VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN for Bidjigal Reserve - Land

Vegetation Management Plan - Bidjigal ReserveCRITERION BACKGROUND METHODOLOGY FOR FIELD RANKING LIMITATIONS4) --upstream site). This would require complex modelling/analysis.5) RidgePresence of Drainage LineLevel of Management Assessment: ZoneSites that contain watercourses or drainage lines should be given highpriority for weed control, as the potential for dispersal of weed propagulesby water is high.Watercourses and drainage lines serve as ‘fingers of infection’, allowingweeds to penetrate deep into core bushland. Capillary action in the soils onslopes along a watercourse usually impacts an area about 10 metres inwidth, thereby altering soil moisture and nutrient levels and encouragingthe establishment of weeds.The presence of drainage lines was through visual assessment, and theuse of topographic maps.Drainage lines were only recorded as permanent waterbodies if theywere flowing at the time of the survey, or were indicated on thetopographic map by a thin blue line.1) No drainage line present2) Ephemeral drainage line/s present3) 1 permanent drainage line present4) 2 permanent drainage line present5) 3 or more permanent drainage lines presentNo consideration of how major the permanent drainage lines are, and wherethe drainage lines flow to below the site (e.g. bushland vs. urban areas).Inherent errors in source data.All field sites had at least one (1) permanent drainage line.Additional Factors Affecting Cost EfficiencyAccessLevel of Management Assessment: UnitThe ease of access to rehabilitation sites can impact on costs and on thepotential for Bushcare programs. Those Units which could be accessed byvehicles rated higher than those with no or limited access.Units which are easier to access were given higher priority than Units whichare difficult to access.Management Units were assessed during field survey and withtopographic maps to determine what level of access was available. Siteswhich were surrounded by urban areas were rated higher than those inisolated areas. The following criteria were used:1) Difficult (no formal trail)2) --3) Moderate (formal walking trail)4) --5) Easy (road access or adjacent to urban area)Possible errors in trails layer – i.e. trails no longer present but indicated inGIS layer, or trails present but never been included into GIS layer.Giving priority to units with road access may increase vehicle traffic withinthe Reserve which may lead to further weed introductions along tracks.Bush RegenerationInvestmentLevel of Management Assessment: UnitAreas within and adjacent to Bidjigal Reserve have previously been the focusof bush regeneration work by contractors and community volunteers.Highest scores were given to sites where bush regeneration programs hadbeen carried out (as far as could be determined). Bush regeneration workcarried out on land adjacent to each Management Unit (i/a) was included inthe assessment as this work will have positive outcomes for the respectiveUnit in terms of weed spread/infestation from external sources.Members of Bidjigal Reserve Trust were consulted to determine thelocation of Bush Restoration Programs within each management Unit,and on adjoining land. The following criteria were used in priority rankingassessment:1) Ongoing Bushland Restoration Programs on land adjacent toManagement Unit2) Ongoing Bushland Restoration Programs within the Management UnitAll formal Bushland Restoration Programs have been relocated to Councilowned land adjacent to the Reserve. Therefore, there were no ManagementUnits given the highest score rating.UBM Ecological Consultants Pty Ltd 42