Page | 1 Coastal Foredune Scrub and Temperate Littoral Rainforest South Coast of NSW Kristine French University of Wollongong 2 | Page Framework for restorationPage | 3 A Framework to Guide Ecological Restoration: Coastal Foredune Scrub and Temperate Littoral Rainforest South Coast of NSW 2010 Kristine French Institute for Conservation Biology and Environmental Management University of Wollongong Wollongong, NSW 2522 Cite as: French, K (2010) A Framework to Guide Ecological Restoration: Coastal Foredune Scrub and Temperate Littoral Rainforest. South Coast. University of Wollongong, Wollongong. Published: University of Wollongong, Wollongong Printed by University of Wollongong Printery Frontcover: Coastal Foredune Scrub at Narrawallee, NSW Above: Littoral Rainforest Framework4 | Page for restoration Acknowledgements This project was funded by Caring for our Country through the South Coast Bitou Bush and Boneseed Task Force and sponsored by Eurobodalla Shire Council. The project was supported by Wollongong, Kiama, Shoalhaven and Eurobodalla Councils, Southern Rivers CMA, Sydney Metropolitan CMA, Illawarra Noxious Weeds Authority, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water and Booderee National Park. The project was facilitated by Hillary Cherry, the National Bitou Bush and Boneseed Coordinator, with support from the Weeds of National Significance program, and Dr Peter Turner, DECCW. Thanks to the many community groups for access to their knowledge and ideas. Database management and on ground surveys were completed by Evi Kroggel, Ben Gooden and James Wallace. Some data were obtained from the YETI database, DECCW. Plant identification was facilitated by Belinda Pellow from the Janet Cosh Herbarium and Ben Gooden from the University of Wollongong. The survey work to measure density of individual plants was undertaken by Lachlan Fetterplace for the Janet Cosh Herbarium and sponsored by the Sydney Metropolitan CMA through a summer scholarship. Framework for restorationPage | 5 Index Introduction 1 Background Information 2 The Role of Species Richness 2 The Role of the Seed Bank 3 The Role of Dispersal 3 The Relationship between Number of Species and Area 5 Overview of a Restoration Plan 6 Step 1 - Defining the Community and Endpoint for Restoration 8 Step 2 - Site Management 9 Step 3 - Natural Regeneration 10 Step 4 – Site Assessment and Identification of Missing Species 11 Step 5 – Propagation and Replanting of Targeted Species 12 Using the Guidelines To Improve Biodiversity across Regions 13 Case Study 1: Restoration of Coastal Foredune Scrub 14 Step 1 - Defining the Community and Endpoint for Restoration 14 Step 4 – Site Assessment and Identification of Missing Species 19 Narrawallee 20 Culburra 23 Cronulla 26 Case Study 2: Temperatue Littoral Rainforest 29 Step 1 - Defining the Community and Endpoint for Restoration 29 Step 4 – Site Assessment and Identification of Missing Species 33 Chatham Park, Tuross Head 33 References 38 Appendices 39 1. Common names of Species from Coastal Foredune Scrub 40 Vegetation 2. Common names of Occasional Species from Coastal Foredune 42 Scrub Vegetation 3. Common names of Species from Temperate Littoral Rainforest 44 Vegetation 4. Common names of Occasional Species from Temperate Littoral 46 Rainforest Vegetation 5. Assessment form for Coastal Foredune Scrub 48 6. Assessment form for Temperate Littoral Rainforest. 50 Page | 1 Introduction Rebuilding complex ecosystems restoration efforts and that restoration following disturbances such as weed efforts focus on those species not invasion can be extremely difficult. present at the site, rather than only Experienced restorers have developed widely-distributed, common species. It a large toolbox of techniques that also provides a simple timeline for increase the success of restoration undertaking monitoring to gauge when activities. restoration tasks might be carried out and to determine the success of These guidelines add a new technique community regeneration. to this toolbox that should assist restoration success by ensuring the This restoration technique is trialled establishment of plant communities using two plant communities: Coastal that are more similar to the original Foredune Shrub and Temperate vegetation. Fundmental to this Littoral Rainforest. These approach is the idea that species communities are under threat from a richness in restored communities range of weeds including bitou bush should be as similar to undisturbed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. vegetation as possible. rotundata), as well as disturbances such as human damage, mining and The importance of species richness in development. restoration has been understood by regenerators for some time. While Initially, these guidelines outline some some land managers strive to ecological principles about the incorporate this concept into importance of species richness in restoration programmes, a lack of plant communities, followed by an consistent methodology has led to outline of the role of the seed bank each group developing unique ways to and dispersal in maintaining species incorporate species richness, often richness. Gaps in species richness, based on anecdotal evidence. which can occur as a result of insufficient species being dispersed These guidelines are aimed at into the site or an insufficient seed providing a simple mechanism for bank, will need to be filled by deciding which species should be supplemental introductions to ensure at a site, and how many species species richness is restored. Finally, should occur in any particular area. the guidelines provide a methodology It is based on an analytical and for identifying final species richness quantitative approach that provides an andidentity at restored sites. objective mechanism for including missing species. This ensures that I encourage the incorporation of these rarer species are not excluded from guidelines into restoration programs. 2 | Page Background Information The Role of Species Richness Restoration aims to return sites to increases the need for future their original community structure. If management of sites and prevents this is done effectively, then these restoration of truly sustainable communities should eventually vegetation communities. require little future management. The rationale here is that natural At a regional level, restoring sites undisturbed communities are often using a small set of easily obtained resilient to invasion, and replicating nursery species is likely to their structure is likely to restore homogenize the landscape and result these benefits. An important in increased local extinctions of even component of community structure is relatively common species that are the presence of a full complement of excluded from planting schemes. species that naturally occur in the community. In restoration, therefore, If restoration is going to contribute to it is important to consider species reversing the declines of species, richness to facilitate the development then activities must consider the of sustainable plant communities. composition of the communities that are being re-constructed and ensure Vegetation containing only a few the full suite of species are restored species has lower resilience, or at sites and across regions. capacity to recover after disturbance. Low plant species richness increases weed invasion, can cause reduced faunal richness and can change ecosystem functions such as productivity. Each of these factors Figure 1. Littoral Rainforest at Beecroft Peninsula. Page | 3 The Role of the Seed Bank The soil seed bank forms an important the soil seed bank. Long-term or source of new recruits following severe disturbances are likely to result disturbance such as weed removal. in considerable depletion of the seed However, there are significant bank. differences in many habitats between the species present in the above In general, restoration reliant solely on ground vegetation and those in the soil the soil seed bank will not result in a seed bank. For example, in typical species-rich, pre-disturbance undisturbed coastal hind dunes in community and further action may be Australia, almost 74% of species that needed. Despite this, it is clear that a are present in the standing vegetation natural seed bank occurring at the site are not recorded in the soil seed bank. does contribute to restoration. These early seedling recruits may also be The duration and magnitude of important in protecting and reducing disturbances such as weed invasion mortality in very small seedlings. can seriously affect the ability of habitats to regenerate naturally from The Role of Dispersal Dispersal of seeds from nearby generally travel just beyond the sources also forms an important part parent plant. Other seeds simply fall in the natural process of restoration. beneath the parent plant and no This process relies on seeds being further. These short-distance transported by a vector, usually wind dispersed species are unlikely to or vertebrates which have the passively disperse to isolated or large capacity to move seeds relatively restoration sites. long distances. The potential for site restoration from The landscapes surrounding dispersal is dependent on the restoration sites influence the proportion of long vs. short distance diversity of seeds arriving at sites. dispersed species represented in the Isolated sites in urban and rural extant and surrounding communities. landscapes may have very limited