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Grassy Ecosystems
Management Kit
Grassy Ecosystems Management Kit: a guide to developing
conservation management plans by Sarah Sharp, Josh
Dorrough, Rainer Rehwinkel, David Eddy and Ann Breckwoldt, illustrated by
Michael Bedingfield. ISBN 0642603405. Published by
Environment ACT in 2005.
In 2009, Friends of
Grasslands Inc became the distributor for the kit and can supply both retail
and wholesale quantities.
The kit contains step-by-step activities that are used to
develop a conservation management plan for your site. Learn how to assess what
you have on site, identify achievable management aims, prepare a site work
program and assess whether your management actions are achieving your desired
results.
Price: $30 per kit, plus postage. Discount price
for 10 or more copies: $20 per kit.
Postage: $10 per kit.
Contact Us for postage on large orders.
Wholesale:
please Contact Us for
information.
To order: Complete
the publications order form (pdf
version)
Managing Grassy Ecosystems
Grassy ecosystems (grasslands and grassy
woodlands) in southern Australia have been changed and greatly reduced in area
since European settlement. As our understanding of grassy ecosystems has
grown, so too, has the recognition that if grassy ecosystems are to be conserved
for the future they will require active management. However, grassy ecosystems
can be complex and variable and often their conservation is one of many
competing management goals. In such circumstances, without a clear management
planning framework that takes into account the differing values, attributes and
uses of a particular area management can seem difficult. In recognition of this
a management kit has been developed to help people manage grassy ecosystems and
to provide a framework for increasing our understanding of these ecosystems. The
kit has a set of steps that lead to the development of a conservation management
plan. Because landholders already have experience in managing their land, and
have insights into the unique features of their sites, the processes outlined in
the Management Kit can be modified to suit the site and its individual
needs.
The Value of the Kit
The processes outlined in the kit show that:
- conservation can complement existing and proposed land uses;
- a more complete picture of a site can result in a plan and layout that
is in tune with the land—this can help with ongoing management; and
- thoughtful management can contribute to the recovery of grassy
ecosystems.
The Approach
The Grassy Ecosystems Management Kit is a manual designed for the
assessment of grassy vegetation and its associated fauna habitat. As a result,
the kit is suitable for use by regional planning groups, Landcare groups,
individual landholders and land managers. The focus of the kit is on
implementing the best management practices, to maximise the natural functioning
of remnant grassy ecosystem sites.
Contents
The Grassy Ecosystems Management Kit contains:
- Useful background information to help in conservation management of
grassy sites.
- A workbook explaining how to carry out the steps.
- A case study showing a worked example.
- Further information and reference material.
- A list of common grassy ecosystem species and a key to their
illustrations within the kit.
- A glossary of terms.
- Recording sheets for developing a management plan.
- A CD containing the entire kit .
Steps in the Management Kit
The step-by-step activities outlined in the kit can be used to develop a
conservation management plan. The steps are designed to answer the following
questions:
- What are the features of the site?
- What management aims are necessary to conserve grassy ecosystems on the
site?
- What activities are likely to fulfil these aims?
- When will these activities occur?
- Have the management activities produced the expected results?
The Grassy Ecosystem Management Kit was a collaborative project with
contributions from ACT Territory and Municipal Services, NSW Department
Environment and Conservation and Victorian Department Sustainability and
Environment. The kit was funded from the Australian Government’s Natural
Heritage Trust and World Wildlife Fund Grassy Ecosystems Grants Scheme.
Description courtesty of Department of Territory and Municipal Services,
ACT Government. Reproduced with permission.
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