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Protecting Paddock Trees

We tend to take the presence of paddock trees for granted. We all know that they add amenity value to the property and act as windbreaks providing shelter for stock, pasture and crops. But what else do they do?

By Department of Primary Industries - 14th June 2006 - Back to News

Trees can limit the loss of soil nutrients and can prevent watertables from rising. Trees are also vital for attracting wildlife, providing places for many animals to feed and shelter. Even isolated paddock trees can provide stepping stones for birds across the landscape.

Old trees, including dead standing trees, provide hollows which can take more than 100 years to form. These are critical for the survival of over 15% of Australian vertebrate animals.

The number of bird species on a property can increase by 30% for every 10 large trees. Birds are very important for controlling insect pests on your farm.

Even fallen timber provides shelter for many species, such as reptiles and birds. Earthworms are also associated with fallen timer, improving the fertility of the soil - and ultimately boosting paddock productivity.

So what can we do to protect paddock trees and make sure that they provide resources for our farm into the future?

It is very important to protect your trees when burning by placing a firebreak around them and keeping an eye on your fires. Once a large tree is set alight it can be very difficult to put out.

You also might notice that the trees on your property are not regenerating, which has serious implications when the existing trees eventually die, with no young trees to replace them.

Reducing stock pressure for even a short time can enable trees to regenerate, but fencing or integrating the tree into a shelter belt is even better.

Think about protecting your paddock trees now for a better future for biodiversity and for your farm.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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