TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of soil disturbance from roadworks on roadside shrubs in a fragmented agricultural landscape
AU - Spooner, Peter
AU - Lunt, Ian
AU - Briggs, Sue
AU - Freudenberger, David
N1 - Imported on 12 Apr 2017 - DigiTool details were: Journal title (773t) = Biological Conservation. ISSNs: 0006-3207;
PY - 2004
Y1 - 2004
N2 - We investigated how soil disturbance from roadworks affects the population structures of roadside shrubs in an agricultural landscape of southern New South Wales, Australia. Size structures of Acacia pycnantha, A. montana and A. decora were assessed, and a separate dendroecological study undertaken. On a regional scale, populations were expanding, but classification of structures showed distinct groups of colonising, stable and senescent populations. Soil disturbance from previous roadworks was recorded in 88% of populations, and there was a significant relationship between major recruitment and roadworks events in Acacia populations situated along bitumen roads. For Acacia species, soil disturbance from roadworks are analogous to periodic disturbance from a natural fire regime, which in conjunction with historical changes in grazing pressure, are suggested as the main causes of increased Acacia recruitment. Ongoing management of disturbance regimes in roadside environments may be critical to Acacia persistence and associated fauna habitat.
AB - We investigated how soil disturbance from roadworks affects the population structures of roadside shrubs in an agricultural landscape of southern New South Wales, Australia. Size structures of Acacia pycnantha, A. montana and A. decora were assessed, and a separate dendroecological study undertaken. On a regional scale, populations were expanding, but classification of structures showed distinct groups of colonising, stable and senescent populations. Soil disturbance from previous roadworks was recorded in 88% of populations, and there was a significant relationship between major recruitment and roadworks events in Acacia populations situated along bitumen roads. For Acacia species, soil disturbance from roadworks are analogous to periodic disturbance from a natural fire regime, which in conjunction with historical changes in grazing pressure, are suggested as the main causes of increased Acacia recruitment. Ongoing management of disturbance regimes in roadside environments may be critical to Acacia persistence and associated fauna habitat.
U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2003.08.003
DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2003.08.003
M3 - Article
SN - 0006-3207
VL - 117
SP - 393
EP - 406
JO - Biological Conservation
JF - Biological Conservation
IS - 4
ER -