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North Central Network protects Natural Lowland Grasslands
Land managers across North Central Victoria have formed a Conservation Management Network to protect one of the most endangered ecosystems in Australia-Natural Lowland Grasslands.
"Only 0.5 per cent of Northern Plains native grasslands remain in our region and they contain an excessively high number of threatened species," said Aaron Gay, Biodiversity Team Leader with the North Central Catchment Management Authority.
Funding
To combat this decline in biodiversity, the Network has been developed with funding from the Australian Government and support from the State Government.
Activities
Changing land uses since European settlement have dramatically reduced the amount of native grasslands and greatly fragmented them over the landscape.
Today they can be found in isolated patches along railway lines, roadsides, crown land and freehold land. An impressive diversity of plant and animal species live within these native grasslands including many endangered species such as the Red Swainson-pea, Spiny Rice-flower, Striped Legless Lizard and Plains-wanderer.
The Northern Plains Conservation Management Network provides links between those who manage remaining patches of native grasslands so they can share knowledge, coordinate their works and put funding to best use.
"We both educate private landholders and work with public land managers through field trips and night surveys, on how they can better conserve these grasslands," said Aaron.
"We've employed a grasslands extension officer to develop property-based management plans with landholders to help protect these threatened ecosystems into the future. As well as this, we provide financial incentives for fencing and building stock troughs, as well as advice and detailed flora species lists."
The Network publishes a quarterly newsletter, easy-to-understand posters and brochures for the general community, and makes presentations to landcare groups.
Achievements
Aaron said that many landholders were already managing their grasslands in a sustainable way and the challenge was to get the message out more broadly.
"A number of native grass species contain high protein levels and grow all year round, this can provide a reliable source of fodder for stock," he said. "They are part of a natural system that self-seeds and doesn't require fertilising.
"So our aim is to improve landholders' awareness and understanding of the overall biodiversity value of grassland ecosystems and ensure conservation activities are an essential part of sustainable farming."
More information
- Aaron Gay, Biodiversity Team Leader, North Central Catchment Management Authority: (03) 5448 7124 or aaron.gay@nccma.vic.gov.au
- North Central Catchment Management Authority website: www.nccma.vic.gov.au
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