Evaluation of ecosystem responses and local knowledge to improve future landscape revegetation around the Coorong and Lower Lakes in South Australia

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This report evaluates ecological and social outcomes of The Coorong, Lower Lakes Murray Mouth Program (CLLMM) Vegetation Program approximately 10 years after initial monitoring, with the aim of informing future revegetation across the CLLMM region. The study revisited revegetated and remnant sites to assess changes in vegetation and bird communities, with additional soil surveys and practitioner and landholder perspectives.Overall, revegetation is delivering clear, but incomplete, ecological recovery. Revegetated sites have developed structurally, with some non-planted native species now establishing. Native plant alpha diversity in revegetated sites declined over time, however, and native vegetation composition remained distinct from remnants, with little change over the 10-year period.Bird species richness increased in revegetated sites between 2015 and 2025, indicating that these sites are increasingly providing habitat as vegetation matures, and bird assemblages in revegetation shifted towards remnant-like composition over time. Alarmingly, however, bird richness declined in remnant sites between 2015 and 2025, indicating that revegetation is occurring within a broader landscape that is experiencing declines in bird alpha diversity.Soil fungal, bacterial and animal (metazoa) communities also shifted towards remnant-like conditions, although interpretation is more tentative because these data were not available from 2015. Revegetation soils retained strong, persistent agricultural legacy effects (e.g., phosphorus) which may be contributing to continued differences between revegetation and remnant communities, slowing recovery of both vegetation and soil biota.Finally, stakeholder responses across the CLLMM region reinforced the ecological findings. Practitioners identified habitat restoration, biodiversity improvement, and Caring for Country as major motivations for revegetation, but also highlighted the lack of ongoing funding, limited technical support, and insufficient long-term management capacity as major threats to success. Similarly, landholders emphasised the need for consistent support, strategic planning, and long-term investment to help them continue revegetation efforts.Findings across ecological surveys and local practitioner knowledge both suggest that revegetation can be effective for improving ecosystem condition, but that revegetation would benefit from ongoing management such as infill planting and weed control. Persistent agricultural soil legacies are also likely constraining the recovery of soils and vegetation. It remains unclear, however, what impacts abiotic barriers will have on soil functioning (e.g., nutrient cycling).Monitoring of mid- to long-term revegetation outcomes is rare in the ecological and practitioner literature, and this study highlights the importance of long-term monitoring programs to adaptively manage revegetation activities, especially under a changing climate. It is also rare to have monitoring that integrates floral, faunal, soil biota and social perspectives, highlighting the value and importance of this more holistic approach. Continued integration of ecological and social research will be important to guide restoration that is scientifically robust, practically achievable, and responsive to ever-changing environmental conditions.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.