supported by gippsland agroforestry network landcare group...

Biodiverse Agroforestry Woodlot Trial

• Supported by Gippsland Agroforestry Network Landcare Group through a Victorian Landcare Grant via Latrobe Landcare Network

• Description of the property

• Description of the Trial

• A series of before and after photos

Developing a Demonstration Property

• To demonstrate the re-use of land after a pine plantation • To build a new high value wood based resource • To protect soil and maximise water infiltration • To build up soil carbon through the production and distribution of bio-char • To protect existing high value native vegetation • To build up biodiversity resilience • To factor in and minimise the potential damage done by wildfire • To factor in and minimise the effects of probable climate change • To produce domestic supplies of meat, eggs, fruit, vegetables, fungi and

honey • To provide a vegetative link between the areas of native vegetation • To remove car bodies left by previous owners • To minimise the business and family carbon footprint • To provide a challenging environment for the rearing of children

2006 2007 Changes

2007 2008 Development Activities

• Some site preparation with 25 tonne excavator, burning heaps and broadcast prior to summer.

• Some soil loss with heavy rain at end of the drought. • Planted first trees September 2007 Seed from seed

orchard, grown at Yarram but with dubious soil medium. • Some areas double planted. Was aiming for 400 stpha.

Looking for understorey regrowth to secure and stabilise the soil. Wallaby repellent on foliage.

• Completed harvesting and planted 2008. High wallaby numbers and severe loss of trees. Replanted 2009 and reapplied wallaby repellent. More significant loss. Seed fall from messmate provided a regrowth of an overstory crop. Some original planted trees survived.

Biodiversity Results

• First planting area was well covered with understory and ground level plants (bird orchids observed in 2014)

• Most likely seed source was fresh seed from adjoining native vegetation (on Northwest side) in drought conditions

• Possible seed in soil (wattles) from before pine planting (25-28 years earlier)

• Potential problems with blackberry infestation overcome by massive vegetation establishment and consequent shading

• In twelve months created an environment that sustained and increased wallaby habitat and numbers so that they decimated any further plantings

• Purpose of this new trial is to try to replicate these results and deal with wallaby (and now rabbit) grazing pressure


• To demonstrate the effects of providing a mineral earth seed bed to build biodiversity in an agroforestry woodlot.

• To trap and grow local native vegetation seed to build the biodiversity, naturally • To incorporate browsing minimisation techniques • Apply wallaby repellent for immediate temporary protection • Install guards to divert wallaby attention from plants and protection from rabbits • Plant late in the season (September) to minimise the non-growth period • To achieve adequate growth of targeted overwood species • To document management activity, predominantly over the first ten years • To record, photographically, the development of the trial and the species coverage • To reinforce the vegetative link between the larger native vegetation areas • To build cohesion within GAN Landcare (Planting day in September) • To provide venue and information for follow-up field-days


• Using Spotted Gum (NSW/Qld native) to allow for climate change to warmer temperatures

• Seed source is from the best of the existing trees which were of seed orchard stock (John Goy) The best phenotypes of selected genotypes!

• Spotted gum a semi-durable tree species that can be used for sawn-wood, post and poles and firewood

• There is an existing market for this species at Yarram where a premium price is paid for pruned logs of adequate size

• Management will require the pruning of trees to sawlog height (completed by year 8) and the thinning to final crop numbers

• Competition from the biodiverse species will need to be managed • There may be opportunity costs delaying harvest due to such competition • Whether clearfelled or selectively harvested, the woodlot should have

sufficient resilience to regrow quickly after disturbance

supported by gippsland agroforestry network landcare group...

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