Remnant Native Vegetation Research Articles

Actual and potential natural vegetation on the Canary Islands and its conservation status

The main vegetation units of the Canary Islands are briefly described and their current surface area established. The area of potential natural vegetation remnants is compared with the supposed original area, and expressed also as percent persistence, (area now/potential) × 100. We state that although the islands have between 40 and 50% of their surface under protection, several units of the most representative vegetation (e.g. like Euphorbia scrubs, thermo-sclerophyllous woodland and laurel forest) have retreated greatly, sometimes with little possibility of recovery. Willow, palm, tamarisk, and Plocama pendula communities, sandy beach vegetation, and small-area littoral ecosystems are also severely diminished in area. Comments are made about the conservation status of the most representative communities.

Monitoring the impact of climate change on biodiversity: The challenge of megadiverse Mediterranean climate ecosystems

AbstractThe Mediterranean climate regions of Western Australia and South Africa are recognized as global hot spots of diversity. Both are threatened by climate changes that are projected to have significant impacts on the quantity and variability of rainfall and affect key ecosystem drivers (e.g. fire regimes). This poses significant challenges to monitoring programs designed to detect these impacts. Effective monitoring of the impact of climate change on biodiversity (rather than individual species) requires a cross‐disciplinary, coordinated, focused and integrated approach. Ideally, this should involve a multidisciplinary team of specialists working to a common plan on the same set of plots. The contributions of ‘citizen scientists’ are potentially useful if well managed. Biodiversity per se (across all kingdoms of life, and including the levels of the gene, population and community) should be monitored, especially key species interactions and processes. Forestcheckis an example of such a program which has been applied in forests in south‐west Western Australia since 2001. In concert with measuring the direct impact of climate change on biodiversity and the indirect impact of factors that affect biodiversity (such as disease, invasive species, fire regime and habitat removal), there is a need for a proactive focus on creating, maintaining and monitoring resilience to climate change impacts in ecosystems. It is also necessary to monitor the effectiveness of management actions such as vegetation thinning, changes in fire regimes, species translocations and revegetation of farmland to link isolated protected areas in agricultural landscapes, remnant native vegetation in rangelands and extensive protected areas. A pluralist approach is recommended. This should include natural experiments, matched photographs where available, passive adaptive management, active adaptive management and traditional reductionist scientific investigation. The resultant synthesis of information from this range of sources is likely to be a predictive, robust and credible record of historical change.

Vegetation Transformation, Functional Compensation, and Soil Health in a Semi-Arid Environment

Earthworm densities, mesofaunal and microbiological feeding activity, and soil moisture were measured as indicators of soil health. Fence line contrast sites were used to compare soil organism communities, infiltration rates and soil temperatures of natural vegetation remnants with adjacent transformed lands. Natural remnants retain soil moisture and contain more active soil fauna. Effects of land transformation are demonstrated by a 6.3°C increased soil temperatures. Transformation favoured earthworms with 14 worms per 0.25 m3 found in transformed areas compared with an average of four worms found in remnants. Infiltration rates were 4.8 times faster where earthworm casting was present.

Breeding habitat selection by the endangered Regent Honeyeater Anthochaera phrygia (Meliphagidae) at the local and landscape scale

This is the first Australian study to apply logistical modelling techniques to describe the breeding habitat selection of a widely dispersed, highly mobile, threatened bird species. Landscape and microhabitat structural attributes of breeding habitat occupied by the endangered Regent Honeyeater Anthochaera phrygia in the Bundarra-Barraba region of northern NSW were compared to those of unoccupied habitat using logistic regression modelling. Models containing landscape scale variables were best at explaining Regent Honeyeater presence. Regent Honeyeater occupation was negatively associated with the amount of woodland cover surrounding a site (1 km and 2 km radius) and distance to patch edge, and was positively associated with site connectivity and linear remnants. Linear, well-connected woodland patches surrounded by cleared grazing land are typical of the remnant native vegetation occupied by Regent Honeyeaters in the Bundarra-Barraba region. The landscape models developed here can be used to identify potential new sites for protection and rehabilitation, and to assess the suitability of unsurveyed or unoccupied sites for the release of captively bred Regent Honeyeaters, which is identified as one of the priority recovery action for the species.

Padrões das síndromes de dispersão de plantas em áreas com diferentes graus de pluviosidade, PE, Brasil

Este trabalho objetivou descrever as proporções de síndromes de dispersão em três remanescentes de vegetação nativa com distintos totais pluviométricos e número de meses secos. Durante três anos, foram coletados mensalmente frutos e diásporos de 107 espécies, os quais foram analisados e descritos. As áreas com precipitação inferior a 700 mm/ano (Floresta e Caruaru) assemelham-se em todas as síndromes de dispersão analisadas (autocoria, anemocoria e zoocoria), enquanto que Tapacurá (precipitação média anual de 1299 mm) distancia-se principalmente pela zoocoria, que variou de 29% (Floresta) a 51% (Tapacurá). Em termos de estratificação vertical das síndromes de dispersão, houve maior proporção de zoocoria no sub-bosque de Tapacurá, enquanto que nas áreas mais secas (Floresta e Caruaru) a autocoria e anemocoria foram representativas no dossel. Este trabalho mostra que, associados à diminuição da pluviosidade, os vetores abióticos tornam-se mais importantes e que as proporções das síndromes de dispersão variam de acordo com a estratificação.

What makes an effective restoration planting for woodland birds?

Large-scale vegetation clearing accompanying agricultural development has been a major driver of biodiversity loss. Efforts to reverse this problem have often included revegetation, but the value of revegetated areas for biodiversity is poorly known. We addressed aspects of this knowledge gap using a case study in south-eastern Australia. We quantified relationships between bird species richness and the probability of detection for eight individual bird species and: (i) the context of a planting, i.e. the types of the vegetation cover in the neighborhood of a planting, (ii) the configuration of a planting, i.e. the location and geometry of a planting, and, (iii) the content of planting, i.e. the vegetation features of a planting. The presence and nature of the effects of these explanatory variables varied with each of our response variables. A combination of context, configuration and content variables were needed to explain the variability in species richness and the presence of individual species. Context effects were highly significant, particularly the amount of planted and remnant native vegetation surrounding plantings. We speculate that when the area surrounding a planting was potentially suitable, recognition of planting “patch” boundaries disappeared and, correspondingly, configuration effects such as planting size were limited. Our results suggest that maximizing the value of planted areas for bird biota requires consideration not only of the features of the vegetation within a planting, but also where a planting is placed.

Conservation biogeography of mammals in the Cerrado biome under the unified theory of macroecology

Understanding what limits the distribution and abundance of species is critical for adopting optimal conservation planning strategies, although it is still difficult to obtain abundance data at broad spatial scales. Here we propose conservation priorities in the Brazilian Cerrado based on density values of 108 mammal species. These values were estimated by an abundant-centre model coupled with McGill and Collin's unified theory for macroecology. We assumed that species' densities decay with a Gaussian distribution towards the range borders from a maximum density placed at the centre of each species' range. We used allometric equations to estimate maximum densities, at the Cerrado region we corrected the estimated densities by the natural vegetation remnants. Then we used a Simulated Annealing algorithm to select alternative sets of areas that met several levels of minimum viable population sizes (MVPSs) for each species. With low MVPSs, there were a small number of highly irreplaceable areas located in the northwest region of the biome, whereas with high MVPSs, highly irreplaceable areas occurred in up to 95% of the biome. By incorporating principles from the unified theory of macroecology, we were able to generate a conservation network for the Cerrado biome aiming to prioritise species' persistence and not just their presence.

Collapse of an avifauna: climate change appears to exacerbate habitat loss and degradation

AbstractAim We characterized changes in reporting rates and abundances of bird species over a period of severe rainfall deficiency and increasing average temperatures. We also measured flowering in eucalypts, which support large numbers of nectarivores characteristic of the region.Location A 30,000‐km2 region of northern Victoria, Australia, consisting of limited amounts of remnant native woodlands embedded in largely agricultural landscapes.Methods There were three sets of monitoring studies, pitched at regional (survey programmes in 1995–97, 2004–05 and 2006–08), landscape (2002–03 and 2006–07) and site (1997–2008 continuously) scales. Bird survey techniques used a standard 2‐ha, 20‐min count method. We used Bayesian analyses of reporting rates to document statistically changes in the avifauna through time at each spatial scale.Results Bird populations in the largest remnants of native vegetation (up to 40,000 ha), some of which have been declared as national parks in the past decade, experienced similar declines to those in heavily cleared landscapes. All categories of birds (guilds based on foraging substrate, diet, nest site; relative mobility; geographical distributions) were affected similarly. We detected virtually no bird breeding in the latest survey periods. Eucalypt flowering has declined significantly over the past 12 years of drought.Main conclusions Declines in the largest woodland remnants commensurate with those in cleared landscapes suggest that reserve systems may not be relied upon to sustain species under climate change. We attribute population declines to low breeding success due to reduced food. Resilience of bird populations in this woodland system might be increased by active management to enhance habitat quality in existing vegetation and restoration of woodland in the more fertile parts of landscapes.

Land cover mapping of the tropical savanna region in Brazil

The Brazilian tropical savanna (Cerrado), encompassing more than 204 million hectares in the central part of the country, is the second richest biome in Brazil in terms of biodiversity and presents high land use pressure. The objective of this study was to map the land cover of the Cerrado biome based on the segmentation and visual interpretation of 170 Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus satellite scenes acquired in 2002. The following land cover classes were discriminated: grasslands, shrublands, forestlands, croplands, pasturelands, reforestations, urban areas, and mining areas. The results showed that the remnant natural vegetation is still covering about 61% of the biome, however, on a highly asymmetrical basis. While natural physiognomies comprise 90% of the northern part of the biome, only 15% are left in its southern portions. Shrublands were the dominant natural land cover class, while pasturelands were the dominant land use class in the Cerrado biome. The final Cerrado's land cover map confirmed the intensive land use pressure in this unique biome. This paper also showed that Landsat-like sensors can provide feasible land cover maps of Cerrado, although ancillary data are required to help image interpretation.

Landscape structure influences tree density patterns in fragmented woodlands in semi-arid eastern Australia

Landscape and local-scale influences are important drivers of plant community structure. However, their relative contribution and the degree to which they interact remain unclear. We quantified the extent to which landscape structure, within-patch habitat and their confounding effects determine post-clearing tree densities and composition in agricultural landscapes in eastern subtropical Australia. Landscape structure (incorporating habitat fragmentation and loss) and within-patch (site) features were quantified for 60 remnant patches of Eucalyptus populnea (Myrtaceae) woodland. Tree density and species for three ecological maturity classes (regeneration, early maturity, late maturity) and local site features were assessed in one 100 × 10 m plot per patch. All but one landscape characteristic was determined within a 1.3-km radius of plots; Euclidean nearest neighbour distance was measured inside a 5-km radius. Variation in tree density and composition for each maturity class was partitioned into independent landscape, independent site and joint effects of landscape and site features using redundancy analysis. Independent site effects explained more variation in regeneration density and composition than pure landscape effects; significant predictors were the proportion of early and late maturity trees at a site, rainfall and the associated interaction. Conversely, landscape structure explained greater variation in early and late maturity tree density and composition than site predictors. Area of remnant native vegetation within a landscape and patch characteristics (area, shape, edge contrast) were significant predictors of early maturity tree density. However, 31% of the explained variation in early mature tree differences represented confounding influences of landscape and local variables. We suggest that within-patch characteristics are important in influencing semi-arid woodland tree regeneration. However, independent and confounding effects of landscape structure resulting from previous vegetation clearing may have exerted a greater historical influence on older cohorts and should be accounted for when examining woodland dynamics across a broader range of environments.

Livestock grazing exclusion and microhabitat variation affect invertebrates and litter decomposition rates in woodland remnants

Most of the remaining grassy woodland in south-eastern Australia exists as remnants on private land in agricultural landscapes. These have been subjected to various forms of disturbance including exotic plant invasion and livestock grazing. Little is known about the invertebrate communities in these remnants, which could contribute greatly to the diversity and function of these ecosystems. We need to know what invertebrates are present and how they respond to different types of land management, such as livestock grazing, in order to conserve them. We aimed to determine firstly if the invertebrate community was more diverse and abundant and leaf litter decomposition rates faster in woodlands with livestock excluded. Secondly, we asked how important microhabitat variation is for the invertebrate community and decomposition rates, and finally if grazing exclusion influences these microhabitat variables and alters the vegetation condition. We addressed these aims through the use of leaf litter decomposition bags and pitfall trapping near three microhabitats: beside logs, under trees and in open habitat, considering woodland remnants still grazed by livestock and remnants where livestock grazing had been excluded. A vegetation condition assessment was also performed at each site. Grazed woodlands were subject to either a strategic or set stocked grazing. Sites with grazing removed had a greater abundance of beetles and the Opportunist ant functional group, a faster rate of litter decomposition, greater native plant richness, greater length of logs and a better vegetation condition score. The Dominant Dolichoderinae ant functional group were the only insects trapped more frequently in currently grazed sites. Total invertebrate abundance, beetle abundance and richness, Anonychomyrma abundance and the quantity of leaf litter was greatest under trees. In comparison ants were in higher abundance and richness in the open areas. Leaf litter decomposition rates were fastest near logs. Beetles and Generalised Myrmicinae ants were more active near two of the microhabitats in rotationally grazed sites in comparison to the set stocked. Excluding livestock from woodlands has benefits for components of the invertebrate community, vegetation condition and the important process of litter decomposition. Strategic grazing which includes substantial periods of rest could play a role in balancing the production and conservation needs of privately owned woodlands. Woodland remnants have a range of invertebrates that are dependent on mature trees or logs, such that a variety of microhabitats needs to be retained within remnant native vegetation in agricultural landscapes to maintain a diverse and abundant invertebrate community.

What lies beneath? The pattern and abundance of the subterranean tuber bank of the invasive liana cat's claw creeper, Macfadyena unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae).

Cat’s claw creeper, Macfadyena unguis-cati (L.) Gentry (Bignoniaceae) is a major environmental weed of riparian areas, rainforest communities and remnant natural vegetation in coastal Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. In densely infested areas, it smothers standing vegetation, including large trees, and causes canopy collapse. Quantitative data on the ecology of this invasive vine are generally lacking. The present study examines the underground tuber traits of M. unguis-cati and explores their links with aboveground parameters at five infested sites spanning both riparian and inland vegetation. Tubers were abundant in terms of density (~1000 per m2), although small in size and low in level of interconnectivity. M. unguis-cati also exhibits multiple stems per plant. Of all traits screened, the link between stand (stem density) and tuber density was the most significant and yielded a promising bivariate relationship for the purposes of estimation, prediction and management of what lies beneath the soil surface of a given M. unguis-cati infestation site. The study also suggests that new recruitment is primarily from seeds, not from vegetative propagation as previously thought. The results highlight the need for future biological-control efforts to focus on introducing specialist seed- and pod-feeding insects to reduce seed-output.

Butterflies and day-flying moths in a fragmented urban landscape, south-west Western Australia: patterns of species richness

Surveys of butterflies and day-flying moths were conducted at 46 bushland remnants in the Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia, between 2001 and 2005. A total of 17 075 individuals was recorded, representing 35 butterfly and 5 day-flying moth species. Individual site species richness varied between one and 27 species. Two main groups of taxa were identified: (i) species that are reliant on remnant native vegetation for breeding and are entirely or predominantly restricted to remnant bushland (resident species or urban avoiders, 27 taxa); and (ii) species that now breed primarily on introduced plants and disperse readily through the urban matrix, but which also visit remnant bushland and sometimes breed there (non-resident species or urban adapters, 13 taxa). Estimated species detectability varied widely between species and seasonally, but for most taxa was consistent across the three years of the study. Peak detectability was strongly related to observed abundance, something that is well known (intuitively), but has rarely been demonstrated (quantitatively). Only one listed endangered species was recorded, the Graceful Sun-moth Synemon gratiosa which was observed in low numbers at six sites. Several species were encountered less frequently, although these have populations outside the region. Few of the surveyed remnants were considered to have an intact butterfly fauna; it is inferred that the majority had lost some or all of their original resident species. The reliance of many species on specific host plants, and the ability of some to adapt to introduced weeds, are important factors in their persistence within remnants. These bushland remnants are effectively habitat islands for butterflies and day-flying moths, and the few remaining species-rich bushlands are therefore of regional importance for conservation of this group. This paper serves as a baseline study against which to monitor any future changes to the butterfly fauna of these remnants.

Determinants of native avian richness in suburban remnant vegetation: Implications for conservation planning

While urban areas are increasingly recognized as having potential value for biodiversity conservation, the relationship between biodiversity and the structure and configuration of the urban landscape is poorly understood. In this study we surveyed birds in 39 remnant patches of native vegetation of various sizes (range 1–107 ha) embedded in the suburban matrix in Melbourne, Australia. The total richness of species within remnants was strongly associated with the size of remnants. Remnant-reliant species displayed a much stronger response to remnant area than matrix-tolerant species indicating the importance of large remnants in maintaining representative bird assemblages. Large remnants are important for other ecological groups of species including migratory species, ground foraging birds and canopy foraging birds. Other landscape (e.g. amount of riparian vegetation) and structural components (e.g. shrub cover) of remnants have a lesser role in determining the richness of individual remnants. This research provides conservation managers and planners with a hierarchical process to reserve design and management in order to conserve the highest richness of native species within urban areas. First of all, conservation efforts should preferentially focus on the retention of larger remnants of native vegetation. Second, where possible, riparian vegetation should be included within reserves or, where it is already present, should be carefully managed to ensure its integrity. Third, efforts should be focused at maintaining appropriate habitat and vegetation structure and complexity.

The Combined Effects of Remnant Vegetation and Tree Planting on Farmland Birds

Biodiversity conservation on agricultural land is a major issue worldwide. We estimated separate and joint effects of remnant native woodland vegetation and recent tree plantings on birds on farms (approximately 500-1000 ha) in the heavily cleared wheat and sheep belt of southern Australia. Much of the variation (>70%) in bird responses was explained by 3 factors: remnant native-vegetation attributes (native grassland, scattered paddock trees, patches of remnant native woodland); presence or absence of planted native trees; and the size and shape of tree plantings. In terms of the number of species, remnant native vegetation was more important than tree planting, in a 3:1 ratio, approximately. Farms with high values for remnant native vegetation were those most likely to support declining or vulnerable species, although some individual species of conservation concern occurred on farms with large plantings. Farm management for improved bird conservation should account for the cumulative and complementary contributions of many components of remnant native-vegetation cover (e.g., scattered paddock trees and fallen timber) as well as areas of restored native vegetation.

Road ecology from a road-side assemblage of forest birds in south-western Australia

ABSTRACT Road Ecology represents a vast area of ecology from local effects, within the road-habitat, to landscape effects that stem from roads and road networks. Australian roads are generally characterised as narrow strips of remnant native vegetation in agricultural areas. However, some extensive reserves of native forests remain and these habitats like all terrestrial habitats have roads that traverse them. Studies of roads passing through such ecosystems can provide baseline data on how these roads are used by birds and have implications for conservation management. This study investigated easily detected bird species on the roads and their immediate verges of a two-lane highway in continuous Jarrah Eucalyptus marginata forest of south-western Australia. Midway during this two year study 14% of the roadside was cleared, which allowed us to measure the immediate responses by birds. Clearing beside roads hugely reduced the abundance and species richness of birds in the road-habitat. The only species to ...

Detection of nitrogen cycle genes in soils for measuring the effects of changes in land use and management

Nutrient cycles represent key links between above- and below-ground ecosystems. But obscurity of functional diversity of nutrient-cycling organisms has constrained our understanding. We studied the microbial ecology of the nitrogen cycle using bacterial genes involved in nitrification ( amoA), denitrification ( napA) and nitrogen fixation ( nifH) from areas with highly contrasting soils, climates and land management practices within Australia. Agricultural soils had greater frequency of occurrence of nitrogen cycling genes compared with areas of adjacent remnant native vegetation. The relative abundance of the nitrate reductase gene, napA, increased following the addition of urea to soils, indicating a pulse-response of nitrate-reducing bacteria. Laboratory perturbation of soils with highly saline water had no effect on the frequency of functional gene detection, but following perturbation of soils with antibiotics, the presence of amoA fell below detectable levels while levels of ammonia increased over time. In contrast, nifH and napA were detected in some soils for the duration of the perturbation experiments. This observed positive relationship between gene abundance and respective process rates was indicative of an active bacterial population. As such, detection and quantification of bacterial genes involved in the nitrogen cycle represents a model system for gaining insights to soil microbial diversity and ecosystem function.

Who's planting what, where and why – and who's paying?: An analysis of farmland revegetation in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia

Landholders in the neighbouring Wallatin and O’Brien Creek catchments of the central wheat belt of Western Australia have planted 1750 ha of woody perennial vegetation in the catchments from the 1920s to 2006, adding 4.6% further cover to the 9.4% cover of uncleared remnant native vegetation. Landholders attribute most plantings to two or more motives with salinity mitigation and nature conservation the largest drivers of revegetation (27% and 22% by area, respectively), but soil erosion and aesthetics are also important. The location and spatial arrangement of revegetation in the landscape reflects these motives. Most of the vegetation comprises mixed native tree species (44%) or saltbush (31%) and different types of revegetation are associated with different motives and have different histories of planting popularity. Most revegetation (77%) has been funded privately by landholders, either entirely (49% of the total area) or in plantings subsidised by government funds (41% of the total area). Individual farmers differ markedly as to both the area of revegetation on their properties and the ratio of private to public funding. The data indicate that landholders in these catchments believe they have undertaken as much revegetation as can be economically justified and that they effectively ceased planting activities in 2004. Further revegetation activities in these catchments are likely to be contingent upon the development of profitable agroforestry options.

Coordination of leaf area, sapwood area and canopy conductance leads to species convergence of tree water use in a remnant evergreen woodland

This paper compares rates of tree water use, Huber value, canopy conductance and canopy decoupling of two disparate, co-occurring tree species, in a stand of remnant native vegetation in temperate Australia in order to compare their relative behaviour seasonally and during and after a drought. The study site was an open woodland dominated by Eucalyptus crebra F.Muell. (a broad-leaved species) and Callitris glaucophylla J.Thompson & L.A.S. Johnson (a needle-leaved tree species). Tree water use was measured with sapflow sensors and leaf area and sapwood area were measured destructively on felled trees. The Huber value was calculated as the ratio of sapwood area to leaf area. Diameter at breast height (DBH) of the stem was used as a measure of tree size. Canopy conductance was calculated with an inversion of the Penman–Monteith equation, whereas canopy decoupling) was calculated as described by Lu et al. (2003). The relationship between DBH and daily total water use varied during the four measurement periods, with largest rates of water use observed in summer 2003–2004, following a large rainfall event and the smallest maximum water use observed in winter 2003 when monthly rainfall was much less than the long-term mean for those months. Despite differences in the relationship between sapwood area and DBH for the two species, the relationship between daily total water use and DBH did not differ between species at any time. The same rates of water use for the two species across sampling periods arose through different mechanisms; the eucalypt underwent significant changes in leaf area whereas the Callitris displayed large changes in canopy conductance, such that tree water use remained the same for both species during the 2-year period. Canopy conductance and the decoupling coefficient were both significantly larger in winter than summer in both years. The generally low decoupling coefficient (0.05–0.34) reflects the low leaf area index of the site. When evaporative demand was small (winter), the degree of stomatal control was small and the decoupling coefficient was large. There was no relationship between tree size and either canopy conductance or the decoupling coefficient. Transpiration rates generally showed little variation between seasons and between species because of the balance between changes in leaf area, canopy conductance and evaporative demand. The occurrence of a significant drought did not appear to prevent these coordinated changes from occurring, with the result that convergence in water use was observed for these two disparate species.

Condition of fenced and unfenced remnant vegetation in inland catchments in south-eastern Australia

Considerable areas of remnant native vegetation have been fenced in the last decade to manage grazing by domestic stock. This study investigated vegetation condition in comparative fenced and unfenced remnant vegetation in the mid–upper Murrumbidgee and Lachlan catchments in south-eastern Australia. Native species richness, native groundcover and overstorey regeneration were higher at fenced than at unfenced sites. Area of bare ground was lower at fenced sites. Exotic groundcover did not differ between fenced and unfenced sites. Native species richness was higher at sites fenced for longer and with no stock grazing; neither native nor exotic groundcover at fenced sites was related to time since fencing or stock grazing pressure. Some tree species regenerated at both fenced and unfenced sites (Blakely’s red gum, Eucalyptus blakelyi; tumbledown gum, E. dealbata, long-leaved box, E. goniocalyx; red stringbark, E. macrorhyncha), some regenerated at few fenced and few unfenced sites (white box, E. albens; yellow box, E. melliodora) and some regenerated at fenced sites but not at unfenced sites (grey box, E. microcarpa; mugga ironbark, E. sideroxylon; white cypress pine, Callitris glaucophylla). Although less robust than pre- and postfencing monitoring, the comparisons reported here provide a logistically feasible and relatively inexpensive assessment of effects of the sizeable public investment in fencing on vegetation condition.