Restoring resilience at Silver Plains Reserve

Anyone who has walked a peat marsh knows the feel of it: the quiet sponge underfoot, the cool smell, the water rising up through the moss – and maybe through your boots.

In the Central Highlands at Silver Plains Reserve, wetlands form a mosaic across the landscape, protecting rare plants and storing carbon and water. Every summer, Latham’s snipe complete their long migration from Japan to feed in these wetlands. This landscape is one of the most important refuges for this vulnerable bird in Tasmania. 

Now, thanks to a major five-year grant from The Ian Potter Foundation, we can strengthen the wetlands these birds rely on, building resilience in the face of climate change and other threats. 

Decades-old drains have left the peat drying out. Weeds creep in where they get the chance, following old forestry tracks. And fallow deer, whose numbers are exploding across the highlands, are trampling vegetation and chewing through young eucalypts and fragile groundcovers. In a changing climate, these pressures will only intensify, chipping away at the subalpine ecosystem.

A place to test solutions

That’s why Silver Plains Reserve is taking on a new role: as a demonstration site for how conservation management and long-term ecological research can build resilience under a changing climate. 

With support from The Ian Potter Foundation, TLC and our partners are focusing on the three biggest threats: 

• Hydrology in a drying climate – re-wetting marshes so peat holds water and carbon and retains important habitat for threatened species.
• Fallow deer – trialling a mix of recreational, conservation and professional hunting to see what actually works long-term.
• Weeds – keeping on top of invasive plants across the property, especially in the marshes where they threaten to take hold.

Science in action

We’ll be pairing every action with careful monitoring so we can see how the ecosystem responds.

The University of Tasmania (UTAS) and the Australian Mountain Research Facility (AMRF) are tracking gas exchange, vegetation changes and hydrology before and after restoration. UTAS Professor Hovenden and team have been successful with their ARC Discovery Project (four years, $1.18M): Protecting the peaty soils that store Australia’s water. Their research will explore how plants, carbon and water interact in the highland peaty marshes, and test practical ways to protect them.

Federation University is studying Latham’s snipe, the only subalpine site in Australia where they gather in such large numbers. When the ground stays soggy, the birds stick around. When it dries early, they leave. If we can extend that wet season within natural limits, it could make all the difference for the species in Tasmania. 

On the deer front, TLC is working with Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development NSW and UTAS to study population density and hunting methods. For years, recreational hunting alone hasn’t been enough – Silver Plains Reserve research has shown that. Now, we’re combining different approaches to find the most effective mix. The work at Silver Plains Reserve is part of a bigger story. Across Tasmania, the mainland and New Zealand, deer are challenging ecosystems. The solutions tested here could help shape how they’re managed elsewhere.

Sharing what we learn

Although the grant has only recently been announced, work is already moving. Partners have met to map out the first year, and a steering committee is being set up to guide the project. On the ground, drains are being mapped, students are beginning field research on Latham’s snipe, and long-term weed data is being analysed. These are the first steps in tackling the challenges ahead.

Just as important as the work itself is sharing the results. There will be field days, technical reports, journal papers, and plenty of public updates. Deer management in particular is drawing wide interest, because so few studies have measured the impact of recreational hunting. But the hydrological restoration work also has huge potential to shape wetland conservation across Australia.

Over the next five years, Silver Plains Reserve will be a place where practical work, long-term monitoring and community partnerships come together. We look forward to sharing what we discover along the way.

You can read more about the background to this work on the Nature Glenelg Trust website.