Introduction:
One of the Victorian ecosystems that interested to me and that is Red Gum. It is generally found at low altitudes (below 500m) in low to medium rainfall area (250-1000mm) with best suited to flat/ gently rolling country with near watercourses or on alluvial soils due to the periodic floods. Ecosystem of the Red Gum varies across the state due to the climatic and geographic range. One particular Red Gum site is listed on the Living Murray initiative which is Barmah-Millewa Forest, one of the six icon sites in the Murray-Darling Basin and internationally renowned site under the RAMSAR Convention. Barmah-Millewa Forest is located on the Victoria/New South Wales border, the area is holding roughly around 6-8 state forest in one …show more content…
The distance from Melbourne to the site is roughly 3 to 3 ½ hours drives. The features of the Red Gum has large and spreading River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) which is most often the only tree species for an over storey, which can grows over 40m. The understorey rarely support a shrub layer and the ground layer usually dwell with different grasses (annual, perennial and ephemeral), herbs and sedges, also with the small and flat shrubs, mostly it is adapted to seasonal flooding. Barmah-Millewa Forest includes several wetlands and lakes, sand hills and Moria Grass plains. On higher ground, Black Box (Eucalyptus largiflorens) is the dominant tree; however the Red Gum is the main tree along the rivers and around the wetlands. On the sandhills, foremost commonly tree is the Callitris Pine. According to the Victoria Bioregions, it is Murray Fans and possibly Victorian Riverina and New South Wales Bioregions is Riverina. Barmah-Millewa has a range of soil but the most commonly would be loams and cracking clays that are associated with lakes, but aquifers occur as sandy soils amongst the clays. According to the Park Victoria in the Barmah Forest Ramsar Site Strategic Management Plan, the quote they describe the soil which is “The soils of the forest consist of a mottled clay subsoil and a bleached …show more content…
The range of activities includes the camping, bush walking and hiking, canoeing/kayak, river cruise, tour with the local park ranger or aboriginal guide, learn and explores the history of the Barmah national park at Barmah Forest Heritage and Education Centre, self-tours by own vehicle or biking, bird and animal sighting, fishing and swimming, picnic and helicopter/gliders. Currently the Barmah-Millewa Forest is under threat from range of things that will damage the biodiversity and ecosystem of the national park. The potential threat includes the climates change e.g. the higher temperature, lower rainfalls and greater evaporation, bush fire, exotic species invasion such as the weeds and plants and animals, illegal wood harvesting such as entering the national park or overharvesting than legal limit, lack of controlled burning, environmental vandalism e.g. when the tourist leaving rubbish behind, destroying or damaging the park and hurting or killing animals, inappropriate grazing management. Since the clearing for agriculture and construction of the dam, the Murray River has suffered the form of flow regulation. The flooding should be naturally happen in winter and spring across the Barmah national park, however due to the Murray River water catchment flow regulation, the flood is now less occurring with shorter
One of the Victorian ecosystems that interested to me and that is Red Gum. It is generally found at low altitudes (below 500m) in low to medium rainfall area (250-1000mm) with best suited to flat/ gently rolling country with near watercourses or on alluvial soils due to the periodic floods. Ecosystem of the Red Gum varies across the state due to the climatic and geographic range. One particular Red Gum site is listed on the Living Murray initiative which is Barmah-Millewa Forest, one of the six icon sites in the Murray-Darling Basin and internationally renowned site under the RAMSAR Convention. Barmah-Millewa Forest is located on the Victoria/New South Wales border, the area is holding roughly around 6-8 state forest in one …show more content…
The distance from Melbourne to the site is roughly 3 to 3 ½ hours drives. The features of the Red Gum has large and spreading River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) which is most often the only tree species for an over storey, which can grows over 40m. The understorey rarely support a shrub layer and the ground layer usually dwell with different grasses (annual, perennial and ephemeral), herbs and sedges, also with the small and flat shrubs, mostly it is adapted to seasonal flooding. Barmah-Millewa Forest includes several wetlands and lakes, sand hills and Moria Grass plains. On higher ground, Black Box (Eucalyptus largiflorens) is the dominant tree; however the Red Gum is the main tree along the rivers and around the wetlands. On the sandhills, foremost commonly tree is the Callitris Pine. According to the Victoria Bioregions, it is Murray Fans and possibly Victorian Riverina and New South Wales Bioregions is Riverina. Barmah-Millewa has a range of soil but the most commonly would be loams and cracking clays that are associated with lakes, but aquifers occur as sandy soils amongst the clays. According to the Park Victoria in the Barmah Forest Ramsar Site Strategic Management Plan, the quote they describe the soil which is “The soils of the forest consist of a mottled clay subsoil and a bleached …show more content…
The range of activities includes the camping, bush walking and hiking, canoeing/kayak, river cruise, tour with the local park ranger or aboriginal guide, learn and explores the history of the Barmah national park at Barmah Forest Heritage and Education Centre, self-tours by own vehicle or biking, bird and animal sighting, fishing and swimming, picnic and helicopter/gliders. Currently the Barmah-Millewa Forest is under threat from range of things that will damage the biodiversity and ecosystem of the national park. The potential threat includes the climates change e.g. the higher temperature, lower rainfalls and greater evaporation, bush fire, exotic species invasion such as the weeds and plants and animals, illegal wood harvesting such as entering the national park or overharvesting than legal limit, lack of controlled burning, environmental vandalism e.g. when the tourist leaving rubbish behind, destroying or damaging the park and hurting or killing animals, inappropriate grazing management. Since the clearing for agriculture and construction of the dam, the Murray River has suffered the form of flow regulation. The flooding should be naturally happen in winter and spring across the Barmah national park, however due to the Murray River water catchment flow regulation, the flood is now less occurring with shorter