Download Plains Grassy Wetland

Plains Grassy Wetland
Wetlands are ENDANGERED in the Goulburn Broken Catchment
Billy—buttons
Heavy clay soils
Grassland structure
Plains Grassy Wetlands are
important habitat for the
Brolga
Photo: Martin White; Inset Photo: Glen Johnson
Woodland on perimeter
Figure 1 An example of a Plains Grassy Wetland with billy—buttons (not always present)in healthy condition, with important diagnostic and
habitat features noted.
Plains Grassy Wetland
90
Wetlands are ENDANGERED in the Goulburn Broken Catchment
3% of this vegetation type remains uncleared, 93% (230ha) of which is on private land.
Wetlands may not be divers in plant species, but they are enormously important for habitat diversity across
the landscape, and habitat diversity within the wetland between seasons (wetting and drying stages) and
thus a rich diversity of fauna is supported.
Description
Cobram
Kyabram
Present Distribution
Yarrawonga
Numurkah
Pre-1750 Distribution
Shepparton
VIC
Benalla
Rushworth
kilometres
10 0 10
Nagambie
Euroa
Seymour
Kilmore
Yea
Alexandra
20
kilometres
30 40 50
Base data sourced from the Department of
Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE)
Corporate Geospatial Library.
Mansfield
Figure 2 Distribution of Wetlands in the Goulburn Broken
Catchment.
Current Threats
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Inappropriate grazing regimes, cause loss of
native species (through selective grazing and
trampling), hinder native plant regeneration,
disturb the soil and increase nutrient levels.
Tree planting in naturally treeless wetlands
causes loss of important breeding habitat for
many water birds (eg. Brolga) and alters the
hydrology, and vegetation structure, hence
threatening the entire system.
Loss of ground habitat (through dredging,
land—filling, draining, unsustainable harvesting
of
Drumsticks
or
Billybuttons,
and
overgrazing), threatens the structure and
viability of remnants and associated fauna.
Weed invasion from adjacent areas, soil
disturbance, stock feed and stock faeces,
threatens native plant species and therefore
the structure and health of remnants.
Increased nutrients favours weeds and causes
excessive plant growth which restricts water
movement and reduces dissolved oxygen.
Changes to natural flooding, temperature and
flow regimes changes floodplain functions. It
can result in loss of native species and disrupts
the delicate balance of the system, threatening
the viability of the remnant.
Difficulty in identifying wetlands often results
in inappropriate management.
Benalla NRE Office Sydney Rd (03) 5761 1611
These shallow seasonal wetlands are typically
treeless, occurring on the alluvial plain at an annual
rainfall of less than 700mm.
They occur on
discrete, shallow depressions or in a mosaic with
other wetlands such as Red Gum Wetlands. The
heavy clay soils are periodically wet for a number
of months and are dry throughout summer. The
grassland structure of these wetlands can grade
into sedgelands or herblands, with herbs and
grasses which flourish in the seasonally inundated
conditions and very few true aquatic species.
Grass species include Veined Swamp Wallaby—
grass, Brown—back Wallaby—grass, Rigid Panic and
Forbe Poa. Herbs include Drumsticks (or Billy
Buttons), Rough Raspwort, Hairy Willow—herb,
River Bluebell, and Swamp Daisy. Aquatics include
Common Nardoo, Pacific Azolla, Common Spike—
sedge and various Milfoil species. Rushes and
sedges include Rush Sedge, Yellow Rush and Toad
Rush.
Significant Species
Flora: Stiff Groundsel, Barren Cane Grass, Water
Starwort and Ridged Milfoil.
Fauna: Brolga.
Management Tips
Management which maintains and enhances the
remnant vegetation / habitat, including;
• Fence sites to exclude grazing, particularly
when wet, as soil is prone to pugging, and to
allow flowering and seed—set of native plants.
Graze weedy sites when dry to prevent seed—
set of weeds.
• Control weeds and pest animals.
• Encourage natural regeneration.
• Revegetate areas to buffer remnants from
pasture.
Establish woodlands with shrubs
around the edge to enhance habitat and link to
other remnants.
• Monitor your site and adapt management
practices as required (help is available to assist
and set up monitoring).
Shepparton CMA Office 55 Welsford St (03) 5822 2288
© The State of Victoria, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, October 2001
This information note is part of the “Managing Your Patch of Bush” kit, Draft for circulation.
This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly
appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any
information in this publication.