We’re here to help with design of species mixes with the right balance in terms of structure (overstorey vs understorey) and ecological function (for example short-lived primary colonisers vs long lived species). Maximising species diversity drawn from the target ecological community is often a good starting point. However, other factors such as availability of seed, seed shelf life and seed responses to direct seeding must also be taken into account.
Similarly, mine site rehabilitation is often conducted on substrates that are often more hostile to plant growth than the original undisturbed native topsoil. As a result, while targeting specific community types is a worthwhile goal and excellent starting point for seed mix design, some flexibility in utilising local native species from other community types (and with better tolerance of hostile conditions) is often a good strategy.
Our experience with these issues is available to you through our SEED MIX DESIGN SYSTEM. The system includes explanatory design rationale, a comprehensive species analysis of all candidate species, and a final recommended species pool complete with species sub-categories and sowing rates. The full set of documents is available to all customers with QA Portal access, as well as to new customers upon request.