Albert River Landcare Group
Illustrated by Helga Binder, Solanum aviculare
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EVC's were established by the DSE as a benchmark as to which areas plant species are indigenous to throughout Victoria. There are many factors determining EVC including soil type, site elevation and proximity to the coast. To select the EVC for your area read the descriptions below and find the one which matches your site the closest. In areas where EVC's border each other, there can be a mixture of species from both EVC's. Where this occurs select the EVC which represents the dominant species for that area. If you feel an EVC has been omitted please go to our blog page and let us know - we will update our lists. If you would like to see the whole complexity of our region or find more detailed information on EVC's please go to the following link:
http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/conservation-and-environment/ecological-vegetation-classes-evc EVC 3 Damp Sands Herb Rich Woodlands A low, grassy or bracken-dominated eucalypt forest or open woodland to 15 m tall with a large shrub layer and ground layer rich in herbs, grasses, and orchids. Occurs mainly on flat or undulating areas on moderately fertile, relatively well-drained, deep sandy or loamy topsoils over heavier subsoils (duplex soils). EVC 16 Lowland Forest Eucalypt forest to 20 m tall on relatively fertile, moderately well-drained soils in areas of relatively high rainfall. Characterised by the diversity of life forms and species in the understorey including a range of shrubs, grasses and herbs EVC 23 Herb-rich Foothill Forest Occurs on relatively fertile, moderately well-drained soils on an extremely wide range of geological types and in areas of moderate to high rainfall. Occupies easterly and southerly aspects mainly on lower slopes and in gullies. A medium to tall open forest or woodland to 25 m tall with a small tree layer over a sparse to dense shrub layer. A high cover and diversity of herbs and grasses in the ground layer characterise this EVC. EVC 30 Wet Forest Grows on fertile, well-drained loamy soils on a range of geologies and elevation levels. It is largely restricted to protected sites in gullies and on southern aspects of hills and mountains where rainfall is high and cloud cover at ground level is frequent. Characterised by a tall eucalypt overstorey to 30 m tall with scattered understorey trees over a tall broad-leaved shrubby understorey and a moist, shaded, fern-rich ground layer that is usually dominated by tree-ferns. EVC 31 Cool Temperate Rainforest Closed non-eucalypt forest to 25m tall with occasional eucalypt emergents. Occurs in high rainfall areas protected from fire within Wet Forest, The understorey characterised by tree ferns and a rich epiphytic flora. The ground layer is dominated by a diversity of ground ferns. EVC 48 Heathy Woodland Spans a variety of geologies but is generally associated with nutrient-poor soils including deep uniform sands (aeolian or outwash) and Tertiary sand/clay which has been altered to form quartzite gravel. Eucalypt-dominated low woodland to 10 m tall lacking a secondary tree layer and generally supporting a diverse array of narrow or ericoid-leaved shrubs except where frequent fire has reduced this to a dense cover of bracken. Geophytes and annuals can be quite common but the ground cover is normally fairly sparse. EVC 151 Plains Grassy Forest Open forest to 20 m tall often above a heathy shrub layer and a diverse grassy, sedgy and herbaceous ground layer. Occurs on lowland plains and old river terraces made up of gravelly sandy clays. |
I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority. |
