Woodland at the Australian Botanic Garden
Prior to the establishment of the Australian Botanic Garden (Mount Annan Botanic Garden) in 1988, the land was part of rural holdings taken up by settlers in the early 1800s. Past land management has been patchy, and areas have been variously cleared or partly cleared, cultivated and pasture-improved, and grazed by domestic and feral animals. Farming and grazing stopped in the years leading up to 1988.
The Cumberland Plain Woodland remnants at Mount Annan appear to have been the least-disturbed areas, and since 1988 Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust scientists have been studying the ecology and monitoring change in the remnant vegetation. Results from their work and its implications for management are provided here.
The Conservation Research Woodland at the Australian Botanic Garden and the vegetation monitoring program
Since 1988 we have been monitoring changes in remnant vegetation, in one remnant in particular, the Research Woodland, set aside for conservation in 1988 and containing about 10 ha of Cumberland Plain Woodland vegetation. The Research Woodland was one of the first conservation areas to be designated, as it appeared to have the best remnant native bush (including a local population of the listed rare plant, Pimelea spicata), but like other parts of the Australian Botanic Garden the site has a past history of partial clearing, grazing by domestic stock, and some localised cultivation and pasture improvement.
The Research Woodland is immediately north of the Australian Botanic Garden entrance gates and is accessible from Cunningham Drive.