Wetlands Australia National Wetlands Update February 2013
Issue No. 22, February 2013
ISSN 1446-4843
Water for plants - capturing knowledge for wetland managers
National Water Commission
Water regime for wetland and floodplain plants: A source book for the Murray-Darling Basin captures the wealth of research knowledge generated over the past decade about effective vegetation management as part of the ecology of our inland wetland and floodplain systems.
(National Water Commission)
The National Water Commission funded the book Water regime for wetland and floodplain plants: A source book for the Murray-Darling Basin by Jane Roberts and Frances Marston to update and extend the authors' original publication launched in 2000. This volume captures the wealth of research knowledge generated over the past decade about effective vegetation management as part of the ecology of our inland wetland and floodplain systems.
The new publication is a valuable resource for everyone involved in wetland and floodplain management in the Murray-Darling Basin. Planners and practitioners can now access the most up-to-date, evidence-based knowledge and practice methods for managing ecologically important wetland plants.
Understanding and better managing wetland plants is vital to boosting the health of the catchments in which they are located. Wetland plants oxygenate and purify water and can directly improve other ecosystems.
This work addresses the requirement under the National Water Initiative for best available science that allows for informed judgement on the trade-offs between competing outcomes for water systems, and the need for knowledge that demonstrates ecological outcomes from environmental flow management.
The updated edition covers 19 species and information is provided at several levels to meet the requirements of a range of stakeholders. A synthesis of what is known about each species is organised under simple headings such as 'Life cycle' and 'Water regime'.
Each section provides details on the water regime for the subject species, presenting what is known about its ecological dependency on water regimes and the effect on growth, survival and capacity to reproduce. This focus on the flow - ecology relationship will enable managers to use the technical life-cycle details to inform their practical options for regulating and controlling water regimes in wetland and floodplain systems. This detail is followed by a one-page summary of the flow and water regime the species requires for vigorous health. Further scientific and management references are provided for those who need more detail.
The featured species were selected for their ecological importance and relevance to flows and flow management of Basin wetlands, floodplains and rivers. Some are invasive, including introduced plants such as willow and lippia, and native species such as giant rush. These are included for their functional impact on wetland and floodplain systems and the need for managers to develop specific strategies for their control.
The authors' species selection was based on their own experience and knowledge of the vegetation with which most wetland and floodplain managers deal from day to day. To obtain an electronic copy of the publication visit the National Water Commission website or email the bookshop on bookshop@nwc.gov.au.
