A range of teacher professional learning programs will be developed to accompany the Biodiversity of the Western Volcanic Plains online outreach...
Task 3: Implement your management strategies
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sky
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trees
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hills
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buchanweed1
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buchanweed2
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buchanweed3
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supple_spear_grass2
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tussock_bg
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burntground
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Layer2
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tussock_bg2
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fox
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blackberry3
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rocks1
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shouldered_kite
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goodgrass3
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rabbit_warren
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big_tree
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goodgrass6
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goodgrass4
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goodgrass1
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Layer1
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cat
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kangaroo
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yellow_gum
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walk_the_dogs
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gravel
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sheep
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hare
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perennial_rye_grass1
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mountain_biker
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blackberry2
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blackberry4
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rocks3
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rocks4
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rockwall
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onion_grass2
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common_everlasting_daisy1
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common_everlasting_daisy3
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crimson_rosella
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goodgrass5
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cows
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yellowish_blue_bell
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hairy_hawk_bit3
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goodgrass2
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cocksfoot
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tussock1
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echidna
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feral_cat
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perennial_rye_grass2
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southern_brown_bandicoot
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rabbits
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fence
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common_everlasting_daisy2
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galahs
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yellow_box_tree
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horses
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cow
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rocks2
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blackberry1
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biggest_rock
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eastern_yellow_robin
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nankeen_kestral
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yorkshire_fog
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running_postman
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Layer3
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wimmera_rye_grass
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cloverglycine2
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cloverglycine1
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tussock3
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blue_tongue
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supple_spear_grass1
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bidgee_widgee
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grass_trigger_plant
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cloverglycine_flower
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earless_dragon
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common_dunart
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commonearlynancy2
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hairy_hawk_bit2
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commonearlynancy
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cutleaf_good_enia
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tussock2
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onion_grass1
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spiny_rice_flower2
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spiny_rice_flower1
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tracking_device
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golden_sun_moth
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leaves
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commonearlynancy3
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hairy_hawk_bit6
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hairy_hawk_bit5
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The type of access to a site limits the activities that can occur at the site.
A post and rail fence typically has timber posts and two horizontal timber rails between the posts, with no wire mesh between the posts and rails.
A predator-proof exclusion fence is one that is specifically designed to exclude animals such as foxes, feral cats, dogs and rabbits.
Introduced predators reduce the number of native animals.
Some people dump garden waste and rubbish in grassland sites.
Vehicles compact the soil, damage plants and injure small animals.
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Do not restrict access to the site.
- People, vehicles and feral animals can easily access the site.
- Feral animals such as foxes and cats are predators.
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Construct and maintain a predator-proof exclusion fence
- A predator-proof exclusion fence will keep out vehicles and all types of animals except birds, insects and small reptiles.
- A predator proof exclusion fence is expensive to build, maintain and monitor.
- Predators can enter the site again if a hole develops in or under the predator proof fence.
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Collect any rocks on site to build rock walls around the site.
- Historically, rocks were removed in order to clear grassland for crops and pasture.
- Rock walls, while time consuming, are not expensive to build if rocks are available.
- Rock walls will keep out vehicles but will allow some animals in and out of the site.
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Construct a post and rail fence around the site.
- A post and rail fence will keep out vehicles.
- A post and rail fence allows animals in and out of the site.
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Feral animals are introduced wild animals, which have a detrimental impact on native Australian species and landscapes.
Feral animals include foxes, rabbits, hares and introduced rodents, as well as domestic animals that have gone wild: feral cats, feral dogs, feral goats, feral pigs and feral horses.
The types and number of feral animals that occur in a native grassland site affect which native plants and animals can survive and flourish there.
Feral animals compete with native animals for food and shelter.
European rabbits and hares are herbivores. Rabbits can breed quickly into large populations, digging up soil for roots and tubers and creating large underground warrens. Introduced rodents can also breed prolifically and eat a wide range of plant material.
Predators such as foxes and cats eat native animals and compete with native predators such as Spot-tailed Quolls.
If feral animals are not controlled before starting a grassland restoration project, the restoration effort is likely to fail.
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Do not control introduced animals at the site.
- Any site has limited food and shelter for animals.
- Foxes and feral cats eat rabbits.
- Many grassland plants and animals are rare or threatened.
- It takes time and money to control introduced animals at a site.
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Control all feral animals at the site.
- Foxes and feral cats prey on native animals including native birds, mammals and lizards.
- Rabbits and hares eat introduced and native plants.
- Rabbits and hares on the site need to be controlled before attempting fox and feral cat control.
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Control the carnivorous feral animals including foxes and feral cats.
- Foxes and feral cats eat rabbits and hares.
- Foxes and feral cats eat native birds, mammals and lizards.
- If foxes and feral cats are removed, rabbit and hare numbers will most probably increase.
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Control the herbivorous feral animals including rabbits and hares.
- Rabbits and hares eat introduced as well as native plants.
- Rabbits can quickly reduce the amount of vegetation.
- Rabbits prefer to eat smaller and more succulent plants and plant parts.
- Rabbits dig burrows in the soil.
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Many of the native animals that were once common on the Victorian Volcanic Plains are now rare or threatened. Fauna for reintroductions are bred as part of conservation breeding programs including those run by Parks Victoria (e.g. Serendip Sanctuary), Zoos Victoria, or the Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre.
Before a native species is reintroduced to a site, the site needs to be safe and have suitable habitat for that species. Some species need larger habitat so the areas beside the reintroduction site also need to be managed appropriately. It is best if there are also wildlife corridor links to larger reserves of suitable habitat.
Fauna reintroductions and relocations are extremely expensive, and success is not certain. We do not have the knowledge or ability to breed every kind of native grassland species. A key conservation management action is to protect and maintain existing grassland remnants and threatened species where they already occur. These sites need to be managed so that rare and threatened species can survive and flourish. This usually also helps protect many of the other native species living at the site.
One of the ways the Australian Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) and the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG) help to protect our native species is by developing conservation advice and recovery plans for threatened species. The Biodiversity of the Western Volcanic Plains Flora and Fauna Field Guide provides species conservation status, and if available, lists the appropriate FFG Action Statement Number. The Action Statement describes ways to conserve this species and can be downloaded from the BWVP app or website. In some cases the actions include reintroducing the species to areas where it once occurred.
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Allow dogs and cats to use the site for recreation.
- Domestic dogs and cats seem to enjoy roaming.
- Dogs can chase, threaten and deter native animals from using that area.
- Dogs and cats can eat small native animals.
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Reintroduce and monitor indigenous fauna species.
- Indigenous fauna species are adapted to local conditions within a specific habitat.
- Fauna for reintroductions are specially bred in conservation breeding programs.
- Active monitoring of the reintroduced species over time helps identify if the animals are surviving and breeding.
- Monitoring also informs current and future management actions in order to improve a site for that species and to improve relocation procedures.
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Reintroduce indigenous fauna species.
- Indigenous fauna species are adapted to local conditions in a specific habitat.
- Fauna for reintroductions are specially bred in conservation breeding programs, which require a lot of time, effort and money.
- Reintroduced native animals may or may not survive for long, or breed in their relocated site.
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Allow sheep, cattle and horses to graze the site.
- Sheep, cattle and horses eat a range of plants, including weeds.
- Plants such as Native Spear-grass (Austrostipa spp.) can survive some grazing by livestock.
- Seeds are easily spread by the fur/wool and hooves of livestock.
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Natural Temperate Grasslands of the Victorian Volcanic Plain are listed as:
- a critically endangered ecological community under the Australian Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC)
- threatened under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG).
Many efforts are being made to restore Victoria’s remaining native grassland sites from damage caused by people and introduced plants or animals.
Vegetation restoration aims to restore native plant species to the site so that plants grow and reproduce naturally and become reestablished at the site.
Plants are typically reintroduced by direct seeding or by planting tube stock or underground tubers.
Because native plants are under threat, the collection of their seed is controlled by permit and other requirements that are administered by the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI). On private land, the landowner’s permission is required.
The Biodiversity of the Western Volcanic Plains Flora and Fauna Field Guide provides a species conservation status, an Action Statement if available for that species, and if so, an Action Statement Number. The Action Statement describes ways to conserve this species and can be downloaded from the BWVP app or website.Vegetation restoration is very expensive and time consuming. We do not always have enough knowledge about how to restore a site to create the correct habitat for grassland plants and animals. The best way to ensure the survival of native grasslands is by protecting, maintaining and enhancing as many of the existing grassland remnants as possible.-
Do not plant any additional vegetation.
- Not planting additional vegetation causes the least amount of work, and does not introduce new species.
- As a plant becomes rare, there are fewer seeds of this plant available to germinate, so that species become even rarer and may eventually die out at a site.
- Bare soil can quickly become overgrown with weeds if native plant seeds are not abundant in that patch of soil.
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Sow or plant indigenous seeds and plants.
- Indigenous plants are those that are native to that location.
- Weed plants need to be removed from the revegetation area before sowing the indigenous seed or planting tube stock.
- Sowing seeds is cheaper and quicker than transplanting tube stock, but requires abundant seeds.
- New plantings need to be protected from grazing and vehicles.
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Plant trees to provide more cover.
- Trees provide shade and habitat.
- Trees provide places for predator birds to perch and watch for small grassland animals.
- Trees take up space where grassland plants could grow.
- Planting rare indigenous Eucalypt species in grassy woodlands can help restore grassy woodland communities.
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Plant introduced grasses to provide more plant variation.
- Many introduced grasses are planted as pasture for grazing stock.
- Introduced grasses may invade native grasslands, restricting native plants from germinating.
- Introduced grasses may not provide suitable food or shelter for specialized native grassland animals.
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The invasion of native vegetation by environmental weeds is listed as a threatening process in Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (FFG).
Weeds typically grow quickly in soil that has been physically or chemically disturbed. Weeds often produce large numbers of seeds.
Weeds compete with native plants, using the soil moisture and space where native plants could otherwise grow.
If there are fewer native plants, there is less food and shelter for the native animals that rely on these plants.
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Apply herbicide indiscriminately to kill as many weed species as possible.
- Herbicide sprays make it quicker and easier to kill weeds, than removing them by hand.
- Herbicides can potentially kill some native grassland plants and animals.
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Strategically graze the site with sheep or cattle to eliminate weeds.
- Grazing reduces the amount of weeds.
- Sheep and cattle eat flowers and seeds as well as leaves.
- Sheep and cattle prefer certain types of plants.
- Sheep and cattle droppings add nutrients to the soil.
- Some plant seeds are spread by sheep and cattle.
- This option may also require the use of selective herbicides.
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Strategically burn the site during appropriate months of the year.
- Many exotic weed species cannot survive fire, however some are resistant.
- Native grassland plants are adapted to fire.
- Burning can trigger the germination of some seeds stored in the soil.
- Burning can reduce extensive vegetation biomass.
- This option may also require the use of selective herbicides.
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Strategically remove key weeds before they set seed.
- Weeds typically produce many seeds.
- Some weeds have more impact than others. The Biodiversity of the Western Volcanic Plains Flora and Fauna Field Guide includes weeds of High Impact and High Invasive status.
- This option may also include the use of selective herbicides.
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- Site Access
-
The type of access to a site limits the activities that can occur at the site.
A post and rail fence typically has timber posts and two horizontal timber rails between the posts, with no wire mesh between the posts and rails.
A predator-proof exclusion fence is one that is specifically designed to exclude animals such as foxes, feral cats, dogs and rabbits.
Introduced predators reduce the number of native animals.
Some people dump garden waste and rubbish in grassland sites.
Vehicles compact the soil, damage plants and injure small animals.
- Feral Animal Management
-
Feral animals are introduced wild animals, which have a detrimental impact on native Australian species and landscapes.
Feral animals include foxes, rabbits, hares and introduced rodents, as well as domestic animals that have gone wild: feral cats, feral dogs, feral goats, feral pigs and feral horses.
The types and number of feral animals that occur in a native grassland site affect which native plants and animals can survive and flourish there.
Feral animals compete with native animals for food and shelter.
European rabbits and hares are herbivores. Rabbits can breed quickly into large populations, digging up soil for roots and tubers and creating large underground warrens. Introduced rodents can also breed prolifically and eat a wide range of plant material.
Predators such as foxes and cats eat native animals and compete with native predators such as Spot-tailed Quolls.
If feral animals are not controlled before starting a grassland restoration project, the restoration effort is likely to fail.
- Fauna Reintroductions
-
Many of the native animals that were once common on the Victorian Volcanic Plains are now rare or threatened. Fauna for reintroductions are bred as part of conservation breeding programs including those run by Parks Victoria (e.g. Serendip Sanctuary), Zoos Victoria, or the Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre.
Before a native species is reintroduced to a site, the site needs to be safe and have suitable habitat for that species. Some species need larger habitat so the areas beside the reintroduction site also need to be managed appropriately. It is best if there are also wildlife corridor links to larger reserves of suitable habitat.
Fauna reintroductions and relocations are extremely expensive, and success is not certain. We do not have the knowledge or ability to breed every kind of native grassland species. A key conservation management action is to protect and maintain existing grassland remnants and threatened species where they already occur. These sites need to be managed so that rare and threatened species can survive and flourish. This usually also helps protect many of the other native species living at the site.
One of the ways the Australian Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) and the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG) help to protect our native species is by developing conservation advice and recovery plans for threatened species. The Biodiversity of the Western Volcanic Plains Flora and Fauna Field Guide provides species conservation status, and if available, lists the appropriate FFG Action Statement Number. The Action Statement describes ways to conserve this species and can be downloaded from the BWVP app or website. In some cases the actions include reintroducing the species to areas where it once occurred.
- Vegetation Restoration
-
Natural Temperate Grasslands of the Victorian Volcanic Plain are listed as:
- a critically endangered ecological community under the Australian Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC)
- threatened under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG).
Many efforts are being made to restore Victoria’s remaining native grassland sites from damage caused by people and introduced plants or animals.
Vegetation restoration aims to restore native plant species to the site so that plants grow and reproduce naturally and become reestablished at the site.
Plants are typically reintroduced by direct seeding or by planting tube stock or underground tubers.
Because native plants are under threat, the collection of their seed is controlled by permit and other requirements that are administered by the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI). On private land, the landowner’s permission is required.
The Biodiversity of the Western Volcanic Plains Flora and Fauna Field Guide provides a species conservation status, an Action Statement if available for that species, and if so, an Action Statement Number. The Action Statement describes ways to conserve this species and can be downloaded from the BWVP app or website.Vegetation restoration is very expensive and time consuming. We do not always have enough knowledge about how to restore a site to create the correct habitat for grassland plants and animals. The best way to ensure the survival of native grasslands is by protecting, maintaining and enhancing as many of the existing grassland remnants as possible.
- Weed Management
-
The invasion of native vegetation by environmental weeds is listed as a threatening process in Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (FFG).
Weeds typically grow quickly in soil that has been physically or chemically disturbed. Weeds often produce large numbers of seeds.
Weeds compete with native plants, using the soil moisture and space where native plants could otherwise grow.
If there are fewer native plants, there is less food and shelter for the native animals that rely on these plants.
