The Victorian Naturalist Eas =< — eke RPS Lis nts 44 Volume 113 (1) 19942, ; } February Published by The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria since 1884 CTORIA “wn From the Editors Members Observations As an introduction to his naturalist note on page 29, George Crichton had written: ‘Dear Editors I was not sure if it was of any relevance, as of late years the Journal has become 3 very scientific, and ordinary nature reports or gossip of little importance ...... We would be very sorry if members felt they could not contribute to The Victorian Naturalist, and we assure all our readers that the editors would be more than pleased to publish their nature reports or notes. We can, however, only print material that we actually receive and you are encouraged to send in your observations and notes or suggestions for topics you would like to see published. These articles would be termed Naturalist Notes - see in our editorial policy below. Editorial Policy Scope The Victorian Naturalist publishes articles on all facets of natural history. Its primary aims are to stimulate interest in natural history and to encourage the publication of arti- cles in both formal and informal styles on a wide range of natural history topics. Authors may submit the material in the following forms: Research Reports - succinct and original scientific communications. Contributions - may consist of reports, comments, observations, survey results, bib- liographies or other material relating to natural history. The scope is broad and little defined to encourage material on a wide range of topics and in a range of styles. This allows inclusion of material that makes a contribution to our knowledge of natural his- tory but for which the traditional format of scientific papers is not appropriate. Naturalist Notes - short and informal natural history communications. These may include reports on excursions, talks or noteworthy observations. Book Reviews - priority is given to major Australian publications on natural history. Whilst reviews are commissioned, the editors welcome suggestions of books to be considered for review. News - any items of news concerning the FNCV. Obituaries - due to space restrictions please try to limit this to 500 words and one photograph. The style shoutd follow the traditional format of scientific papers. Preference will be given to short articles not exceeding 2500 words. Review Procedures Research reports and some contributions are subject to refereeing. The Victorian Naturalist is not in general a taxonomic journal but will publish taxonomic papers not provided for in Australian taxonomic journals. The editors reserve the right to accept or reject material submitted for publication. Authors Copies Five complimentary copies of the journal will be sent to authors for their use. Reprints and additional copies of the journal can be arranged at the time of the final submission of the paper. : The Victorian Naturalist Volume 113 (1) 1996 February Editors: Ed and Pat Grey Research Reports Negative Effects of Fuel Reduction Burning on Habitat of Grey- crowned Babbler, by P. Adam and D. RobDINSON ....c.c.c.c.csesc0000s 4 Drifting Sand and Marram Grass on the South-west Coast of Victoria in the Last Century, by J Heathcote and S. Maroske .. 10 Contributions A Transient Soil Seed Bank for the Yam Daisy, by /.D. Lunt.... 16 The Little Pygmy-possum: An Addition to the Fauna of SOU - West vVAGlON An ViLs HMCONOLEL,.., gtrdr rte ieee censors 20 Naturalist Notes | Wombat Behaviour, by G.K. Smith .....c.cccccscsessscsesessereteeseseeeees 25 Middle Yarra Timelines: High Summer, by G. Jameson, Naturalist in Residence ......:ccceceseerreereeieees 26 Greater Glider with Pouched Young, by R.G. Taylor ........::0++++ 29 Magpies, Dy G.A. Crichton ...cceccscsssesssscsesessrarenenesseveseneroensnonoens 29 How to be a Field Naturalist Photography, Dy W. CLArK .....c.ccsssseesessseeneestststeeneeseanenesennens 31 Book Reviews Saving a Continent. Towards a Sustainable Future, by David Smith, reviewer Robert Waillisen May tenet ant deen .s 31 The Dingo in Australia and Asia, by Laurie Corbett, reviewer Brian COMAN.......+.+.ereereiee 32 Wildlife of the Australian Snow-country, by Ken Green and William Osborne, reviewer Robert WALLIS .......ccccecerereer cess: 34 Kangaroos. The Biology of the Largest Marsupials, by Terence T. Dawson, reviewer Graeme GOMS OR recs sarcsaxcstat sts 35 The Fauna of Tasmania: Birds, by R.H. Green, reviewer Peter BroWN.s..s.ecssecssrersscerererersestecenersesennenancentrstenens 37 In Search of the Buttercup - A Ramble, by Frank Shepherd, reviewer R.J. Fletcher.....csssscscssssecessseevenenerecesenseneseseseneneseansnanens 38 ISSN 0042-5184 Cover: Wombat carrying young. Photo by G.K. Smith. (see page 25) SS eee eee Research Reports Negative Effects of Fuel-reduction Burning on the Habitat of the Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis P. Adam! and D. Robinson’ Abstract We examined the effects of annual fuel-reduction burning on the roadside habitat of the endan- gered Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis in the former Violet Town Shire in north- em Victoria, Approximately 25% of the Victorian population of the Grey-crowned Babbler is found in Violet Town Shire, and more than 90% of those birds depend on remnant woodland habitat found along the roadsides, Conservation of the Grey-crowned Babbler therefore requires appropriate man- agement of roadside habitat, The numbers of trees, saplings, wattles, Babblers’ nests and Babblers were recorded along the burnt and unburnt sides of an 11 km section of strategic firebreak road which supported 14 known groups of Grey-crowned Babblers. With the exception of trees more than 10 m tall, all other size-classes of trees and wattles were less common on the burnt side of the road than on the unburnt side, Five times as many Babblers’ nests were recorded in plants on the unburnt side of the road as on the burnt side, and all Babblers seen during the survey were observed on the unburnt side. The results thus indicate that fuel-reduction burning is having a considerable impact on the habitat of the Grey-crowned Babbler and that fire-prevention practices need to be modified to protect roadside habitat for the Grey-crowned Babbler and other understorey-dependent species, A range of alternative fire-prevention practices is suggested here. (The Victorian Naturalist 113 (1) 1996, 4-9) Introduction The Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatosto- mus temporalis is a threatened species of woodland bird in south-eastern Australia, It lives in family groups of about two to fifteen birds which occupy permanent ter- ritories of about ten hectares in size. In contrast to many species of birds, the Grey-crowned Babbler sleeps in a nest at night, the whole family roosting together in a single nest. The bulky stick nests are built in eucalypt saplings, small trees or mature wattles, and several nests are usu- ally in active use by the same family at any one time, The Grey-crowned Babbler has recently become extinct in south-east- ern South Australia, is endangered in Victoria (CNR 1995) and is declining in parts of New South Wales and southern Queensland (Robinson ef al. in prep.). In every part of its range, the principal cause of decline has been extensive habitat clearing (Robinson and Davidson in prep.). The other significant cause of decline has been, and still is, the severe modification of Babbler habitat by a range of degrading processes, nolably grazing, intensified land use, roadside earthworks, ! RMB 2066, Violet Town 3669 2 RMB 1134, Benalla 3673 4 weed invasion, and fire prevention works (Robinson et al. in prep.; Robinson and Davidson in prep.). Predation by cats and birds may also be a significant cause of decline in certain districts (Robinson and Davidson in prep.). The habitat of the Grey-crowned Babbler in Victoria comprises five critical elements: woodland or open-forest vegeta- tion communities on fertile or heavy soils; relatively many trees in the immediate landscape in contrast to sites without Grey-crowned Babblers; relatively many trees larger than about 60 cm trunk diame- ter at breast height (dbh); an understorey of young trees and shrubs in the 10-25 cm dbh range for nest sites and shelter and a relatively sparse ground layer with more litter and less grass cover than at non-bab- bler sites (Robinson and Davidson in prep.), Wherever one or more of these habitat elements is missing, or is removed, Grey-crowned Babblers are absent, or soon disappear (Robinson and Davidson in prep.). In northern Victoria, the most signifi- cant element missing in the remaining woodland landscape is an understorey of young trees and shrubs, In the former Violet Town Shire - the most important The Victorian Naturalist Research Reports locality in Victoria for Grey-crowned Babblers - 370 km (80%) of the 463 km of public road surveyed in 1993 had a sparse understorey or none at all, and 96 km (93%) of the 103 km of unused reads with trees had a sparse understorey or none at all (Robinson er al. in prep.). While graz- ing is the major cause of death of young trees and shrubs in the woodland land- scape, fire-prevention works along select- ed roadsides in Violet Town Shire have been a significant, additional cause of the death of young trees and shrubs. Here we report on the effects of that control-burn- ing on the habitat and abundance of the Grey-crowned Babbler. Study Area and Methods The former Violet Town Shire (now part of Strathbogie Shire) is located in north-eastern Victoria between the Strathbogie Ranges and the Broken River. The Shire contains by far the largest popu- lation of Grey-crowned Babblers found in the State (about 90 groups, or 25% of the known State population) (Robinson er al. in prep). The Strathbogie Shire is, further- more, the principal public authority responsible for the conservation of the Grey-crowned Babbler in the Violet Town district; firstly because more than 90% of Babblers depend on vegetation found along public roads managed by the Shire (Robinson and Davidson in prep.), and secondly because the Grey-crowned Babbler is listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988). Accordingly, as stated under Part 1, 4(2) of the Act, ‘a public authority must be administered so as to have regard to the flora and fauna conservation objectives’. These objectives include Part 1, 4(1): (a) to guarantee that all taxa of Victoria’s flora and fauna other than the taxa listed in Schedule 1 can survive, flourish and retain their potential for evolutionary develop- ment in the wild; (b) to conserve Victoria’s communities of flora and fauna, and (c) to manage potentially threatening processes. As in many other Shires, Violet Town (Strathbogie) Shire and the Country Fire Authority have identified several roads to Vol. 113 (1) 1996 be managed as strategic firebreaks for the prevention of the spread of fire and access in the event of a fire. However, in contrast to the situation in most other Shires, two of these roads also provide habitat for the Grey-crowned Babbler, altogether sup- porting some 18 groups (20% of the Shire’s population and 5% of the State's population) (Fig. 1). We used one of these strategic firebreak roads as our study area. The Violet Town-Dookie Road is a three-chain-wide (60 m) road reserve which supports 14 Babbler groups over a 14 km section (Fig. 1), Management of both sides of the road in the Babbler sec- tion has been similar over the past 30 years, with the one exception of fire con- trol (P. Adam, pers. obs). For the last 30 years, the east side of the road has been burnt every year, whereas the west side has never been burnt (apart from a 3 km section burnt three years ago. This was excluded from our study). On both sides of the road, a 5-m-wide firebreak is scraped close to the fenceline. Three months after the east side of the Violet Town-Dookie Rd was burnt in late January, 1994, we travelled 11 km of road and counted on the east (burnt) side and west (unburnt) side, the number of euca- lypts more than 10 m tall, eucalypts between 6 and 10 m tall, eucalypts between 2 and 5 m, eucalypts less than | m, Golden Wattles Acacia pycnantha more than 1 m high, Golden Wattles less than 1 m high and other wattles. We also recorded the number of Babblers’ nests and the number of Babbler groups sighted. Because the area burnt is restricted to the road side of the scraped firebreak, we only collected information for the approximate- ly 10 m wide area between the road edge and the scraped firebreak. Results Altogether, there were twice as many irees and shrubs on the unburnt side of the road as on the burnt side (Table 1). Trees more than 10 m tall were more common on the burnt side of the road. All other cat- egories of plant were less common on the burnt side than on the unburnt side (Table1). In contrast to the well-estab- 5 Research Reports KILOMETRES. Fig. 1. The distribution of Grey-crowned Babblers and strategic firebreak roads in the northern part of Violet Town Shire. Roads marked ‘to Murchison’ and ‘to Dookie’ are strategic firebreak roads. Dots indicate localities of known groups of Grey-crowned Babblers. Broad black lines show sealed roads. Thin lines show unsealed roads. lished finding that wattles are favoured by fires (Christensen and Kimber 1975; Purdie and Slatyer 1976; Gill 1981; Shea et al. 1981; Hamilton et al. 1991), the number of Golden Wattles shrubs on the unburnt side as on the burnt side, and every Babbler group sighted during the two-day survey was observed on the unburnt side (Table 1).More than 50 Varnish Wattles and several hundred of each of the three other species were count- ed on the unburnt side, while only 24 Bent-leaf Wattles, 40 Gold-dust Wattles re-sprouting from roots and 67 Spreading Wattles were recorded on the burnt side. No Varnish Wattles at all were recorded on the burnt side of the road. Significantly, nearly all of the wattles growing on the 6 burnt side of the road were growing in unburnt ‘islands’. Considering only those trees and shrubs that represent potential nest trees for Grey- crowned Babblers (eucalypts between 2- 10 m high and Golden Wattles > 1 m high), there were 2.5 times as many poten- tial nest trees on the unburnt side as on the burnt side (Table 1). Five times as many babblers’ nests were recorded in trees and- shrubs on the unburnt side as on the burnt side, and every Babbler group sighted dur- ing the two-day survey was observed on the unburnt side (Table 1). Discussion Most studies of the effects of fuel- reduction burning on landbirds in The Victorian Naturalist Research Reports Table 1. Numbers of eucalypts, wattles and Grey-crowned Babblers and nests on the unburnt and burnt roadsides of the Violet Town Dookie Rd. Potential nest trees comprise all eucalypts 2-10 m high and all Golden Wattles > 1 m high. Category ye ; urn Burnt Ubnurnt/ Burnt Ratio Eucalypts > 10 m high 09 Eucalypts 6-9 m high 1.3 Eucalypts 2-5 m high 5 1.9 Eucalypts < 1 m high All Eucalypts 2031 Golden Wattles > 1 mhigh 1100 Golden Wattles< 1 mhigh 351 All Golden Wattles 1451 Other Wattles > 1 m high 167 Other Wattles< i mbhigh 1068 All Other Wattles 1235 All Potential Nest Trees 2525 Babbler Nests 40 Babbler Groups 4 Australia have concluded that fuel-reduc- tion burning either increases species diver- sity (Kimber 1974; Christensen and Kimber 1975; Christensen et al. 1985; McFarland 1988) or else has little long- term effect on bird populations (Cowley 1974; Loyn et al. 1992) - so long as the area is not burnt too often. Our study clearly showed that fuel- reduction burning is having a consider- able, detrimental impact on the habitat of the Grey-crowned Babbler and therefore on the bird itself. Because of repeated, annual burning, there were fewer numbers of saplings and wattles on the burnt side of the strategic firebreak road than on the unburnt side. There was consequently less understorey habitat in which the Babblers could nest or shelter. As a result, there was one-fifth the number of babblers’ nests on the burnt side of the road, Control burning is thus effectively restricting the Grey- crowned Babbler population to one side of the road, and preventing new groups from establishing in otherwise suitable habitat along the burnt side of the road. The induction that fuel-reduction burning gen- erally increases species diversity or bene- fits wildlife communities must therefore be regarded with caution (Wooller and Calver 1988): it has only been tested in a Vol. 113 (1) 1996 few environments; it is only applicable to certain wildlife communities or certain species and it is only valuable in those communities or for certain taxa if the land managers burn the environment according to ecological principles rather than for other reasons (Meredith 1988). Given that (a) the largest remaining population of Grey-crowned Babblers in Victoria is found in Violet Town (Strathbogie) Shire, (b) 20% of the Shire’s Babbler popula- tion is found along two strategic fire- break roads, and (c) current fire-prevention practices are reducing the area of potential habitat for the Grey-crowned Babbler, fire-prevention practices along those two roads and other strategic firebreak road- sides within the Grey-crowned Babbler’s range need to be examined to establish whether or not changes can be made which increase the area of potential Babbler habitat without jeopardising the safety of human life or property. The Shire and the Country Fire Authority have a legal responsibility under the Country Fire Authority Act 1958 to minimise the risk of wildfire. They also have a legal responsibility under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 to con- serve the Grey-crowned Babbler. The crit- ical issue from the perspective of conser- vation is that roadsides provide the princi- pal habitat for 98% of all Babbler groups in Violet Town Shire. Furthermore, because Grey-crowned Babblers are dependent on sites with old trees (Robinson and Davidson in prep.), their habitat cannot easily be created elsewhere. Protection of roadside habitat consequent- ly remains the priority for Babbler conser- vation for at least another 100 years until regeneration on private land can provide alternative, mature woodland habitat for the birds (Robinson and Davidson in prep.). : The Country Fire Authority has already undertaken the first step towards conserva- tion of Grey-crowned Babbler habitat by only burning one side of the strategic fire- break roads in Violet Town Shire. The 7 Research Reports next step is to evaluate whether there is any need for any fire control measures within the road reserves with Babbler habitat; understanding that the strategic firebreak roads have the dual functions of preventing the spread of fire and of pro- viding safe access in the case of fire (Shire of Violet Town 1993). The understorey and ground cover along the unburnt side of the Violet Town-Dookie Rd consists predominantly of Acacias and native grasses (mostly Danthonia spp., Stipa spp. and Elymus scaber) and the fire hazard may well be low (Meredith 1988). In that case, no fire-prevention works may be required, or else works may be needed only once every 5-20 years. Even given that some fire-prevention measures are needed along the roads, localised fire control could occur within Grey-crowned Babbler habitat by means which left some of the under- storey intact (e.g. by slashing or burning only areas of vegetation identified as hav- ing high fuel loads or as being a threat, Petris and Spittle 1994), or that which resulted in patches of unburnt and burnt clumps of understorey vegetation along the roadsides. Alternatively, if those sec- tions of roadside with Babbler habitat were assessed as having high fuel loads, the CFA could relocate the strategic firebreaks to other, low conservation- value roads; although this option requires the existence of other wide roads that could provide the dual functions of the firebreak roads (only partly possible in Violet Town Shire). Another option might be to construct alternative access routes through nearby paddocks to avoid the roadside habitat with its many trees. Similarly, it might be better to construct firebreaks on adjacent farmland rather than maintaining firebreaks along the roadside and beneath trees (Oates 1994; Petris and Spittle 1994), Without a detailed inspection of the Strategic firebreak roads by fire-prevention planners and ecologists, it is impossible to prescribe the most appropriate means of fire control for either road. However, - unless such alternatives as outlined above are considered soon, the understorey habi- 8 tat required by the Grey-crowned Babbler and some other species of wildlife will continue to disappear, so preventing popu- lations of those species from increasing in size or, in some instances, causing those species’ further decline. Acknowledgments This project was part of a three year study con- ducted by the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union with funding from the National Estate Grants Program, Vic Roads and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. To all of these organisations, we express our thanks. Our thanks also to Mr John Dunn, the former Shire Engineer of Violet Town Shire and to members of the Sheep Pen Creek Land Management Group for their support. Comments by David Baker-Gabb, Ian Davidson, Pat and Ed Grey, Sally Mann, Charlie Meredith, Stephen Petris and a referee improved earlier drafts. References Christensen, P.E. and Kimber, P.C. (1975). Effect of prescribed burning on the flora and fauna of south- west Australian forests. Proceedings of the Ecolagical Society of Australia 9: 85-107, Christensen, P.E.S., Wardell-Johnson, G. and Kimber, P. (1985). Birds and fire in southwestern forests. In ‘Birds of Eucalypt Forests and Woodlands: Ecology, Conservation, Management’. Eds A. Keast, H.F. Recher, H. Ford and D, Saunders, (RAOU and Surrey Beatty & Sons: Sydney). CNR (1995). Threatened Fauna in Victoria - 1995. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Melbourne. Cowley, R.D. (1974). Effects of prescribed burning on birds of the mixed species forests of west central Victoria. /n ‘Proceedings of the Third Fire Ecology Symposium’,(Monash University; Melbourne). Gill, A.M. (1981). Adaptive responses of Australian vascular plant species to fires. In ‘Fire and the Australian Biota’. Eds A.M, Gill, R.H. Groves and 1,R. Noble. (Australian Academy of Science: Canberra). Hamilton, §.D., Lawrie, A.C., Hopmans, P. and Leonard, B.V. (1991). Effects of fuel-reduction burning on a Eucalyptus obliqua torest ecosystem in Victoria. Australian Journal of Botany 39: 203- 217. Kimber, P.C. (1974). Some effects of prescribed burn- ing on jarrah forest birds, Jn “Proceedings of the 3rd Fire Ecology Symposium.’ (Forests Commission of Vic; Melbourne). Loyn, R.H., Hewish, M.J. and Considine, M, (1992), Short-term effects of fuel reduction burning on bird populations in Wombat State Forest. Jn ‘Ecological Impacts of Fuel Reduction burning in Dry Sclerophyll Forest: First progress Report”. Eds K. The Victorian Naturalist Research Reports Tolhurst and D. Flinn, (Dept of Conservation and Environment, Melbourne). McFarland, D. (1988). The composition, microhabitat use and response to fire of the avifauna of subtropi- cal heathlands in Cooloola National Park, Queeensland. Emu 88: 249-257, Meredith, C. (1988). ‘Fire in the Victorian environ- ment: a discussion paper’. (Conservation Council of Victoria: Melbourne). Oates, N. (1994) ‘Draft Roadside Management Plan for the Shires of Benalla, Euroa, Violet Town’. Petris, S. and Spittle, J. (1994). ‘Roadside Management Guidelines for Fire Prevention Planners’. (Country Fire Authority: Melbourne). Purdie, R.W. and Slatyer, R.O. (1976). Vegetation succession after fire in sclerophyll woodland com- munities in south-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Ecology 1: 223-236, Robinson, D, and Davidson. I. (in prep.). Management plan for the conservation of the Grey-crowned Babbler in Victoria (DCNR), Robinson, D., Davidson, 1. and Lockwood, D. (in prep.). Inaction equals extinction: a case study with the Grey-crowned Babbler. Shea, S.R., Peet, G.B. and Cheney, N.P. (1981), The role of fire in forest management. Jn ‘Fire and the Australian Biota’. Eds A.M. Gill, R.H. Groves and I.R. Noble, (Australian Academy of Science: Canberra), Shire of Violet Town (1993). *‘Roadsides Vegetation Strategy’. (Shire of Violet Town). Wooller, R.D, and Calver, M.C, (1988). Changes in an assemblage of small birds in the understorey of dry sclerophyll forest in south-western Australia after fire. Australian Wildlife Research 15: 331-338. Recent Additions to the FNCV Library Albrecht, D. (1993). ‘Collecting and Preserving Herbarium Specimens’. (National Herbarium: Melbourne). Asian Association for Biology Education. 14th Biennial Conference, (1992). ‘Environmental Management in Asia’. (Deakin University, Rusden Campus: Melbourne). Augee, M. and Gooden, B, (1993). ‘Echidnas of Australia and New Guinea’. (NSWUP: Kensington, NSW). Backhouse, G. and Jeans, J. (1995). “The Orchids of Victoria’. (Miegunyah Press: Melbourne). Calder, D.M. and Calder, J. (1994). ‘The Forgotten Forests: a field guide to Victoria’s Box and [Ironbark Country’. (VNPA: Melbourne). Costermans, L. (1994). ‘Trees of Victoria and Adjoining Areas’. 5th Ed. (Costermans: Frankston, Victoria). Cronin, L (1987). ‘Key Guide to Australian Wildflowers’. (Reed: Chatsworth, NSW). ‘Flora of Australia’. Volume 55. (1994). (CSIRO: Canberra). Kemp, B. (1994). ‘Organ Pipes National Park: A Natural History’. (Friends of Organ Pipes National Park: Keilor, Victoria). Klippel, K. (1992), ‘Wildlife Data Search: Threatened Animal Species of New South Wales’. (Total Environment Centre: Sydney). Vol. 113 (1) 1996 Mansergh, I. and Broome, L. (1994). ‘The Mountain Pygmy-possum of the Australian Alps’. (NSWUP: Kensington, NSW). Morton, S.R., Short, J. and Barker, R.D. (1995). ‘Refugia for Biological Diversity in Arid and Semi-arid Australia’. (DEST: Canberra). Nachtigall, W. (1974). ‘Insects in Flight’. (Allen & Unwin: London). Pescott, T. (1995), ‘The You Yangs Range’. (Yaugher: Belmont, Victoria). Rose, D.B. (ed.) (1995). ‘Country in Flames: Proceedings of the 1994 Symposium on Biodiversity and Fire in North Australia’. (DEST: Canberra) Simon-Brunet, B. (1994). ‘The Silken Web’. (Reed: Chatsworth, NSW). Slattery, K.P. and Wallis, R.L. (1993). ‘Threatened Flora in Austalia: a Select Bibliography’. (Deakin University, Rusden Campus: Melbourne). Strickland, K. and Strickland, P. (1994). ‘Peninsula Plants’. Volume 2. (Kareelah: Balnarring, Victoria). Tyler, M.J. (1994). ‘Australian Frogs’. Revised. edition, (Reed: Chatsworth, NSW). Walsh, N.G. and Entwisle, T.J. (1994). “Flora of Victoria’, Volume 2. (Inkata: Melbourne). Sheila Houghton ENCV, Hon. Librarian Research Reports Drifting Sand and Marram Grass on the South-west Coast of Victoria in the Last Century. Jill Heathcote! and Sara Maroske? Abstract Poor land management from the time of white setthkement quickly resulted in the degradation of coastal dunes on the south-west coast of Victoria. Local councils sought advice on how to stabilize the dunes from the Government Botanist, Ferdinand von Mueller. He recommended a combination of native and exotic species that could be used on the dunes. With colonial government support, and the success of local experiments by Samuel Avery, Marram Grass soon became the dominant species planted. Marram Grass Ammophila arenaria was exported to settlements along the Victorian coast, as well as to other colonies and overseas. Some native species of plants now appear to be re-establishing themselves on the dunes. (The Victorian Naturalist 113 (1) 1996, 10-15) Introduction The coastal dunes between Warrnambool and Port Fairy (formerly Belfast) have had more than their fair share of neglect and exploitation from the time of white settlement. Residents of both towns used the dunes for grazing, and practically all the timber was cut down for firewood. As the Harbour Master of Belfast, J. B. Mills, testified in 1858: ‘the coast for about seven miles to the west- ward of Warrnambool is composed of moderately high sand hummocks, partly covered with brushwood with [a] few bare sand patches, forming a great contrast with the coast further to the westward, which is formed of low grass hummocks’, (Examiner 9.4.1858), Within a few years the situation had deteriorated drastically and it was to be decades before the dunes were restabilized. Then they were not sim- ply restored, because solutions favoured the introduction of exotics rather than what was widely thought of as ‘native rub- bish’ (Standard 10.7.1886). Drifting sand Complaints about coastal sand drift were first made to the Belfast Council in 1865, and to that of Warrnambool in early 1866. The problem area for Belfast was identified as being near Gorman’s Lane (below Tower Hill), and that of Warrnambool, between the Hopkins and Merri Rivers (Fig. 1). Warrnambool was ; 136 Harrington Rd, Warrnambool, Victoria 3280 » The University of Melbourne, Department of History & Philosophy of Science, The University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria 3052 : 10 also concerned about the build up of sand around Thornton’s Jetty in Lady Bay, but this problem was eventually found to be due to tidal action rather than sand coming down the river (Gill 1985). Each council appointed a group ‘to consider the best means of counteracting the evil’ of drift sand (BM 23.1.1867), and Warmambool’s group recommended that stock should be fenced out of the eroded hummocks (Examiner 3.4.1866). The Town Clerk of Warrnambool, Henry Laurie, also suggest- ed seeking advice from the Government Botanist, and Director of the Melbourne Botanic Garden, Ferdinand von Mueller who had been supplying plants to the Council’s Botanic Garden since 1859 (WC 16.5.1866). Independently, an unidentified citizen also wrote to Mueller for advice and received a reply which reiterated what the councils had already been told by their committees about excluding animals. To revegetate the sand Mueller recommended a combination of natives (Allocasuarina verticillata and Mesembryanthemum sens, lat.) and exotics (Pinus pinaster and P. nigra var. corsicana). He also suggested planting the flats with reedy grasses and the Sand Tea-tree Leptospermum laeviga- tum (which may not have been indigenous to the area)*. Mueller argued that the native plants were a cheap and efficient solution to the sand problem because they could be collected locally at little expense and were known to be able to grow in local contions (Examiner 15.2.1867). More than a year passed before a The Victorian Naturalist Research Reports Tower NY) 1 \ \ a barrens Lane! Moyne JE Belfast UF KILOMETRES, PRINCES N % Vt ms Mery, SS 4 ‘Ye, 5 Hopkin Warrnambool Lady Bay oN Fig. 1. Map of Warrnambool and Port Fairy coastline (based on Natmap 1:100,000 series). Warrnambool Sand Committee inspected the hummocks, made suggestions about fencing and urged the Council to obtain the seeds Mueller had recommended (Examiner 5.5.1868). No one could accuse them of acting in haste! In 1868 the Shire Engineer of Belfast, Thomas E. Rawlinson, also made a report on sand encroachment. Rawlinson had learned from old residents that the sea coast of Villiers Shire was formerly cov- ered with bush and scrub consisting of honeysuckle (probably Banksia marginata), sheoak, dogwood or, as it was called locally, ‘Bushy Sloe’ (probably Bursaria spinosa) (Hannaford 1860), and grasses on the sandhills. The timber on the dunes had almost wholly disappeared and the grass had vanished in extensive areas, with the remainder rapidly receding. Rawlinson thought it would only be a mat- ter of time before the sand advanced on the adjacent farm land. In a conclusion that seemed well ahead of his times Rawlinson proposed that Mounts Eccles and Napier, with the surrounding stony country and Tower Hill reserve, should be included in the list of state forests, with restrictions for sheep runs and regulations for the conservation of timber (Examiner 5.5.1868). In 1875 Mueller visited the south-west coast in person and was very critical of the two councils. He thought it was reprehen- Vol. 113 (1) 1996 sible that the coastal strip had ever been used for pastoral commons because the result had been ‘a total annihilation of all the trees, bushes, sedges, creeping herbs and grasses’ (Standard 13.7.1875). The coastal land from the mouth of the Merri River to Gorman’s Lane was not gazetted as a reserve until 1873, and 194 acres of land between the Hopkins and Merri Rivers was only reserved for public pur- poses in 1875 (Standard 18.2.1873, 10.8.1875). Echoing his letter of nearly ten years before, Mueller recommended that no traffic or animals be allowed on the dunes. He reproduced his list of suitable sand-stays and added to it native Couch- grass (probably Cynodon dactylon now commonly regarded as exotic), Moonah Melaleuca lanceolata and for the first time the exotic Marram Grass Ammophila are- naria. In his encyclopedic work Select Extra-Tropical Plants Mueller identified the coasts of Europe, North Africa and Middle North America as the home of ‘moram’, ‘marram’ or ‘bent grass’. He recommended it as one of the most impor- tant grasses for binding drift sand because of its long creeping roots (e.g. Mueller 1876, 1895a). Mueller’s recommendations were publi- cized by the local press of both Warrnambool and Belfast. More impor- tantly they were sent to the Victorian Government which then sent the first of a 11 Research Reports number of seed consignments to Warrnambool in 1876. Warrnambool shared them with Belfast, Portland and Koroit (Standard 28.7.1876). The seed consignments included Marram Grass Ammophila arenaria, Lyme Grass Leymus arenarius, Sandstay Bush Leptospermum laevigatum, and Sand Coast Tea-tree Melaleuca lanceolata (Standard 29.5.1879). Sea Rocket Cakile maritima was also introduced around this time and its seeds are now eaten by the threatened Orange-bellied Parrot Neophema chryso- gaster (RAOU 1985). The gorse Ulex eruopaeus 18 now a problem weed in coastal areas at Portland, and Buffalo Grass Stenotaphrum secundatum grows in unexpected places in the coastal areas of Warrnambool. Both were recommended as sand-stays by Mueller (1876). The dunes are also host to large numbers of the European snail (Theba pisana), which was probably introduced during the trials of various plants. Warrnambool’s attempts at revegetation were plagued with difficulties. By 1879 the Merri River was almost blocked by a large shifting dune at Levi’s Point (Fig. 2). Vandals pulled up cuttings and cut the Couch Grass (Standard 24.6.1879). Rabbits were a constant nuisance (the Ranger reported that they were even eat- ing Boxthorn) (Standard 21.8.1879). Fires burnt out areas of vegetation**, and stock were still getting onto the hummocks. Belfast appears to have been more suc- cessful and planted between 30-40 acres (12-16 ha) with Marram Grass. In 1885 the Belfast Parks Committee informed Mueller of the excellent results they had achieved in arresting drift sand (Gazette 13.3.1885). Mueller sent them some more Marram Grass seeds and requested infor- mation of the results of the planting so that he could publicize it (e.g. Mueller 1894, 1895a, 1895b, 1895c). Much of Belfast’s success with Marram Grass can be attributed to the Ranger, Samuel Avery, who discovered a reliable way of establishing it. After propagating the seeds he transplanted the grass into rows, the depth of planting depending upon the nature of the soil (Fig. 3, Anon. 1893). Avery concluded to Mueller, ‘I do certainly say that if any person has got any sandy land which is of a shifting nature, Fig. 2. Levi’s Point Homestead c1873 with bare sand dunes clearly visible in the background (original watercolour in the possession of Russell Everard, Warrnambool). 12 The Victorian Naturalist Research Reports Port Fairy by Mueller, Gardeners’ Chronicle 16.12.1893). Ea Fig. 4. Marram grass and on which they can get nothing to grow, I would advise them to plant that grass, and they would soon have the land covered with vegetation, which would pre- vent the sand from drifting, and be feed for cattle, and the more the grass is dug Vol. 113 (1) 1996 at Rutledge’s Cutting, 1994 (photographed by J. Heathcote). out, burnt, or eaten off, the better it improves’, (Anon. 1894). Mueller was so impressed with Avery’s efforts that in July 1893 he offered to nominate him as a Fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society in England. When the matter was brought 13 Research Reports Table 1. Distributions of Marram Grass trom Port Fairy and Warrnambool, 1887-96, \Year 1887 Request for Sorrento Park, 29 June Thanks from Queenscliff, 7 July 1889 1892 1893 I ton of seed sent to SA (Gazette 7 July) 18 August) 1894 7 tons despatched (Standard 31 August) Grass sent to Brazil (Gazette 11 June) 1895 1896 Year 1892 1893 1894 Sydney and NZ, (Standard 29 August) Port Fairy H. Zerwonki asks for 10 tons (PM 26 June) Zerwonki states grass received in unsatisfactory condition (PM 7 July) Department of Public Works, Melbourne requests 50 tons at 21s per ton (PM 7 July) Avery receives jewellery from Zerwonki (PM 30 October) Departinent of Public Works, Melbourne orders 10 tons (PM 6 June) Mueller requests grass for WA, NZ and Natal (PM 21 June) Requests received from Robe (SA), Nhill, Agricultural Bureau, Narracoorte (SA), Stockton (NSW), Adelaide, Stawell, Hobart, Engineer-in-Chief of SA, and Orbost (Standard M asks for seed und a photograph (Gazette 13 October) Applications from various parts of the colony, and Harbours & Rivers Department of NSW. M requests seedlings for India (Gazette, 11 January) M asks for seed to send to India (PM 15 January) Warrnambool Request from Queenscliff (Standard 22 June) Request from Fremantle, and Van Dieman’s Land Company (Standard 6 July) Request from J. H. Conner of Barwon Heads (Standard 16 August) Grass sent to Bellarine Council with man to superintend planting. Small parcels sent to up at a Port Fairy Council meeting (Belfast reverted to its original name of Port Fairy in 1887), the councillors laughed at the idea of ‘Sam’ being a FRHS and they ‘but common councillors’ (Standard 1,7.1893), Once Avery's method of growing Marram Grass was perfected, it was plant- ed extensively all along the south western coast of Victoria (Fig, 4). Joseph Maiden, botanist and soon to be Director of the Sydney Botanic Gardens, concluded, ‘It has proved to be the most effectual sand- Stay ever planted’, (Maiden 1895), By the late 1880s Port Fairy, and later Warrnambool, sold it by the ton around Australia and overseas (Table 1, Port Fairy Borough Council [1895]). In 1889, for example, the Department of Public Works ordered SO tons at 21 shillings a ton from Port Fairy (PM 10,7.1889) so it seems that the Council did very well financially out of what began, for them, as a problem, Alter Mueller’s death in 1896 the Warrnambool Council acknowledged its 14 debt to him by proclaiming, ‘if it had not been for him introducing Marram Grass, the sand dunes would now be overrunning the country’ (Standard 21.10.1896). Port Fairy was less grateful and when the ques- ion of erecting a memorial to Mueller was raised, one councillor said he could not see any connection between the benefit received by the labouring class and the late Baron, who, he considered, had only done his duty as Government Botanist, and had been well paid for his services (Gazette 10.12.1897), Conclusion If, in the early days of settlement, the inhabitants had had the foresight to leave the hummocks alone, when the native veg- elation was providing adequate cover, none of the subsequent problems would have arisen. The councils were prompt to seek advice on how to stabilize the sand but were very slow to act on it. As late as 1939 the Department of Lands and Survey proposed to lease the foreshore between The Victorian Naturalist Research Reports Dennington and Gorman’s Lane for graz- References and abbreviations ing (Standard 28.7.1939). and cattle still © Anon. (1893). Marram Grass. Gardeners’ Chronicle get into this area today, illegally. Mueller 16 December. 750. suggested a variety of plants as sand-stays, pest. Sr ree enesieneta Scereaiess native and exotic, but with the success of Belfast Borough Council Minutes (1865-87) Avery's work in Port Fairy Ammophila LAbbrev.; BM] iD arenaria soon became the cure-all. leis Belfast Gazette (1875-87), [Abbrev.: Gazette] y i Gill, E.D. (1985). Coastal Pracesse d the he ni 4 _ d astal Processes and the Sanding artening to see now that in some places of Warrnambool Harbour, (Warrnambool Institute that indigenous vegetation is slowly taking Press: Warrnambool.) over from Marram Grass, particularly Hannaford. S. (1860), Sea and Riverside Rambles, Hairy Spinifex Spinifex sericeus along the (Heath and Cordell: Geelong.) ; ; x ‘ aiden, J.H. (1895). Marram Grass in Australia. high-tide mark and Coast Beard-heath Indian Forester 21, 352-58. Leucopogon parviflorus, and Small-leaf Mueller, F. von (1876). Select Extra-Tropical Plants. Clematis Clematis microphylla in the (Government Printer: Melbourne.) Mueller, F. (1894), Marram Grass - Psamma arenaria, Proceedings and Journal of the Agricultural and * Importations of Leptospermum laeviga- Horticultural Society of India. 10, 8-10. tum seed are recorded in: Examiner Mueller, F. von (1895z). Select Extra-Tropical Plants. ‘ (Government Printer: Melbourne.) 5.5.1868, 2.6.1868; Standard 29.5.1879, Mueller, F. von (1895b). What to plant in sandplots. A dunes. A 3.3.1881, 3.8.1 892. ‘ valuable recommendation. Journal ef the Bureau of Coastal fires are recorded in: Standard Agriculture of Western Australia. 2, 494, 16.1.1877, 31.12.1878, 6.1.1886. Mueller, F. (1895c¢). Psamma arenaria, Proceedings and Journal of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of India, 10, 185. Acknowledgements Port Fairy Borough Council ({1895]). Marram grass. We would like to thank Neville Walsh and A-wonderfil sand.stay.