Reducing your mowing regime in grassy areas that contain some indigenous vegetation can also be an effective way of encouraging the natural vegetation of your property to regenerate. In suburban or cleared areas, replanting with quality nursery stock will almost certainly be required to establish indigenous plants on your land. Windbreaks, shelterbelts and wildlife corridors Local indigenous plants are great to use when creating a windbreak, shelterbelt or a wildlife corridor. Windbreaks or shelterbelts can help to improve productivity of farms, reduce wind erosion and improve comfort in the home. A well designed windbreak can reduce wind speed by more than 70 per cent and shelter an area roughly by 20 times the mature height of the trees planted. Many farmers are now dividing crops and pasture with thickets of indigenous vegetation to reduce evaporation rates and attract insectivorous animals. In turn, these animals help to protect crops from insect attack. Many landowners with isolated or small stands of remnant trees on their properties are now restoring understorey vegetation to improve the health of existing trees and to link these areas with local wildlife corridors. For a windbreak to be effective, it should be structured over a wide area with different tiers of vegetation. A gentle upward slope will deflect wind to a higher elevation, while a steep windbreak tends to be less effective. Factsheets on shelterbelt design are available at . Environmental Recover Action Plans. The Department of Environment and Primary Industries also have several factsheets on shelterbelt design. Fire and the environment Fire has been a natural part of for thousands of years. Australia’s ecosystems Indigenous plants have successfully adapted to its presence and some species even rely on fire to stimulate reproduction. The need to plan for fire prevention should always be considered when undertaking planting or landscaping works, especially in areas that are prone to bushfire.
Reducing your mowing regime in grassy areas that contain some indigenous vegetation can also be an effective way of encouraging the natural vegetation of your property to regenerate. In suburban or cleared areas, replanting with quality nursery stock will almost certainly be required to establish indigenous plants on your land. Windbreaks, shelterbelts and wildlife corridors Local indigenous plants are great to use when creating a windbreak, shelterbelt or a wildlife corridor. Windbreaks or shelterbelts can help to improve productivity of farms, reduce wind erosion and improve comfort in the home. A well designed windbreak can reduce wind speed by more than 70 per cent and shelter an area roughly by 20 times the mature height of the trees planted. Many farmers are now dividing crops and pasture with thickets of indigenous vegetation to reduce evaporation rates and attract insectivorous animals. In turn, these animals help to protect crops from insect attack. Many landowners with isolated or small stands of remnant trees on their properties are now restoring understorey vegetation to improve the health of existing trees and to link these areas with local wildlife corridors. For a windbreak to be effective, it should be structured over a wide area with different tiers of vegetation. A gentle upward slope will deflect wind to a higher elevation, while a steep windbreak tends to be less effective. Factsheets on shelterbelt design are available at . Environmental Recover Action Plans. The Department of Environment and Primary Industries also have several factsheets on shelterbelt design. Fire and the environment Fire has been a natural part of Australia’s ecosystems for thousands of years. Indigenous plants have successfully adapted to its presence and some species even rely on fire to stimulate reproduction. The need to plan for fire prevention should always be considered when undertaking planting or landscaping works, especially in areas that are prone to bushfire.