Big Scrub Rocky Creek Dam, NSW. VAST-2: Tracking the Transformation of Australia's Vegetated Landscapes

The aim of this project is to compile land use and management practices and their observed and measured impacts and effects on vegetation condition. The results provide land managers and researchers with a tool for reporting and monitoring spatial and temporal transformations of Australia’s native vegetated landscapes due to changes in land use and management practices. Following are the details for the Big Scrub Rocky Creek Dam, NSW.

Pre-European benchmark - analogue vegetation: The site was originally Lowland Subtropical Rainforest on basalt-derived and alluvial soils. The forest is distinguished by its dense, uneven canopy comprised of typically two to three tall tree layers. Eucalypts and brushbox (Lophostemon confertus) may be present as sparse emergent. Characteristic life-forms include buttressed trees, strangler figs, stands of bangalow palms (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana), woody vines and large epiphytes.

Brief chronology of changes in land use and management:
1840: Intact rainforest
1862: Area opened-up for selection
1900: Cedar getters select large trees
1910: Rainforest cleared and converted to pasture for dairying
1911-1948: Area used for grazing dairy cattle
1948: Area acquired for public use (water storage)
1950-1989: Minimal management - land in transition (open public space)
1950-1952: Rocky Creek Dam constructed
1983-1990: Commenced experiments using assisted regeneration on small test plots
1991-2000: Large scale assisted regeneration (25 ha) by converting lantana thickets to rainforest
2001-2011: Minimal management.

本项目旨在系统梳理土地利用与管理实践，及其对植被状况产生的可观测、可量化影响与效应。研究成果可为土地管理者与科研人员提供支撑工具，用于报告并监测澳大利亚本土植被景观因土地利用与管理实践变化而发生的时空动态演变。以下为新南威尔士州（New South Wales, NSW）大灌丛洛基溪大坝（Big Scrub Rocky Creek Dam）的详细信息。

欧洲殖民前基准——类比植被：该场地原生为发育于玄武岩与冲积土壤上的低地亚热带雨林。该林分以密集且层次不均的冠层为典型特征，通常包含2至3层高大乔木层。桉树及brushbox（Lophostemon confertus）可能以稀疏的上层乔木形式存在。典型生活型包括板根乔木、绞杀榕、坎宁安蒲葵（Archontophoenix cunninghamiana）林分、木本藤本植物与大型附生植物。

土地利用与管理变化简史：
1840年：原生雨林完整存续
1862年：区域对外开放，允许土地申请购置
1900年：雪松采伐者择伐大型乔木
1910年：雨林被清理并改造为奶牛养殖牧场
1911年—1948年：区域用于放牧奶牛
1948年：区域被征购为公共用途（蓄水）
1950年—1989年：管理力度极低，土地处于转型阶段（开放公共空间）
1950年—1952年：洛基溪大坝建成
1983年—1990年：启动小型试验地块的辅助植被恢复实验
1991年—2000年：开展大规模辅助植被恢复工程（面积25公顷），将马缨丹灌丛修复为雨林植被
2001年—2011年：管理力度极低。