YOUR local
YOUR GOOD-NEWS PAPER
www.yourlocalwaggaweekly.com.au
ISSUE 008 FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2018
The value of trees O
N a hot day, trees are consciously appreciated for their shade as, in town, people jostle to park their cars under them. Birds, lizards, insects and fungi are provided with habitat and sources of food (plus some humans). Sadly, some modern agricultural technology such as bee-lines and variable rate technology has deemed paddock trees to ‘be in the way of efficient farming’. The removal of one tree represents the demise of up to hundreds of inter and intra-dependent species above and belowground, and the collateral radiates out from each tree, sometimes hundreds of years old. Large, mature trees scattered across paddocks are of great ecological value, providing food and habitat for native animals. Scattered trees can prevent fragmentation of landscapes also by providing a connection between larger patches of native vegetation and acting as stepping stones for animals to safely move through exposed parts of the landscape. Additionally, paddock trees can provide multiple benefits for agriculture, including providing shade and shelter for livestock, increasing soil fertility which leads to improved pasture growth, enhancing water infiltration because of improved soil porosity caused by tree roots, and preventing erosion through reduced wind speed and soil protection offered by roots. Why are paddock trees disappearing? Scattered paddock trees on agricultural properties are vulnerable, and are rapidly disappearing because of natural senescence, intentional clearing, herbicide drift, fertiliser use resulting in nutrient overload, damage from livestock ringbarking trees, camping under trees and trampling or grazing seedlings, fire impacts from burning of stubble and debris, and mistletoe and insect damage. Funding and support for landholders to protect and enhance paddock trees on properties in the Kyeamba and Tarcutta Valleys is available through a project being run by Murrumbidgee Landcare in conjunction with the Kyeamba Valley Landcare Group and Tarcutta Valley Landcare Group. Through funding from the NSW Environmental Trust landholders can receive up to $1500 through Murrumbidgee Landcare to put towards the costs of fencing materials, guards and seedlings. Under the project, existing paddock trees can be fenced to minimise livestock damage and allow natural regeneration while native paddock tree seedlings can be planted and protected with individual guards. Further information can be obtained by contacting Nicole Maher on ‘phone 0438 452 814 or by email at nmaher@mli.org.au.
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