AFTER MORE than two decades of walking through the Rainforests of the Blackall Range it’s still possible for me to come across a plant I haven’t seen before, which is such a buzz!
On a bushwalk recently I was lucky enough to see two plants I hadn’t seen before, Hairy Helicia (Helicia ferruginea) and Milk Bush (Neisosperma poweri). Also we found a new location for the rare Blackall Range Velvet Myrtle (Lenwebbia spp. Blackall Range). All three of these plants are either listed as Rare or are at least uncommon, with their ability to spread and establish new populations already under threat, these guys need our help if they are going to have a future.
In my last column I discussed the establishment of pioneers in revegetation to provide rapid habitat cover;Pioneers as discussed are short term lasting only a decade or two. As well as the Pioneers we need to be planting those trees and shrubs that are going to establish long term and live for centuries (Secondary and Climax species). Plantings of Secondary and Climax species can also be placed as every second plant at the 1 plant per 4 m2 (1 plant every 2 metres) spacing. The species list for Secondary and Climax can become be very long, we have very high tree diversity in our subtropical rainforests with up to 60 different canopy tree species per ha.
Classic Rainforest trees of the Blackall Range include:Red Cedar (Toona ciliata), Red Bean (Dysoxylum mollissimum), Black Bean (Castanospermum australe), Bumpy Ash (Flindersia schottiana), Blue Quandong (Elaeocarpus grandis), Brown Booyong (Argyrodendron trifoliatum), Brown Bollygum (Litsea australis), White Beech (Gmelina leichhardtii), Blush Walnut (Beilschmedia obtusifolia), Bunya Pine (Araucaria bidwillii), Moreton Bays Fig (Ficus macrophylla), Small Leaf Fig (Ficus obliqua), Watkins Fig (Ficus watkinsiana), Red Apple (Acmena ingens) and Sour Cherry (Syzygium corynanthum) – to name just a few (this whole article could be nothing but plant names for our local species and I’d still not have enough room!)
What’s really interesting about our rainforests is that there is not just one type of rainforest, but different individuals and groups of plants dominating different areas due to a variety of environmental conditions such as moisture, soil type, altitude, aspect and climate. The best guide to what might be best suited to your area is to look at remnant vegetation (if there is any nearby) and planting those species. However sometimes you might need a hand working out what is best to plant where.
Re-establishing Rainforest is a very rewarding activity, you can set in place the processes that will establish habitat for centuries to come, ensuring the survival of our rare and vulnerable flora and fauna.
