Upper Snowy Landcare Network manages a portion of Gegedzerick TSR for conservation and land regeneration. This special site has been used primarily by our network as a demonstration site for methods of landscape regeneration on the Monaro and hosts a number of sites informing research efforts into environmental management.
Gegedzerick is now home to many projects we have delivered and also offers a place at which to meet and enjoy nature for our volunteers and associated groups.
Projects
Climate Tested Trees
A major concern for the future is whether the trees that are growing locally now will be suitable for the warmer climate ahead. In order to test whether Eucalyptus are specifically adapted to warmer/drier vs. colder/wetter environments, we collected seed from two species – Ribbon Gums (red dots) and Snow Gums (blue dots) – from across the full length of NSW.
Using funding from the Landcare Led Bushfire Recovery Program, seeds from 100 different tree families (half-sibs) were then grown in climate chambers at the ANU under two different climate conditions mimicking the current and future Monaro climates. Growth rates were measured by automatic imaging of the seedlings every 15 minutes. Root growth was also measured in “rhizoplates”. At the end of the climate chamber experiment, the seedlings were planted out at Gegedzerick TSR by volunteers in May 2022. After six months, with the help of Landcare Intrepid volunteers from ANU, a record breaking survival rate of 93% was found. Analyses are ongoing as to whether locally sourced seedstock survives and grows better in this environment than seedstock from warmer climates.
THIS PAGE IS STILL BEING BUILT – MORE INFO TO COME
Direct Seeding
Fungi Research
Project Understorey
Hollow Homes
Great Southern Bioblitz
Gegedzerick News