5 Birds Rainforest regeneration - aabr.org.au · rainforests easier - and, what’s more, more...
Transcript of 5 Birds Rainforest regeneration - aabr.org.au · rainforests easier - and, what’s more, more...
![Page 1: 5 Birds Rainforest regeneration - aabr.org.au · rainforests easier - and, what’s more, more authentic. Seed sources Around 50 or so small, isolated remnants survive in the Lismore](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022071117/600263a07e6fbc3e0e439d55/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Page1of1 BirdsCanAssistwithRainforestRegeneration AABRInfoSheet5
BIRDSCANASSISTWITHRAINFORESTREGENERATIONSheet5
Didyouknowthatquiteafewnativebirdandbatspeciestraditionallydispersedrainforestseeds-andtheyarestilldoingit?Well,whydon’twedeliberatelyplantcertaintreestoattractbirddispersers!Itislikelytomakeourjobofreplantingrainforestseasier-and,what’smore,moreauthentic.
Seedsources
Around50orsosmall,isolatedremnantssurviveintheLismorearea,alongwithhundredsofresidualrainforestfragmentsonfarms,roadsandcreeks.Thesecanactasseedsourcesforbirddispersaltosmallerpatchesorclustersinbetweentheseremnants.However,closerseedsourcesneedtobeplantedbetweentheseremnants,ifwearegoingtoachieverestorationonalargerscale.(Especiallyforwind-dispersedspeciesthatcannottravelfar-andthemany“maturephase”rainforesttreesthatareunder-representedinthearea.)
Receivingtrees
Itseemsthatbirdswilldropseedunderallsortsoftrees.ThishasbeendemonstratedasVictoriaPark,Alstonville,NSW,andatnumeroussitesaroundthedistrict.
Whileanyspeciescanprovideperchesthatareattractivetobirds,particularlyattractivetreesarethosewithdesirablefruits(eg.Corkwood,BleedingHeartetc)orthosewhicharetallerormoreprominent(perhapsasvantagepoints).Treesthatlastonlyabout15yearsaregoodfostertreesforregenerationbecausetheydieandallowthenewrecruitstodevelop.
PoisonedCamphorlaurelsareidealperchtreesbecausetheyareoftentallandmakegoodvantagepoints,theyareusuallylocatedalongbirdflightpaths,andtheyallowplentyoflightintothedevelopingseedlings.
Closertoremnants,itisnotuncommontofind10rainforestspeciesunderthedriplinesoftrees,wherethesitewaspreviouslybarepaddock.Butfurtherawayfromaremnant,thenumberwillbesmaller,andwillbedependentonwhatgrowsinisolatedlocalseedsources.Inthelatercases,itmightbemoreworthwhiletoplantnewseedsources-andsubsequentlypoisontheCamphors.
Sothinktwicebeforesawingdowncamphorlaurels.Theymakeexcellentdispersalattractantsifleftstanding!
Needforweedcontrol
Butitisimportanttounderstand,that-aswellasdispersingrainforesttrees-birdswillalsodisperseweeds.Theseweedsshouldbeculledbeforetheyfruit-orbeforetheyshadeoutdesirablenatives.Thissoberingrealityshouldbefactoredintoyourplantoclearorplantanyarea.