Biodiversity Interactive Map – Resource

Another useful tool is the Biodiversity Interactive Map, which is one of a series of interactive maps available online provided by the Victorian Government. It is a valuable tool for finding out information such as what the current Ecological Vegetation Class (EVC) of a patch of vegetation is or what vegetation type a cleared area is likely to have been around the time of European settlement. That is a vital step to take when you are planning a re-vegetation project.

It is also a good way of finding out what threatened species may exist in your area of interest. Doing a search of the area shows that some of the significant species that have been recorded in the district include.  The site can be accessed by the following link. http://mapshare2.dse.vic.gov.au/MapShare2EXT/imf.jsp?site=bim

Biodiversity Interactive Map – Showing the Ecological vegetation classes (EVC) that were thought to be present in 1750.

Biodiversity Interactive Map showing threatened fauna record for the study area.

Current Native Vegetation Cover – EVC Map

This map gives an indication of the current distribution of plant communities in the district. You can clearly see the large area of mainly Lowland Forest EVC in the north, this includes the Traralgon South Flora and Fauna Reserve. As we head to higher altitudes the vegetation becomes dominated by Wet Forest with its overstorey of Mountain Ash. Some of the well protected gullies (e.g. in Tarra Bulga National Park) contain patches of Cool Temperate Rainforest.

Traralgon Sth EVC map

Forestry Map

Forestry Land in the Traralgon South Area

Vegetation Types

The original vegetation of the district varied according to a range of factors mainly to do with elevation and aspect, which is related to the amount of rainfall and exposure a location will have. Most of the vegetation was cleared in an attempt to establish agriculture but conditions especially at higher elevations proved unsuitable and the land was then either turned into both softwood or hardwood plantation forests or in some cases the land abandoned and recolonised by native vegetation. Most of the land that is still used for farming was originally classed as damp forest, it had a tree cover of Eucalyptus obliqua (Messmate), Eucalyptus viminalis (Manna Gum) and Eucalyptus radiata (Narrow leaf Peppermint). Wet Forest featuring large stands of Mt Ash and Tree Ferns dominated higher up in the catchment towards the Grand Ridge Rd. Lowland Forest (which is still very common) existed around the Traralgon South and Loy Yang area. Protected sheltered gullies contained patches of rainforest (Like the ones that still exist at Tarra Bulga National Park, which contained ancient Myrtle Beech and Sassafras trees.

Original vegetation communities

Welcome To This Site

This site has been established as part of a project to provide information and advice to landholders in the local communities of Traralgon South, Koornalla, Callignee, Le Roy and Balook. It aims to inform people of techniques and strategies for managing the natural environment with a particular focus on continuing the recovery from the Black Saturday Bushfires. We welcome input from the local community and are keen to get feedback in terms of what information you would find most helpful or any other contributions people can make. We would especially love to hear peoples ideas for community based environmental projects. This site is administered by staff from Latrobe Catchment Landcare Network and we can be contacted on 1300 094 262.

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Map of district