How do vegetation Yes but see comments above and The cover of vegetation in regions of the bank Based on patterns of responses to CEW in Appendix E inundated by spring freshes increased following changes in percent cover of vary between sites spring freshes at Loch Garry but not at McCoys vegetation along the with different Bridge where vegetation cover did not change. elevation gradient pre and channel features Although spring freshes are likely to have post fresh at each site. and different bank contributed to the increase in vegetation cover, Mean cover of vegetation at conditions? it was not possible to distinguish flow effects transects located on from natural variation in cover. Further outside, inside and straight monitoring is needed to determine if patterns sections of the stream persist. It is unclear why responses of vegetation to the spring fresh differed among sites, but one possibility is that these sites are at different points along their recovery trajectories after drought and floods. The cover of vegetation tended to be lower on outside bends of the river compared with straight sections or inside bends. This pattern is consistent with typical distributions of bank stability in rivers with inner bends generally being most stable and thereby providing suitable conditions for vegetation establishment. Short-term evaluation questions Does the CEW Yes but see comments in row 1 of The elevation reached by spring freshes Based on patterns of contribution to this table and in Appendix E represents a boundary in the distribution of change in vegetation cover spring freshes and some species along the bank. Several species and inundation along the high flows trigger with an affinity for wet habitats were limited to elevation gradient resulting germination and regions inundated by the fresh, whereas the from spring freshes new growth of native perennial grass Poa labillardierei Presence of woody recruits native riparian preferred elevations at or above the inundation along the elevation gradient vegetation level. along with the upper communities on the Vegetation cover within the region of the bank elevation inundated by banks of the lower inundated by spring freshes was higher spring freshes at both sites. Goulburn River? following the spring fresh at Loch Garry but not at McCoys Bridge. Woody recruits represented by Acacia dealbata and Eucalyptus camaldulensis were rare and limited to higher elevation that experience shorter and more shallow inundation. How does CEW Unknown as yet, requires 2015 survey data delivered as low flows and freshes contribute to maintaining new growth and recruitment of native vegetation on the banks of the lower Goulburn River?
How do vegetation responses to CEW vary between sites with different channel features and different bank conditions? Yes but see comments above and in Appendix E The cover of vegetation in regions of the bank inundated by spring freshes increased following spring freshes at Loch Garry but not at McCoys Bridge where vegetation cover did not change. Although spring freshes are likely to have contributed to the increase in vegetation cover, it was not possible to distinguish flow effects from natural variation in cover. Further monitoring is needed to determine if patterns persist. It is unclear why responses of vegetation to the spring fresh differed among sites, but one possibility is that these sites are at different points along their recovery trajectories after drought and floods. The cover of vegetation tended to be lower on outside bends of the river compared with straight sections or inside bends. This pattern is consistent with typical distributions of bank stability in rivers with inner bends generally being most stable and thereby providing suitable conditions for vegetation establishment. Based on patterns of changes in percent cover of vegetation along the elevation gradient pre and post fresh at each site. Mean cover of vegetation at transects located on outside, inside and straight sections of the stream Short-term evaluation questions Does the CEW contribution to spring freshes and high flows trigger germination and new growth of native riparian vegetation communities on the banks of the lower Goulburn River? Yes but see comments in row 1 of this table and in Appendix E The elevation reached by spring freshes represents a boundary in the distribution of some species along the bank. Several species with an affinity for wet habitats were limited to regions inundated by the fresh, whereas the native perennial grass Poa labillardierei preferred elevations at or above the inundation level. Vegetation cover within the region of the bank inundated by spring freshes was higher following the spring fresh at Loch Garry but not at McCoys Bridge. Woody recruits represented by Acacia dealbata and Eucalyptus camaldulensis were rare and limited to higher elevation that experience shorter and more shallow inundation. Based on patterns of change in vegetation cover and inundation along the elevation gradient resulting from spring freshes Presence of woody recruits along the elevation gradient along with the upper elevation inundated by spring freshes at both sites. How does CEW delivered as low flows and freshes contribute to maintaining new growth and recruitment of native vegetation on the banks of the lower Goulburn River? Unknown as yet, requires 2015 survey data
goulburn-ltim-report.docx