Conserving Biodiversity in Brigalow Regrowth - School of ...

Brigalow Landscapes
The Brigalow Belt is an important region nationally for its agricultural production and for its rich diversity of native
fauna and flora. For most of the 20th century, the focus of government was the agricultural development of the
region.
More recently, as the Australian community has become
more aware of environmental problems, this focus has
shifted to finding a more sustainable balance between
conservation and production.
Brigalow remnant vegetation is now protected in
Queensland and New South Wales and listed as nationally
threatened under the Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. However, this alone
is unlikely to ensure the long-term viability of native bird,
reptile and mammal populations, many of which are in
serious decline.
To sustain our native flora and fauna it is important to think
of whole landscapes, rather than just individual patches or
even species. Landscapes are best observed from a light
plane or helicopter and are made up of the mix of remnant
and regrowth woodland patches, paddocks of crops and
pastures and farm dams. Many brigalow landscapes have
less than 10% native vegetation remaining, with patches
often occurring as narrow linear strips left along fencelines
and roadsides.
Nevertheless, brigalow landscapes have one important
advantage: retention of naturally regenerating or regrowth
vegetation that occurs in formerly cleared areas is a lowcost
and highly efficient way to restore habitat.
Although not all regrowth is protected (except under some
provisions in Queensland and Commonwealth legislation),
landholders are increasingly interested in its potential to
contribute to farm income through: a) its value as a carbon
sink, and b) the delivery of ecological services for which
stewardship payments are made.
To successfully manage brigalow landscapes for conservation as well as production, we need
to understand how the region’s fauna are affected by how humans influence the landscape.
This booklet answers a set of the most important questions on how to manage brigalow
vegetation for conserving and restoring wildlife in the region, including:
1. How much vegetation is enough?
2. What are the priority areas to restore?
3. How important are linear patches?
4. How important is connectivity among patches?
5. How important is regrowth of different ages and how can we manage it for
biodiversity?
6. What management actions would help to increase the diversity of animal species and their
abundance?
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* See page 26 for a quick reference guide with practical answers to these questions.