| Survey/Project Number: | 1079 Total No. of Sites: 24 |
| Survey/Project Name: | Coorong-CLLMM Recovery Project Schoenoplectus validus monitoring |
| Abstract: | This project aims to undertake the Vegetation program, as part of the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM) Recovery Project, south of Adelaide, South Australia. The CLLMM Recovery Project (2011-16) is a $137 million investment by the Government of South Australia's Murray Futures program and the Australian Government, to enhance the resilience of this Ramsar-listed Wetland of International Importance. As part of the CLLMM Recovery Project, the Vegetation program undertook revegetation activities throughout the CLLMM region, including revegetation of the shoreline using the aquatic River Club-rush (Schoenoplectus validus). This built on previous shoreline revegetation undertaken by the community, and aims to reduce shoreline erosion and create a low energy breakwater environment where aquatic plant communities can establish. Monitoring was undertaken by SARDI Aquatic Sciences in autumn of 2013-16 to measure the structure of planted S. validus stands over time, and compare them to sites were this species occurs naturally, as well as compare the aquatic plant community in planted sites, natural sites and sites where S. validus is absent. REFERENCES: Nicol, J.M., Gehrig, S.L. and Frahn, K.A. (2013). Establishment success and benefits to the aquatic plant community of planting Schoenoplectus validus around the shorelines of lakes Alexandrina and Albert. Data and methods report. South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), Adelaide. SARDI Publication Number F2013/000414-1. SARDI Research Report Series No. 711. 27 pp. Nicol, J.M., Gehrig, S.L. and Frahn, K.A. (2014). Establishment success and benefits to the aquatic plant community of planting Schoenoplectus validus around the shorelines of lakes Alexandrina and Albert-2014. South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), Adelaide. SARDI Publication No. F2013/000414-2. SARDI Research Report Series No. 794. 37 pp. Nicol, J.M., Gehrig, S.L. and Frahn, K.A. (2015). Establishment success and benefits to the aquatic plant community of planting Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani around the shorelines of lakes Alexandrina and Albert-2015. South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), Adelaide. SARDI Publication No. F2013/000414-3. SARDI Research Report Series No. 846. 48 pp. 2016 report being finalised. |
| Start Date: | 01/01/2013 End Date: 31/03/2016 |
| Survey Type: | Vegetation Only |
| Study Area Description: | All works undertaken as part of the CLLMM Recovery Project were within a 5 km radius of Lakes Alexandrina and Albert, the Finnis River, Tookayerta Creek, Currency Creek, the Murray Mouth and the Coorong. |
| Objectives | |||
| Vegetation: | Refer to Abstract. | ||
| Fauna: | *** No fauna survey objectives recorded | ||
| Methodology | |||
| Vegetation: | A total of 24 sites were surveyed throughout the duration of this study. These included sites where S. validus had been planted, sites where this species occurred naturally and where this species was absent (control sites). Note that the treatment of two sites changed during the study (i.e. control sites that was later planted). At each site where S. validus was present, a 100 m section of shoreline in the centre of the stand was selected where the survivorship, stem density, stem height and extent (stand width) of S. validus were assessed. Measurements were undertaken at five random points along the 100 m section of the surveyed shoreline (determined using a random number generator between 0 and 99 and taking measurements at the corresponding metre mark on a 100 m measuring tape). Stem density was measured by recording the number of stems in a 1 x 1 m quadrat and stand width measured along the left hand edge (facing the shoreline) of the quadrat. The tallest stem in the quadrat and the height of ten random stems were measured from the lake bed. The aquatic plant community was assessed at all sites using the same methods as The Living Murray lake shore vegetation condition monitoring for lakes Alexandrina and Albert (Frahn et al. 2014). At each site, three transects were established perpendicular to the shoreline, at each end and in the middle of the 100 m shoreline section at planted and control locations. Along each transect three 1 x 3 m quadrats separated by 1 m were established at +0.8, +0.6, +0.4, +0.2, and 0 AHD. Cover and abundance of each species present in the quadrat were estimated using the method outlined in Heard and Channon (1997). See the following annual reports for further details: Nicol, J.M., Gehrig, S.L. and Frahn, K.A. (2013). Establishment success and benefits to the aquatic plant community of planting Schoenoplectus validus around the shorelines of lakes Alexandrina and Albert. Data and methods report. South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), Adelaide. SARDI Publication Number F2013/000414-1. SARDI Research Report Series No. 711. 27pp. Nicol, J.M., Gehrig, S.L. and Frahn, K.A. (2014). Establishment success and benefits to the aquatic plant community of planting Schoenoplectus validus around the shorelines of lakes Alexandrina and Albert-2014. South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), Adelaide. SARDI Publication No. F2013/000414-2. SARDI Research Report Series No. 794. 37pp. Nicol, J.M., Gehrig, S.L. and Frahn, K.A. (2015). Establishment success and benefits to the aquatic plant community of planting Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani around the shorelines of lakes Alexandrina and Albert-2015. South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), Adelaide. SARDI Publication No. F2013/000414-3. SARDI Research Report Series No. 846. 48pp. 2016 report being finalised | ||
| Fauna: | *** No vertebrate methodology recorded | ||
| Data Distribution Rules: | Public Dataset |
| Project Basis: | Vegetation : Monitoring - Vegetation/Ecosystem (ie species records - usually re-visited for ongoing monitoring) NOTE:NON Std Svy methodology may have been used. |
| Information Authority: |
Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources
Department of Primary Industries and Resources SA Department for Environment and Heritage (BDBSA:Misc) - CLLMM Group |