Overcoming barriers to intergenerational recruitment in direct-seeded revegetation sites (2019-2020)

Funding

Australia Flora Foundation, $18,181

Researchers/investigators

Dr Jodi Price and Dr Lydia Guja

Research Theme

Biodiversity Conservation

Description

Restoration of trees and shrubs contributes substantially to vegetation cover and habitat in degraded, fragmented landscapes and is particularly important for ecosystems that have experienced severe loss.

Grassy ecosystems in south eastern Australia have experienced such loss and remaining remnants are often degraded. Incentives are provided to landholders to restore native vegetation to their property and this private land restoration contributes substantially to native vegetation in heavily cleared regions and increases connectivity in highly fragmented landscapes.

However recent research suggests that landscape-scale recruitment failure may be occurring leading to restoration collapse, once the life-span of these shrub species have been reached.

This research aims to identify barriers to successful recruitment for these shrub species and identify simple management techniques that can promote regeneration of planted species.

A series of field and lab methods are planned to be able to determine barriers to successful recruitment and how they might be alleviated.

The research being undertaken by ILWS PhD student Joshua Hodges is aligned with this project.

Outcomes

The expected outcome of this research is simple management techniques that can promote regeneration of planted species.

Contact

Dr Jodi Price email

Albury-Wodonga campus

July 2019