When I travel in a plane, I always ask for a
window seat. I find the journey much more interesting when I am able to
see the landscape below. Cars on busy highways look like ants scurrying
along a trail. Their nests are the car parks of shopping malls that dot
the suburbs. Outside the city, the plane flies over meandering rivers that
resemble droplets of water slinking down a windowpane. Vast, continuous
forests stretch across the landscape like carpets for clouds.
Noticeable when flying over the agricultural
region of southwestern Australia is the dusty brown of the farmland dotted
with patches of green (Photo 1). These patches of green are the remains or
remnants of the once extensive woodlands and shrublands that covered much
of this region prior to European settlement. Early settlers who called
this area their home cleared much of the native vegetation to grow crops
and graze sheep. In some districts, greater than 90% of the original
vegetation was cleared. From the air, the vegetation remnants resemble
islands in a sea of dust. I call these treasure islands because they house
much of the rich bounty that is the biological heritage of this region.
Not all islands hold the same amount of
treasure. Larger ones generally contain more plants and animals that
smaller ones. Those protected from the surrounding sea may be less
degraded. Fences around native vegetation islands help to keep out the
rising tide of non-native plants and animals. This reduces the competition
for native species and helps them to survive. Rows of trees that connect
one island to another may act as a highway for animals to move between
islands (Photo 2). Those not connected to other islands often contain
fewer species because many animals find the journey across the open space
between islands too difficult. The surrounding sea is a dangerous place if
there is little protection from predators or other threats.
Recognising the value of these islands, many
landowners have undertaken restoration efforts to try to protect the
island’s treasure. Revegetation of cleared land, fencing remaining
vegetation, and planting rows of trees that connect islands are some of
the strategies used by landowners to protect the islands occurring on
their property. All of us can help in these activities by joining a local
Landcare group or becoming a volunteer with a conservation organisation
that is involved in the protection of native vegetation. Working together,
we can ensure that the treasure these islands contain is enjoyed by future
generations.
The next time you travel on a plane sit by the
window and watch the landscape below unfold. See if you can spot any
treasure islands. Remember that many of the plants and animals we share
this planet with rely on these islands for survival. It is our
responsibility to make sure these islands do not disappear under the
rising sea of human expansion.
Further reading
