The aim of this project is to compile land use and management practices and their observed and measured impacts and effects on vegetation condition. The results provide land managers and researchers with a tool for reporting and monitoring spatial and temporal transformations of Australia’s native vegetated landscapes due to changes in land use and management practices. Following are the details about Blundells Flat, ex-coupe 427A, ACT.
Pre-European benchmark-analogue vegetation: the site vegetation was originally brown barrel (Eucalyptus fastigata), growing in association with ribbon gum (E. viminalis).
Brief chronology of changes in land use and management:
1788: Unmodified and intact tall open eucalypt forest; forest unaffected
1860: Area burnt by severe wildfire
1915: Water catchment area declared for Canberra –forest unaffected
1939: Area burnt by severe wildfire
1915-1954: Area managed as water catchment area – frequent forest fires to control fuel loads
1955: Commenced selective logging of mainly brown barrel (E. fastigata)
1956: Clear-felled remaining wet sclerophyll forest and pushed timber into windrows with a bulldozer
1958: Felled timber burnt in February
1958: 1st rotation radiata (Monterey) pine (P. radiata) planted by hand
1960: Controlled competing regrowth native vegetation, manually with axes, slashers, or hoes
1986: 1st rotation trees logged and crawler tractor used to snig timber off site
1987: Slash left on the ground to decompose - no ripping - too steep
1988: Roundup sprayed to kill regrowth. 2nd rotation P. radiata planted. NPK fertiliser spread around every seedling by hand
1990: Site hand cut the regrowth using brush hooks e.g. eucalypts, acacia and 1st rotation pine seedlings
1999: 2nd rotation pines thinned and pruned. Thinnings were left on the ground to decay
2003: Area burnt by severe wildfire killed all pines
2003: Sterile rye corn grass seed was sown across the coupe using light aircraft to stabilise erodible soils
2003: Killed pines and native regrowth pushed over and windrowed with a bulldozer
2004: Site declared minimal use - rehabilitation
2005: Contractors were engaged to manually remove pine seedlings - pines were defined as a weed. Other weeds not controlled
2005-2012: Site left to rehabilitate.
