 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
February 24, 2003
Corporate bushcare day a success
|
|
|
Alcoa employees teamed with conservation volunteers to save 1000 trees from the deadly dieback disease at Ken Hurst Park, Leeming on Sunday 23rd February.
The joint initiative between the Alcoa Foundation, Friends of Ken Hurst Park and Roleystone Dieback Group, saw some 64 volunteers armed with tree injectors, electric drills and rubbish bags.
Dr. Ian Colquhoun, a Senior Environmental Scientist at Alcoa and the Chairperson of the Roleystone Dieback Group said the fungicide used to inject the trees is harmless to humans and environmentally friendly. "The process is similar to inoculating people," he said.
"Through this process, we managed to protect the Park from the spread of dieback and to save trees," he said.
The volunteers also removed more than 50 bags of litter.
The Park has high conservation values and contains large areas that are free of dieback.
The Friends of Ken Hurst Park provided most of the on-ground support and a luxurious morning tea and sausage sizzle.
The project formed part of the Alcoa Foundation's ACTION Program. ACTION (Alcoans Coming Together in Our Neighbourhoods), is an initiative that rewards projects with US$3,000 providing 10 or more Alcoa employees volunteer to help out.
"Alcoa’s staff has been volunteering for decades to fight salinity in the wheatbelt, now they have the chance to fight for conservation values in their local bushland," Dr. Colquhoun said.
Mr. Colquhoun said he planned to organise a similar event next year.
Information on Dieback
Dieback is the name used to describe the plant disease caused by a microscopic fungus in the soil called Phytophthora cinnamomi. There are many species of Phytophtora, but P. cinnamomi causes the most severe and widespread damage to native vegetation. P. cinnamomi spends its entire life in the soil and plant tissue and attacks the roots of plants and causes them to rot. This kills the plant by stopping the uptake of water and nutrients.
Initially known as “jarrah dieback” however it is now known to kill hundreds of local plant species and affects 2000 of WA’s 9000 native species. It kills banksias, snottygobbles, she-oaks, grasstrees and zamia palms.
Where did dieback come from?
Dieback is not native to Western Australia. Scientists believe it was introduced to Australian by the early settlers who brought live plants (and soil) to Australia. It was spread extensively throughout the south west when infected gravel was used for road construction. It is now widespread throughout the south west of Western Australia, infesting forest, heathland and woodland communities, and is present in much of the bushland around Perth.
The effect of dieback on native animals
Changes in the availability of food resources and habitat, due to changes in plant community composition and structure caused by P. cinnamomi, may adversely affect associated groups of animals. The number of small animals will decline if their food resource decreases due to dieback, for example nectar from wildflowers such as banksias and hakeas. Smaller animals may also suffer from loss of refuge, the more open vegetation giving them less protection from predators and reduction in leaf litter, habitat and food depletion causes many mammals of the jarrah forest to migrate or die.
For more information on the effects of dieback, please contact Dr. Ian Colquhoun, Senior Environmental Scientist at Alcoa on (08) 9316 5246.
|
|
Fight against Dieback in Melville
|
|
