A little bit of water goes a long way

Diversity in a Piped System project update - August 2006

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The DIPS project is now nearing completion. Data collection is largely finished and we’re now into the process of analysis and write-up of results. In the June update we outlined some of the key findings, particularly the influence that the presence of water and the presence of trees has on biodiversity. The graph on the right illustrates the difference in bird numbers between farm dams in open paddocks and farm dams in trees. There are over three times as many birds recorded and over three times more species present around farm dams in trees compared with dams in open paddocks, illustrating what a dramatic difference trees make to biodiversity on a farm.

The experimental wildlife water troughs that BCG has been trialling were designed to provide a water source which could maintain a degree of habitat function in woodlands on farms after the channel system is de-commissioned. The graph to the left compares the results of surveys at our wildlife trough sites compared with farm dams in trees. The wildlife troughs support nearly identical levels of bird abundance and species diversity compared with farm dams in trees, demonstrating that installing a wildlife trough can maintain habitat function on a farm. The results from the reptile surveys confirms the findings from the bird data.

The faunal group likely to suffer most in the absence of channels and dams are frogs. In the northern mallee pipeline region north of Sea Lake, the only frogs found were in storm water run-off areas around towns. The wildlife troughs were deliberately not placed near existing dams, and have probably not been functioning long enough in their locations to attract frogs. More strategic siting of wildlife troughs near existing channel/dams and a modified, frog-friendly design should provide a better habitat for supporting frog populations. Growling Grass Frog, a regionally threatened species, at a farm dam north of Pimpinio.

For more information on this project contact Jonathan Starks, Project Officer, on 0428 922 787.