Ecological Management and Restoration
Severe land degradation and ecosystem disruption can be mitigated by thoughtful actions that restore ecosystem function and start the process of land repair.
Australian ecosystems have been severely degraded by human impacts over the past 200 years and many ecological processes have been disturbed or stopped. The loss of these processes can threaten ecosystems far a field. Efforts to restore ecosystems have been increasing over the past few decades and are now beginning to bear fruit.
Recent changes in fishing practices and urban water management have already improved fisheries in Port Phillip Bay and in other parts of the state, and further gains in ecosystem function and productivity can be achieved.
Control of predation by feral animals, removal of weeds, maintenance and enhancement of habitat corridors and other actions can be taken to enhance the prospects of our unique flora and fauna and to ensure the system we all rely on survives.
Restoration ecology can be complex, requiring carefully timed management actions. Each ecosystem is unique and consideration must be given to many factors. Tools and techniques such as fencing, weed spraying, hand weeding, planting, direct seeding, fire, feral animal control, assisting natural regeneration may all have their place, depending upon the nature of the ecosystem, its current condition, the resources available for restoration and the restoration objectives.
Abzeco’s ecological restoration advice is based on practical experience of restoration projects and a thorough understanding of ecological theory and the published literature on ecological restoration.
Intact, healthy ecosystems generally require little human intervention, and good ecological restoration can result in reduced long-term maintenance requirements. Once restored we can expect management requirements to be substantially reduced.