Be Weed Wise

• crowding out local native plants by competing for water, nutrients and light
• preventing establishment of native plant seedlings by creating heavy shade or a thick layer of plant litter on the ground
• changing the nutrient content of soils, possibly making the soil more hospitable for weeds
• changing the fire regime by making vegetation more or less flammable, dictating what native plants will continue to survive in the changed conditions
• altering the availability of food and shelter for native animals, and improving conditions for introduced species or opportunist natives such as Pied Currawongs and Noisy Miners.

Even well-behaved garden plants can have unforeseen impacts on native animals. Many gardeners like to include nectar-producing plants “for the birds”. The provision of an abundant and constant food supply can help large, aggressive birds to increase, often at the expense of other species. For example, Noisy Miners, Bell Miners and Wattlebirds will drive out smaller honeyeaters, and Rainbow Lorikeets take over tree hollows needed for nesting by other birds, possums and bats.