A great illustration of an ephemeral wetland of the Grassy Box Gum Woodlands of the Central West of NSW. This little lounge room sized temporary wetland would form after heavy rains pooled in a depression no more than a foot deep at peak. It would last for weeks maybe only half that in depth before being swallowed by the thirsty soil. Little wetland sedges, forbs, and ground covering flowers would eagerly sprout into life. Frogs would appear from nowhere and go absolutely mad. The whole Web of life would thrive.
In a crack in the old bark and trunk of the dead Grey Box tree in the photo lived microbats. In the massive old growth trees behind where I took this shot from I saw a pair of White-faced Herons raise 4 youngsters at the tail end of one LA Nina season. Earlier I had seen a Brolga visit for a few hours one morning at another little lounge room sized ephemeral wetland just out of shot - again, only a foot to a foot and half deep depression in what was essentially an ex horse paddock bordering the remnant ..... hundreds of kilometres from the nearest recognised wetlands and recorded sightings ...... :eek!: :D
This is it folks. This is the key. The entire Murray-Darling basin would have been covered in this type of paradise before being largely ruined by dams, drains, irrigation, grazing, clearing and agriculture ......
Just so important.
Critical that we repair the damage done. This 'Guru' has the way
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=342128
Image Copyright Chosun Juan
