While keeping in mind the
greater picture- establishing
a
wildlife, or green, corridor
from the Yarra River
northward along the Darebin
Creek;
the Rangers of Darebin
Parklands manage the
open spaces and wooded
areas
of the parklands in accordance
with the Management Plan.
We recognise that plants grow
as communities, developing
under common conditions, such
as soil type, rainfall or soil
moisture, sunlight and shade
levels. The park comprises
over twenty unique management
areas based around these vegetation
communities and specific local
needs.
Darebin Parklands also has
many species that are not native
or indigenous to the province.
Many historic non indigenous
trees within the park will
be protected by management
due to their heritage significance.
Indigenous plants are those
native to the particular area
in which they are growing.
Indigenous plants are nearly
always evergreen, a characteristic
which sometimes simplifies
identification, especially
in winter. Law against removal
or damage protects plants found
in the park.
Relatively
little
of the original vegetation
remains in the more accessible
areas of the park due to
human
activities of the last 150
years; however, on the more
isolated cliffs and rocky
slopes,
pockets of plants remain
much
as they would have been when
the first pioneers knew the
district. The area of the park
known as Snake Grass has been
restored as a basalt plains
open woodland with abundant
indigenous grasses, sedges,
flax lilies and other wildflowers.
Refer to the Plant List Fact
Sheet for a comprehensive list
of native and introduced plants
within the Darebin Parklands.
Soil variations are a major
influence on the vegetation
communities. The differences
relate to the local geology
and stream and channel processe.
Resulting soil mirrors the
origin, with the eastern side
of the creek being derived
from Silurian sedimentary rock,
the western side Tertiary basalt,
and the low lying alluvial
flats containing a hybrid of
all water born sediments from
upstream. Reclaimed land from
a former quarry, (later a tip
site), and many areas where
landfill has been introduced
provides further distinctions.
The majority of plants within
Darebin Parklands have been
planted since the mid 1970s.
Our well organised planting
operations, almost always in
spring, involve plants placed
through jute matting, then
staked, and protected with
a tree guard (shown in the
photo below).
Not all areas of the park are
ear marked for planting. Open
space is irreplaceable for
recreation and relaxation.
They are generally high use
areas or floodplains and will
remain as grassy open spaces.
Certain weed species are targeted
annually as they are deemed
to be a particular threat within
and beyond the park boundaries.
These have been marked with
an asterix (*), within the
exotics section below. Many
exotic species within Darebin
Parklands are of significant
heritage value and are retained
for this purpose.
Vegetation Communities
We identify vegetation
communities. Listed below
are the vegetation
communities present within
Darebin Parklands as described
in Vegetation
Communities of the City
of Banyule (Beardsall,
2000).
- RS: Riparian Scrub– dense
thickets of shrubs,
swards of reeds, rushes
and sedges
with only scattered
trees (greater diversity
than floodplain
riparian woodland).
Darebin Parklands offers
two types
of RS, characterised
by the Woolly Tea-tree
(volcanic)
and Muttonwood (sedimentary).
PGW: Plains Grassy
Woodland– forms
a woodland (mostly
Red Gum) canopy and
contains a grassy
understorey with dominants
including Kangaroo
Grass. There are five
sub-communities
within Banyule categorised
due to soil type and
exposure. Darebin Parklands
hosts all
of these in some form.
PGW on the western
side of Creek
within volcanic plains;
eastern side has sheltered
and exposed
plain/slope PGW.
- CES: Cliff/Escarpment
Shrubland– defines
the lowland river gorges
on either sedimentary, or
igneous soil types. Contains
a higher proportion of scrambling
herbs and ferns than adjoining
habitats. It supports additional
escarpment species (Saloop
Saltbush, Cut-leaf Daisy).
Disturbed stands are vulnerable
to weed invasion. Location– Rockbeare
Grove entrance to railway
line, along the steep
slopes.
- EW: Escarpment Woodland– floristic
affinities with box-stringybark
woodland and plains grassy
woodland, but dense stands
of tall shrubs (notably Burgan)
reduce the prominence of
low shrub and herb layers.
Location– southern
slope of Pine Ridge.
What
plant types do we have at Darebin
Parklands?
Of the plants that grow within
Darebin Parklands there are four
main categories based on their
origin:
- Indigenous
- Introduced Natives
- Exotics
- Native Plants
Indigenous plants are those
native to the particular
area in which
they are growing. Indigenous
plants are nearly always evergreen,
a characteristic which sometimes
simplifies identification,
especially in winter. Law against
removal
or damage protects plants found
in the park. Relatively little
of the original vegetation
remains in the more accessible
areas
of the park due to human activities
of the last 150 years; however,
on the more isolated cliffs
and rocky slopes, pockets of
plants
remain much as they would have
been when the first pioneers
knew the district. The area
of the park known as Snake
Grass
has been restored as a basalt
plains open woodland with abundant
indigenous grasses, sedges,
flax lilies and other wildflowers.
Refer to the Plant List
Fact
Sheet for a comprehensive
list of native and introduced
plants within the Darebin Parklands.
