Trees play an important role in human health and well being through the provision of food, shelter, fibre, and timber as well as cultural, spiritual and aesthetic values.
Trees also provide the following services within the ecosystem:
- carbon storage - trees use photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates used for growth
- oxygen production - trees release oxygen during photosynthesis
- nutrient cycling - falling leaves, bark and limbs provide organic matter which enriches the soil
- prevention of soil erosion
- reduction in stormwater runoff
- reducing the risk of salinity by regulating the level of the groundwater table
- filtering and absorbing air pollutants
This page contains information on the importance of trees to our environment in the following sections:
Trees and Wildlife
Why are trees important
Every part of a tree plays some ecological role:
- the leaves, sap, nectar, pollen, fruit and seed are all sources of food
- he bark, trunk, branches, foliage, fallen logs, leaf litter and root system are home to a myriad of animals including mammals, birds, lizards, frogs, insects, worms and micro-organisms
Why are nectar trees important
The nectar and pollen of many flowering plants are important food sources for insects, birds and mammals.Some species rely solely on nectar and move about the landscape following the seasonal flowering of plants.
Nectar dependant fauna species such as the Flying-foxes and Honeyeaters become most abundant in the region during the peak flowering of eucalypts and other flowering plants.
Why are specific trees important to koalas
Koalas feed exclusively on leaves of a few tree species, mainly eucalypts. Koalas have disappeared from up to two thirds of their former range in NSW and now mainly occur on the north coast and are listed as “vulnerable” under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.
Koalas are common around Gunnedah and can still be seen in the Tamworth Regional Council area. Many important areas of koala habitat occur on private lands.
What part do fruiting trees play in the environment
Many plants, especially rainforest species, produce fruits that have a fleshy outer layer enclosing their seed(s). These fruits are an important food resource.
Some native animals, called frugivores, rely solely on fruit to meet their dietary requirements. These animals need to live where there are a wide variety of fruiting plants to provide a constant supply of food.
Animals that eat fruit play a vital role in dispersing the seeds of their food plants to new areas for establishment.
What part do trees play as homes for animals
In Australia, many of our native animals are dependant on tree hollows for shelter and nesting.
Tree hollows are cavities in the branches or trunks of live or dead trees. They may be formed by breakages, lightning strike, and fungal or insect attack.
A diverse range of hollows of different sizes and tree position are needed across the landscape to cater for the variety of wildlife that use hollows. Large hollows usually only develop with age, for example, in old growth forests where trees are hundreds of years old.
Tree Conservation and Protection
It is important to conserve isolated paddock trees, remnants of forest and regrowth in the landscape because these provide habitat “stepping stones” for native animals to travel between larger protected areas of forest.
Threatened species, populations and ecological communities in Tamworth Regional Council area are protected under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.
What can I do to protect trees in the Tamworth region
There are simple things that we can do to make a meaningful contribution to the environment:
- to retain trees that bear hollows, produce fruits and nectar
- to encourage the growth of trees in your neighbourhood especially if they form part of a wildlife corridor
- to become involved in a local community group working to restore native habitat
- find out more about what species of plants and animals occur naturally in your area and create gardens that provide food and habitat for our native wildlife
- fence riparian trees and paddock trees to prevent livestock accessing them
Significant Tree Register
Tamworth Regional Council has a Significant Tree Register which lists approximately 120 trees that Council is seeking to protect and conserve. The Register contains the following information:
- registration number
- listing
- date
- botanic name
- common name
- location
- property description
- height
- trunk diameter
- date planted or estimated age
- condition
- photo
- significance listing
- location diagram
- statement of significance
The Register only identifies significant trees in the former Tamworth City Area.
How can I view the Significant Tree Register
Please contact the Council’s Manager, Strategic Planning by phoning (02) 6767 5555.
Native Vegetation Protection
The native vegetation legislation introduced in 2005 represented an historic change to the way we manage native vegetation across NSW. The Native Vegetation Act 2003 and Native Vegetation Regulation 2005 aim:
- to manage native vegetation on a regional basis in the social, economic and environmental interests of the state
- to protect native vegetation of high conservation value having regard to its contribution to water quality, biodiversity or the prevention of salinity and land degradation
- to prevent broadscale clearing
Through Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) local people make local decisions about how to best manage native vegetation in their part of NSW.
The new system is based on:
- Property Vegetation Plans
- voluntary agreements between landholders and CMAs
How do I find out more about native vegetation protection
The following website links provide further information on protecting native vegetation: