect
that the removal of the climbing lantana is then allowing the Monarchs to
again feed around the edge of those natural clumps.
They will never clear all lantana due to topography but what they are doing
is restoring corridors and protecting remnants. Yes there is some impact but
these knowledgeable people are very cognisant of that and plan for it. I am
hoping to start some discussion on how we might actually monitor these
variations in populations in restoration sites. However I am quite confident
that they are really thinking about impacts before they start.
Regards Rex Fisher
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of kfp
Sent: Tuesday, 5 December 2006 6:31 PM
To: Birding-aus
Subject: Lantana
As walking through a section of Buttaba Bushland, I noted that the local
Land Care Group had cleared away some established Lantana, which is great
considering it's a weed. However my question is.... if the lantana has been
there and well established and the smaller birds, like wrens and finches,
utilize it, could it then be a negative thing to remove it? And what
research should be done before the removal?
===============================
www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
===============================
===============================
www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
===============================
|
