Conserving Biodiversity in Brigalow Regrowth - School of ...

CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY IN BRIGALOW LANDSCAPES
roadside vegetation and tree-lines:
are they too narrow?
Narrow linear strips of brigalow remnant woodland are a common feature in brigalow landscapes. Long narrow bands
of woodland can extend for kilometres along the edges of roads, and shade-lines mark the boundaries between
paddocks, providing shade for stock and protecting crops from wind damage and heat stress.
These narrow strips of vegetation are often thought to be
unimportant for wildlife and often do not appear on maps of
protected remnant woodland because they are too narrow.
However, our research has shown that these patches of
brigalow are of great importance to wildlife, supporting a
wide variety of birds and reptiles.
Many have a high abundance of mistletoe plants that
provide important fruit and nectar food sources for
woodland birds, like the rare painted honeyeater. These
woodlands also provide corridors for animals to move
among patches of woodland.
While wider patches generally provide better habitat
for wildlife, even the very narrowest of patches are still
important habitat. Very narrow (< 50 m wide) strips are
particularly vulnerable to further degradation from spraydrift
from adjacent cropping areas and over browsing and
trampling by cattle and sheep, as well as wind and storm
damage.
The more heavily grazed of these narrow strips have few
young trees regenerating in the understorey to replace
mature trees as they die. The future of these woodlands is
uncertain, but there are ways to protect them from further
damage.
Excluding stock, or reducing the frequency of stock access,
will help to ensure that younger trees can grow to maturity.
Careful use of herbicides and retaining regrowth woodland
on the edges of these patches are all ways to buffer these
important habitat features against further damage.
MICHIALA BOWEN
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