Fixing wetlands for carbon
NICKY BRUCE OF MURRAY LOCAL LAND SERVICES AND SARAH NING FROM
THE MURRAY DARLING WETLANDS WORKING GROUP LTD DESCRIBE HOW
THEIR ORGANISATIONS AND LANDHOLDERS ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO
STORE CARBON AND INCREASE BIODIVERSITY.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Nicky Bruce — [email protected]
Sarah Ning — [email protected]
www.murray.lls.nsw.gov.au or www.murraydarlingwetlands.com.au
PROTECTING RARE VEGETATION COMMUNITIES. Title photo: Wetland on the Hooper’s
property ‘Moona’ near Deniliquin, photo K. & J. Hooper. From left: Milfoil, photo Murray
Darling Wetlands Working Group Ltd (MDWWG); Balldale wetlands, photo Nicky Bruce;
Nardoo, photo MDWWG.
An innovative partnership between farmers,
scientists, and government agencies in the
New South Wales Murray catchment is seeing
wetlands rehabilitated to increase their capacity
to store carbon.
The first stage of the ‘Murray Wetland
Carbon Storage’ project, involves rehabilitating
400 hectares of wetlands with a target of
2000 hectares by June 2013/14. The project
is an initiative of Murray Local Land Services
and the Murray Darling Wetlands Working
Group Ltd, funded through the Australian
Government. It has been enthusiastically
embraced by landholders, both public and
private, in the sheep–wheat belt of the eastern
Riverina and south-west slopes of New South
Wales.
FIXING WETLANDS FOR CARBON
Wetlands
Murray Local
Land Services
region
Lockhart
Urana
Jerilderie
Oaklands
Culcairn
Holbrook
Berrigan
Finley
Tocumwal
Walla Walla
Barooga
Howlong
Mulwala
0
35 km
Corowa
Jindera
Albury
The project is well underway, with the
first investment round targeting wetlands
in the New South Wales Central Murray
area (see map at left). The target area
was identified through technical and
community consultation, recommendations
from the NSW Murray Wetland Inventory
(2010) and the 2013 Murray Biodiversity
Management Plan. Additional rounds are
planned for 2014–17 (subject to Australian
Government funding). Participating
landholders enter into a 10-year management
agreement which is registered on their land
title and allows for investigation of initial
improvement of carbon storage and
biodiversity.
The project’s investment target area for 2013/14.
Wetland diversity
Shrinking capacity for wetlands to store carbon
Extensive vegetation clearing and altered land management have caused
a reduction in the extent and diversity of carbon stores across Australia.
Wetlands can represent a potential major carbon sink with high levels
of productivity and integral incorporation of carbon into sediments,
as well as contributing to biodiversity within the landscape.
A wetland inventory undertaken in 2010 found that one third of the
wetlands in the Murray region have been cleared of native vegetation.
Combined with changes to water regimes and grazing, these impacts
are reducing both the capacity of wetlands to store carbon and maintain
biodiversity values.
Increasing carbon through management and partnerships
Drawing on expertise in wetland management, the project is providing
‘fit for purpose’ funding to support landholders to undertake wetland
management. Activities have been designed to provide carbon storage
and increase biodiversity through on-ground works to rehabilitate
degraded wetlands and enhance existing wetland and riparian vegetation.
On-ground activities are tailored to suit each site and may involve:
• planting of mixed local wetland, riparian and terrestrial vegetation,
• altering grazing management, with or without fencing (permanent
or temporary),
• pest animal and weed control,
• environmental water delivery, where appropriate and feasible,
• providing resources such as interpretative signage, bird hides
and educational visits.
Sixteen sites are being addressed through the
project’s first investment program, covering
a diverse range of vegetation types, condition,
and improved management opportunities. Sites
are located in the Balldale, Corowa, Jerilderie,
Savernake and Urana areas, and cover more
than 1000 hectares. The wetlands comprise
vegetation types such as River Red Gum
and Grey Box both with grassy understorey,
canegrass, sedges/rushes/grasses and lignum.
Sites range from 15 to 420 hectares, with a
mixture of applied management practices
including a gravel quarry, travelling stock
reserves and grazing for sheep and cattle.
Sites selected show potential for improved
carbon storage, with evidence of an existing
or known native seedbank, diverse vegetation
community and/or habitat complexity;
and favourable hydrological connectivity
(with a low chance of being flushed or
scoured and hence lose carbon). Other
criteria considered were the identification of
wetland local champions and the opportunity
for sites to be used to demonstrate natural
resource management benefits to the wider
community.
FIXING WETLANDS FOR CARBON
Monitoring carbon dynamics
An important aspect of the project is to
gain an understanding of how rehabilitation
and altered management activities, such as
reduced grazing pressure and revegetation,
influence changes in carbon pools and fluxes
within wetlands. A monitoring program is
being developed as part of the project by
the Murray-Darling Freshwater Research
Centre. The ‘Wetland Carbon Dynamics
Monitoring Program’ aims to provide
improved understanding of wetland carbon
dynamics and to develop recommendations
for wetland management for carbon storage
balanced with biodiversity benefits.
A series of baseline surveys and analysis
will be carried out on a suite of wetlands from
the project’s first investment program to be
completed by 30 June 2014. It is anticipated
that the same method will be applied annually
for a further three years to assist in evaluating
and reporting on outcomes from rehabilitation
of wetlands for carbon storage.
CASE STUDY: BALANCING AGRICULTURE AND
MANAGEMENT OF WETLANDS FOR THE LONG TERM
Managing wetlands for carbon and biodiversity on an agricultural
property presents some interesting challenges. Though according
to John Simpson (pictured above), a landholder from the Jerilderie
area, having an awareness of your wetlands and careful planning,
can allow for parts of your paddock to become ‘very easy on the eye’.
John is planning to enhance four wetlands through the project.
All of the wetlands are surrounded by active cropping land with
little to no stock access, and three will have no fencing to encourage
native wildlife to use them, including visiting nesting waterbirds
such as swans and pelicans.
John is looking forward to seeing the establishment of riparian/
buffer zones, as well as the sites having overall healthy native
vegetation with the absence of weeds. In 20 years’ time he is
hopeful newly-established trees will provide shade and there
will be an increase in the diversity of plants and animals.
The Hooper’s wetland, photo K. & J. Hooper
John Simpson, photo Sarah Ning. Australian Spotted Crake, photo Chris Tzaros.