South East Queensland Ecological Restoration Framework: Manual

5.2.6 Avoiding damage to native plants
Ecological restoration is, to a large degree, about assisting the return of structure and function to
an ecosystem by reducing impacts such as weeds and encouraging the establishment of native
vegetation. However in the course of weed control work, it is possible that a small number of native
plants, especially small recently germinated seedlings, could be impacted. For example, while spotspraying
weeds, it may be difficult to avoid herbicide affecting a few of the native seedlings. To avoid
of-target damage where native seedlings are present, the site should be prepared prior to spraying by
pulling back the weeds around the native seedlings. The selection of herbicide can also avoid damage
to native seedlings e.g. avoid herbicides that are residual in the soil. Other precautions include, use of
marker dye and correct spray nozzle, only spraying in calm dry weather and good plant identification
skills. Ecological restoration attempts to reinstate a process, and if the weed control is done correctly
many more native plants will germinate, survive and thrive during the restoration process. It is also
important to state that haphazard spot-spraying by inexperienced operators is unacceptable.
Camphor laurel conversion
Restoration workers on the Far North Coast of NSW,
faced with the daunting problem of large stands of
camphor laurel forest replacing the original sub-tropical
rainforest, have found that the weed is not as limiting
to the goals of ecological restoration as first believed.
In fact, when handled correctly, camphor laurel forest
can be converted to sub-tropical rainforest within a
surprisingly short period of time.
The key to this is the fact that camphor laurel mimics
the structure of a native forest, encouraging birds and
mammals to continue using the forest as habitat and as
a food source, dispersing seeds of many plant species as
they do so. Once the camphorlaurel has been treated, abundant regeneration of native plants, coupled with timely
follow-up work to control camphor seedlings, results in the prompt re-establishment of a rainforest canopy. There
is still debate over whether the staged removal of the camphor laurel (controlling a proportion of the trees at a site
every year over a period of years) or patch removal (treating all trees at a site simultaneously) is the better method
to use. However, as with any restoration work, the control technique chosen will depend on a myriad of factors,
including density of the weed, time and resources available, scope for follow-up work, topography of the site, and
the potential regeneration capacity of the native vegetation. To read further on camphor conversion, access John
Kanowski and Carla P. Catterall’s research at http://www.griffith.edu.au
5.2.7 Skills of the bush regenerator
Identification skills – of both native and weed species
Take time to learn which species are present on your site. A good technique is to collect one unknown
plant specimen each day in order to identify it that evening at home. There are many excellent plant
references and field guides available. One of the most useful field guides is “Mangroves to Mountains”
(Leiper et al., 2008) as it is very comprehensive containing photographs and brief descriptions of most
of the commonly found native plant species in SEQ. Other simple plant identification keys available are:
• Interactive lucid keys such as Euclid, Environmental Weeds of Australia and Wattles: Acacias of
Australia, Australian Tropical Rain Forest Plants;
• The [Online] Field guide to Common Saltmarsh Plants of Queensland;
• Rainforest Trees and Shrubs: A field guide to their identification (Harden, et al., 2006);
• Rainforest Climbing Plants: A field guide to their identification (Harden, et al., 2006); and
• Plants of the Forest Floor - a guide to small native plants of subtropical eastern Australia
(Watsford, 2008).
SEQ Restoration Framework
90
MANUAL