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The Australian Alps Rehabilitation Manual

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The Australian Alps Rehabilitation Manual Australian Alps Rehabilitation Manual Dedication This Manual is dedicated to the life of Amanda Carey, Namadgi National Park Ranger, who was totally committed to the conservation and rehabilitation of the Alps ecosystems. Amanda had a special affinity with alpine and subalpine bogs and fens and exhibited a motivation, enthusiasm and commitment to their rehabilitation that most of us can only aspire to emulate. Australian Alps park staff and other personnel involved in the bog and fen rehabilitation program have faced a great challenge in the rehabilitation work but all have been driven to continue the work by the enthusiasm of Amanda, even in her own difficult times over recent years. The challenge for all of us now, is to complete the work for and in the memory of a wonderful friend, dedicated mountain conservationist, bog and fen specialist and convenor of the Australian Alps Natural Heritage Working Group. 31 July 1962 – 13 November 2005 July 2006 i Australian Alps Liaison Committee Australian Alps Rehabilitation Manual Acknowledgements Genevieve Wright (NSW DEC), Andy Spate (consultant) and the late Amanda Carey (Environment ACT) gave valuable assistance and advice in the preparation of this Manual. Four ecological rehabilitation workshops were convened in 2003, 2004 and 2005 by the Australian Network for Plant Conservation and the Australian Alps Cooperative Management Program. These workshops included presentations by Andy Spate, Roger Good (NSW DEC), David Tongway (CSIRO), Peter Thrall (CSIRO) and Linda Broadhurst (CSIRO), and contributed information on the ecological basis for rehabilitation. Material on fauna habitat rehabilitation (Section F.4) was contributed by Ian Fraser. Stuart Johnston (TransGrid) and Roger Good provided information on sustainability and succession dynamics in tall alpine herbfields (Attachment 1). David Tongway provided information on the Landscape Function Analysis technique (Attachment 2). The majority of the photographs for the Manual were provided by Alan Fox. Liz MacPhee (NSW DEC) and nghenvironmental supplied additional photographs. Liz MacPhee (NSW DEC), Keith McDougall (NSW DEC), Gillian Anderson (AALC), Daniela Brozek Cordier (nghenvironmental) and Paul McPherson (nghenvironmental) contributed valuable input and comments on draft versions of the Manual. Manual editing was provided by Paul McPherson (nghenvironmental). July 2006 ii Australian Alps Liaison Committee Australian Alps Rehabilitation Manual Contents A INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................1 A.1 The purpose and scope of this Manual ....................................................................1 A.2 The structure of the Manual.......................................................................................2 A.3 Using the Manual ........................................................................................................2 A.4 Some working definitions ..........................................................................................2 B THE ALPS ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................4 B.1 Physical environment.................................................................................................4 B.1.1 Climate..................................................................................................................4 B.1.2 Soils......................................................................................................................5 B.2 Ecological communities in the Alps .........................................................................5 B.2.1 Alpine zone...........................................................................................................5 B.2.2 Subalpine zone...................................................................................................11 B.2.3 Montane zone.....................................................................................................12 B.2.4 Tablelands zone .................................................................................................12 B.3 Environmental implications for rehabilitation .......................................................13 B.3.1 Climate................................................................................................................13 B.3.2 Soils....................................................................................................................14 B.3.3 Significant alpine zone communities...................................................................14 B.3.4 Subalpine zone...................................................................................................15 B.3.5 Lower zones .......................................................................................................15 C HISTORY OF REHABILITATION IN THE ALPS .......................................................17 C.1 Ecological research..................................................................................................17 C.2 Early rehabilitation efforts .......................................................................................17 C.3 Evolution of ecological rehabilitation.....................................................................19 C.4 Guidelines and manuals ..........................................................................................19 D ECOLOGICAL REHABILITATION ............................................................................21 D.1 Principles of ecological rehabilitation ....................................................................21 D.1.1 Rehabilitation principles......................................................................................21 D.1.2 Project management principles ..........................................................................21 D.1.3 Development control principles...........................................................................22 D.2 Planning a rehabilitation project .............................................................................22 D.2.1 Assessing the site...............................................................................................22 D.2.2 Defining objectives and outcomes ......................................................................23 D.2.3 Selecting rehabilitation techniques .....................................................................25 D.2.4 Preparing a rehabilitation plan............................................................................25 D.2.5 Project management...........................................................................................26 July 2006 iii Australian Alps Liaison Committee Australian Alps Rehabilitation Manual E NEW CONSTRUCTION SITES ..................................................................................28 E.1 Basic steps and practices........................................................................................28 E.1.1 Integration in project design and planning..........................................................28 E.1.2 Site protection and stabilisation..........................................................................28 E.1.3 Rehabilitation during and following the works.....................................................29 E.1.4 Post-rehabilitation auditing .................................................................................33 F EXISTING DISTURBED SITES..................................................................................34 F.1 Basic steps and practices........................................................................................34 F.2 Soil and landform restoration..................................................................................35 F.3 Revegetation .............................................................................................................36 F.3.1 Temporary stabilising or ‘cover’ crops ................................................................36 F.3.2 Permanent vegetation.........................................................................................36 F.3.3 Establishment techniques...................................................................................37 F.3.4 Mulching .............................................................................................................40 F.3.5 Maintenance and protection ...............................................................................40 F.4 Fauna habitat restoration.........................................................................................41 F.4.1 Territory and movement......................................................................................41 F.4.2 Habitat requirements ..........................................................................................41 F.4.3 Shape of habitat..................................................................................................42 F.4.4 Size of habitat.....................................................................................................42 F.4.5 Connectivity and corridors ..................................................................................43 F.4.6 Succession .........................................................................................................43 F.4.7 Threatened species and extinction.....................................................................43 F.4.8 Exotic plant species............................................................................................44
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