Prickly plants providing homes for wildlife
Posted on 19 March, 2020 by Ivan
Eucalyptus trees, their abundant nectar-rich flowers and the hollows that develop in older trees are typical habitat elements that spring to mind when thinking about wildlife habitat in Box-Ironbark Forests and woodlands. While these overstorey habitat elements are important, we also know that a diversity of understorey plant species are necessary for healthy resilient local forests and woodlands. And importantly for wildlife, this layer of vegetation within our local forests, gives protection, food and places to nest for many species of insects, small mammals, reptiles and birds, allowing them to survive and reproduce, and disperse through the landscape.
From clearing and disturbance that occured during the goldrush, the introduction of grazing animals over time, and invasive plants and animals, understorey plants have been lost or have greatly decreased in distribution and regeneration success throughout our landscape. This loss of species diversity reduces the complexity of habitats and their ability to respond, or bounce back from threats such as climate change.
Thankfully Connecting Country have secured funding over the past few years to return a suite of these understorey plants (many of which are prickly) to our region through landholder support and education to restore these vital species.
The most recent project supporting this work is ‘Prickly Plants for Wildlife on Small Properties’. The main focus of this two-year project is assisting landholders on smaller properties who may have missed out on previous Connecting Country projects that typically targeted larger properties (>10 Ha).
Connecting Country staff met with landholders who expressed interest in restoring the bush on their property, to assess the vegetation, identify threats and provide tubestock plants of local species suitable for their vegetation type. Where older eucalypts with hollows were lacking within the bush on these properties nestboxes were installed for species such as Brush-tailed Phascogale, Owlet Nightjar and microbats. This project is generously funded by the North Central Catchment Management Authority to improve the health and management of our landscape.
Landholders in the Mount Alexander region of Victoria have planted local indigenous species of understorey appropriate for their vegetation type.
Microbats were provided with homes through installation of nestboxes on properties lacking natural tree hollows.
Prickly Plants for Wildlife is a brilliant project! After nursing – watering my plants through 2 hot summers, I have an 80% success rate, and lots of lovely shrubs bursting out of their tree guards. Now to protect them from hungry kangaroos and wallabies! Thank you Connecting Country & NCCMA for your support and guidance. Eliza Tree
Thanks for the update Eliza, terrific news and well done to you for your excellent survival rate!