Practical Ecology uses local provenance indigenous plants to create thriving, self-sustaining habitats. Our clients include land managers seeking to increase biodiversity as well as developers fulfilling council permit requirements
Building in areas of native vegetation often means having to ‘offset’ environmental damage through mitigating actions such as revegetation. Other clients, like Melbourne Water and Parks Victoria, have internal policies that aim to increase the quality of the vegetation they manage. We also realise that revegetation isn’t always appropriate, such as where remnant native vegetation could be managed to regenerate naturally – a cheaper and better option.
As Practical Ecology has been managing native vegetation since 1993, we are experienced at using the appropriate indigenous plants in their appropriate ecological niches to create thriving habitats. Our revegetation is based on Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) – the plants that would have been found on that site prior to European settlement. Plantings based on EVCs save money (site-adapted plants require less maintenance) and protect biodiversity while sustaining fauna and enhancing the sense of place. Because our plantings are well-designed and prepared we achieve plant survival rates of 80–90 percent.
Because Practical Ecology offers integrated vegetation management, we can design the revegetation as part of a Property Management Plan, or else work from an existing plan. While some sites only require supplementary planting to complement existing indigenous vegetation, degraded sites may require herbicide weed-control and mulching to suppress weed-growth and retain moisture. Healthy, local provenance indigenous plants are sourced from our network of partner nurseries, these are then planted, watered-in and guarded against browsing animals. A period of maintenance ensures the plants get the start they need to out-compete weeds and becoming self-sustaining. Our aim is to create natural-looking, self-sustaining habitats that require little long-term maintenance.
A Melbourne Water building contractor constructing an underground flow control facility illegally dumped soil on an area of native vegetation. As part of site rehabilitation measures required by the Department of Sustainability and Environment, the company needed to commission and implement a site rehabilitation plan. Practical Ecology was contracted to implement this plan.
Before planting, Practical Ecology thoroughly controlled weeds in the 2000 m2 area and installed erosion-control barriers to protect exposed soil. The site was mulched to a depth of 75mm to retain moisture and prevent weeds re-establishing. As the area was known to have a rabbit problem, the site was enclosed in a rabbit-proof fence and the enclosure baited with Pindone. Practical Ecology had previously organised local nurseries to grow a mix of 7800 local provenance native plants. The plants were planted at the required density of four plants per square meter.
Good weed control allowed the plants to quickly establish and grow. Practical Ecology’s thorough site-preparation meant a plant survival rate of 90-95% was achieved with minimal weed re-growth. Practical Ecology’s experience with large revegetation projects led to a thriving planting, saving our client significant maintenance costs.
Photo: Revegetation of degraded area, Mernda
The owners of a Dandenong factory proposed expanding its buildings to cater for growing demand. The proposed expansion required the removal of a river red gum, for which they would need a permit under the City of Greater Dandenong Planning Scheme.
Practical Ecology assessed the site with the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s Victorian Native Vegetation Framework methodology, determining that the tree was a ‘Very Large Old Tree’ under their classification system. As the removal of the tree couldn’t be avoided, it needed to be ‘offset’ through environmental gains such as planting new trees or protecting other native vegetation. As there was no other native vegetation on the site, revegetation was the only potential offset. A Net Gain Analysis determined 180 plants would be needed to meet the legislative requirements for the removal of the red gum. Practical Ecology drew up a detailed revegetation plan including weed spraying and mulching the revegetation areas, planting 180 indigenous plants of local provenance and ongoing weed control to ensure the plants thrived.
Practical Ecology’s detailed report and revegetation program allowed for the expansion of the factory by offsetting the loss of the red gum with a successful revegetation plan.
Map: Tree removal and Net Gain Offset site, Dandenong
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