Plants
Plants along the bank of the Broken River (an area also known as the "Riparian Zone") play a vital environmental role. Without these plants, many other native fish and animals in and around the river would disappear. For example, large Red Gums provide terrestrial habitat for many mammals, birds and terrestrial invertebrates, and their exposed submerged roots provide habitat and protection for fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Some of the environmental benefits a healthy river frontage can provide include:
- The supply of organic matter (leaves, etc.) to a waterway, which acts as a major food source for aquatic animals.
- The supply of woody debris to a waterway, which acts as an important habitat for many aquatic animals.
- A source of shade that influences water temperature and light penetration, and provides suitable living conditions for aquatic plants and animals.
- Assistance in riverbank stabilization to help prevent erosion.
- The provision of a refuge in dry times, which acts as an important source of food for animals.
- A wildlife corridor that links habitats, especially in largely-cleared catchments.
- A natural system that retains nutrients which might otherwise be washed into streams, resulting in growth of nuisance plants and algae.
While it is very difficult to list all of the vegetation species along the banks and in the river, the following snapshot (from a 2004 report on riparian vegetation along the Broken River between Casey's Weir and Gowangardie Weir) gives a good overview.
More information about the plant communities in the Broken River catchment can be found at the Victorian State Government: Department of Sustainability and Environment website - www.dse.vic.gov.au
(Source for the "Plants" section: GBCMA Lower Broken River Waterway Health Activity Plan – Casey's Weir to Gowangardie Weir, Earthtech, August 2004.)
