DIRECT TRANSFER OF SOIL IN THE WET SEASON AS A METHOD TO ESTABLISH RESPROUTER SPECIES IN REHABILITATED BAUXITE MINES

Vegetatively reproducing species (resprouters) have the ability to grow from below ground tissues such as lignotubers, rhizomes, bulbs or corms. Over 70 % of species in the jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest are resprouters. However, many resprouters are under-represented or absent from Alcoa’s rehabilitated mined sites. Resprouting species characteristically have poor seed production or seed dormancy, therefore planting greenstock is currently the only way of returning these species to the post-mining landscape. We aimed to determine if 1) resprouting species can be effectively “transplanted ” on a large-scale during winter by carrying out deep profile, direct return of soil and 2) if the establishment of resprouter species outweighs the expected decline in the establishment of species originating from the topsoil seed bank. Four one hectare sites were established at Huntly and Willowdale rehabilitated mined areas in the wet season [early winter (May-July) and early spring (September)] of 2005. Sites received direct return soil that had been stripped in a single pass (30 – 60 cm depth) from a nearby forest donor soil site. The establishment of resprouter species following wet season rehabilitation was low, despite an average of 41 availabl