Big Scrub Landcare are now driving an innovative program to ensure that all plantings use genetically diverse planting stock to overcome potential inbreeding and build greater adaptability to climate change within the landscape. Dr Tony Parkes (AO) - retired organic chemist and merchant banker (turned rainforest restorer) - is the Founder and President of Big [...]
Why is grassy ecosystem restoration so hard…it doesn’t have to be? Paul Gibson-Roy shines the light on the USA’s approach. In 2015 Paul received a Winston Churchill fellowship to explore the industry in the USA .He shares his findings of the scale and viability of the industry and the government incentives and the structures that [...]
Ross Rapmund provides a clear overview of the production requirements of a community nursery and the role a nursery can play in alleviating the impacts of population fragmentation in the landscape. This snapshot highlights the need for genetic diversity in seed stock, how that diversity is encouraged and the importance of documentation. Topic Mins: [...]
The million dollar question of 'provenance' is eloquently described by Linda Broadhurst within the context of habitat fragmentation and climate change impacts. The talk simply explains the role of genetics in understanding inbreeding depressions and how they can arise from small population sizes or reduced parental numbers. A must see video for anyone who collects [...]
How do you ensure your restoration project will be resilient in times of changing climate and increased fragmentation across the landscape? Tein McDonald discusses with Linda Broadhurst the implications of population size, the parental gene pool and the significance of pollinators in ensuring genetic diversity and countering inbreeding depression. In this expanding field, the importance [...]
Greening Australia’s Cumberland Plain seed production facility is a real eye opener. You can see how they set up a low cost facility that allows for efficient harvesting and promotes genetic diversity. This protects remnants from over-exploitation and allows for much greater quantities of seed to be harvested more economically. Topic Mins: seconds Purpose [...]
The Mt Annan seed production facility is focussed around growing native grasses for revegetation. The video covers the learning that has evolved to understand the process behind the establishment of the seed production areas. Topic Mins: seconds Purpose 00:18 – 00:47 Species, densities and area 00:47 – 2:30 and 9:17 – 9:32 Site preparation [...]