Land Animals

Even though animals do not play a dominant part in Botanical Gardens they still exist in some way or another. There is a wide range of animals living both in the Marine environment were i have taken my water samples from. And there is a wide range of animals on land where i took my soil samples from. As i could not name all of this ones i just got a few species and thought that i could go into more depth about each animal instead of naming all the animals in the Botanical gardens.
The animals that are dominant on land are the following:

Flying foxes:
Flying-foxes are large bats, weighing up to 1 kg, with a wing span which may exceed one meter. They sleep during the day and feed on pollen, nectar and fruit at night. In the wild they are important pollinators and seed dispersers of native trees. Seeds are discarded in the feces or fall where the fruit is being eaten. These seeds germinate when conditions are suitable and ensure that dispersal occurs in a wide area.


Flying-foxes, otherwise known as fruit bats, are mammals, and are members of the Pteropodidae family. They have the largest body size of all bats. The Grey-headed Flying-fox is the largest member of the family. Most flying-foxes at the Royal Botanic Gardens are Grey-headed Flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus), which are listed as vulnerable under both NSW and Commonwealth legislation. There is also a small number of Black Flying-foxes (Pteropus alecto), typically a more tropical species, which began roosting in the Royal Botanic Gardens around 2006.




Powerful owls:
The Powerful Owl is the largest owl in Australasia. It is a typical hawk-owl, with staring yellow eyes and no facial-disc. Adults reach 60 cm in length, have a wingspan of up to 140 cm and weigh up to 1.45 kilograms. Males are larger than females. The upper parts of the Powerful Owl are dark, greyish-brown with indistinct off-white bars. The underparts are whitish with dark greyish-brown V-shaped markings. Juvenile Powerful Owls have a white crown and underparts that contrasts with its small, dark streaks and dark eye patches. The call of this species may be heard at any time of the year, but it is more vocal during the winter breeding season. It has a slow, deep and resonant double hoot, with the female's being higher pitched and expressing an upward inflection on the second note.



Buff banded rail:

The Buff-banded Rail is a medium-sized stout rail with short legs. It has a distinctive grey eyebrow and an orange-brown band on its streaked breast. The lores, cheek and hindneck are rich chestnut. The chin and throat are grey, the upper parts streaked brown and the underparts barred black and white. The eye is red. Young birds are much paler to white underneath, with indistinct bars and only a faint orange-brown tint on the breast. Downy chicks are fluffy black. This rail walks slowly, with tail raised and flicking constantly.


These animals are the most dominant in Botanical Gardens so therefore they are more in depth.
But the other land animals that are not as dominant are rats, cockroaches, frogs, worms, butterfly, mossies, cranes, ibis, seagulls, pelicans, cockatoos, ants, magpies,

Birds

Since 1991 about 100 species of birds have been observed in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Click here to find out about the history of bird observations at the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Mammals:

Mammals include Grey-headed Flying-foxes, possums (Ringtail and Brush-tailed), rats and the occasional feral cat. You will encounter flying foxes rootsting during the day, but most other mammals can only be seen at night.

Whilst we are fond of our resident populations of possums, unfortunately many are possums that have been caught in other parts of the city and ‘dumped’ here. Our land covers only a limited area and cannot support an over-population of possums, so these animals - already disoriented from being removed from their ‘home’ territories - become even more stressed.

Frogs, lizards, snakes and spiders

You may encounter some of these animals in the Royal Botanic Gardens and in the Domain. Please be aware that all reptiles are protected by law. Many of our native reptiles have poisonous bites. Do not attempt to handle them. If you think you have been bitten, seek help immediately - contact a Ranger (0419 270 279) or go to the Gardens Shop for first aid.

Insects

The sole colony of Pearl White Butterflies (Elodina angulipennis) in the Sydney Basin is living in our Rare & Threatened Garden. The butterflies are living on two Native Pomegranate trees (Capparis arborea). Pearl White Butterflies are found from the Torres Strait Islands and Cape York Peninsula, south as far as Sydney, but they are most common in the northernmost part of their range.

With all these animals Botanical gardens must a policy in order to protect them. A policy is shown below.

Wildlife The Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain provide valuable ‘greenspace’ in the centre of the city. Visitors enjoy observing our birds and many come just to see our colony of flying-foxes. You can also expect outdoor evening events to be accompanied by the occasional sounds of possums jumping through the trees. If you care for our wildlife, please don’t feed them Many of us love feeding ducks, other birds, and possums, but there are some good reasons why you shouldn’t. It upsets the delicate balance of nature and jeopardises the animals’ welfare.

Handfeeding makes them aggressive and a nuisance. Feeding makes them lazy. Animals start to depend on being fed by humans. They become scavengers instead of unique wildlife that we can be proud of. Human food can kill animals. Our snack food often contains too much salt and sugar, and can be fatal to birds. Poor nutrition can lead to bone deformities, reduced ability to cope with cold weather and susceptibility to disease.

PH of water

The day before yesterday i did a test testing the PH of the water.Each time i went to take a new reading i wrote down the probe to see if i contaminated it and also for curiosity to see if my results rose from the results from the probe.
PM: Stands for the probe reading.
PH: Stands for the PH reading.
Sample 1.
PM: 4.12
PH:6.46
Sample 2:
PM:4.14
PH:6.43
Sample3:
PM:4.15
PH:6.27
Sample 4:
PM:4.16
PH:6.25

I then wanted to test the second time, the results were:
Sample 1:
PM:4.15
PH:6.46
Sample 2:
PM:4.16
PH:6.44
Sample 3:
PM:4.21
PH:6.31
Sample 4:
PM:4.21
PH:6.32
I then noticed that i had enough time to test the PH for the third time.
Sample 1:
PM:4.21
PH:6.44
Sample 2:
PM:4.22
PH:6.41
Sample 3:
PM:4.24
PH:6.29
Sample 4:
PM:4.28
PH:6.56

Human activity

Botanical Gardens is world known therefore there is a lot of human activity in this area. The Botanical Gardens has man made infrastrcuters like the train that goes around the gardens taking people on tours, ferrys and boats that contribute to the high pollution by emitting petrol and passengers throwing there rubbish off. Also new structures such as changing the wharf and putting restaurants and houses on them this then limits the area for wildlife. Human activity has impacted this Botanical Gardens dramitically by limiting the space for wildlife making some species endangered. Pollutants from boats nearby affect the quality of water and in turn the health of birds and fish. Soil degration as a result of compaction from people walking.

Human activity is not necessary negative, it can be positive for example humans designed footpaths to stop us walking in the reserved where animals are. Botanical gardens also makes a positive influence for the environment by checking the soil regularly and sustain the nurtients that are suppose to be in them. The goverment has also put in place laws and regulations to protect life in the park for example not littering or not being able to take anything from the environment if these laws and regulations have been abused a heavy fine would apply. Another positive infrastucture that humans have put in placed in order to help the environment is the implementation of gutters to protect sea life.

E-mail

About a week ago i sent an e-mail to Benson Doug who worked at the botanical gardens and gave me some information into the plants that most common in the Botanical gardens and a bit of information into them. Benson Doug wrote an reply via e-mail and gave me a website in which i could find all this information. He was very helpful and the last post has all the information he gave me to help me fill out the plant life in the Botanical Gardens. Overall the information was very helpful.

My e-mail:
To,Mr Benson.
My name is Lucy Testa, i am currently attending St. Vincents College in Potts Point. I found your e-mail on the Botanical Gardens website and wondering if you would be able to give me some information about the Plant and animal life in the Botanical Gardens area as i am currently studying Earth and Environmental science and was recently given are very complicated assignment about the plant and animal life in the Botanica Gardens amoung with many other topics. I would be very grateful with any information about the topic if you cannot help i understand you must be busy, but thank-you for your time.
Kinds Regards,Lucy Testa

About 5 days later i checked my hotmail account and found an e-mail from him.
Hi Lucy
Have a look at our education webpages

http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/education/Resources

Doug Benson
Senior Plant Ecologist & Scientific Editor

Botanic Gardens Trust
Royal Botanic Gardens
Mrs Macquaries Rd, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia
phone: 02 9231 8148 fax 61 2 9251 4403
email doug.benson@rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au

I checked the website that Mr Beson gave me and it was very helpful.

Reseach on Plant life

Plants of Sydney

The sandstone rocks and Forest Red Gums in the Royal Botanic Gardens are reminders of the woodland that once covered the area. Emus, kangaroos and possums as well as bats and birds used the woodland to cater for all their needs. Plants that are common in this type of community include wattles, banksias, cabbage tree palms, rock lillies and ferns.

Histories and legends of some of the Royal Botanic Gardens' most significant trees

This self-guided walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens was developed as part of Big Answers to Big Questions. You can print a map and take the tour, or just enjoy it here on our website!
The Royal Botanic Gardens is home to many interesting and significant trees, some with colourful histories and others with an interesting future ahead of them. This walk will introduce you to some of these fascinating trees.

1. Wollemi Pine - dinosaur of the tree world

The Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis) has survived unchanged as a species for an incredibly long time - since the age of the dinosaurs, as far back as 200 million years ago! The only surviving population of less than 100 Wollemi Pines grows in seclusion only 150 km from Sydney.
The pines were discovered in 1994 by a bushwalker in a remote, inaccessible location in the Wollemi National Park. To protect this threatened species and its habitat, a conservation program is underway to cultivate the ‘Wolli’ and make it available for everyone to grow.

2. Palm Grove - high-rise ghetto

Nearly 150 years ago the Palm Grove was created, with a mixture of hardy and more delicate palms planted by the then Director Charles Moore. Colonies of Grey-headed Flying Foxes have roosted high in the canopy for years and large numbers of them cause extensive damage to the trees.
In the past, they were controlled by shooting, but nowadays the Botanic Gardens Trust must use only non-harmful methods to discourage them from roosting here. However, they have resisted many eviction attempts such as jets of water, repellent chemicals, sudden loud noises and music - even the Dr Who soundtrack!

3. A Royal Tree - the first of its kind

This slow growing Brazilian rainforest tree (Chrysophyllum imperiale) was planted in 1868 by Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. His journey to the antipodean colony of Australia was the first by English royalty, and nearly ended abruptly when an attempt was made on his life at Clontarf by Henry James O’Farrell.
Although Florence Nightingale nursed the Prince back to health, enabling him to continue his tour before returning home to England, the incident sparked a regrettable era of racism with an anti-Irish Catholic movement lasting for many years.

4. Ginkgo - ancient medicine

Charles Darwin dubbed the ancient Ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba) a ‘living fossil’. In mythology it has been named the ‘tree of life’, as individual trees have an average lifespan of 1000 years. In the Buddhist religion the Ginkgo is considered sacred, so they are often found growing in and around temples throughout China and Japan.
Many parts of the tree, including the leaves and seeds, have been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years and more recently in the West as an energizer to improve mood, alertness, memory and attention span.

5. A Wishing Tree - or an imposter?

Do you have a favourite tree? Trees can hold mystical significance for individuals and even whole communities. Visitors to these Gardens in the 1800s made pilgrimages to the ‘Wishing Tree’ to ask for their heart’s desires. They would walk around the tree six times; three times forward and three back, closing their eyes while making a secret wish.
The original ‘Wishing Tree’ was a Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) planted in 1818 by order of the Governor’s wife, Mrs Macquarie. By 1935, it reached the end of its life and was replaced by this new wishing tree in this new location. Unfortunately this Norfolk Island Pine has never attained the magical and cherished status of its predecessor.

6. Original Street Trees - stalwart survivors

Planted by order of Governor Macquarie in 1816, these three Swamp Mahoganies (Eucalyptus robusta) are the last survivors of Sydney’s earliest avenue of trees. Today councils, landscapers and others still differ on what species of tree work best for street landscaping.
In our cities, how do we balance essential utilities and infrastructure like footpaths, pipes and electrical wires with the environmental and health benefits of an urban forest?

7. Replacement Street Trees - struggle for survival

These younger trees were planted here in the early 1990s as replacements for the original avenue which was in sad decline. The new arrivals have not thrived and are a good example of why it is sometimes better to remove older trees completely before attempting to establish replacements.
If older trees remain, the younger trees must compete for root space, light and nutrients. They can become stunted or even die. With the recent removal of the declining original trees these younger trees will hopefully have a new lease on life!

8. Supermarket Tree - bountiful boughs

Why keep a dead tree in a botanic garden? Although some might think this lifeless Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) is a blight on the landscape, it is one of the oldest tress in the Royal Botanic Gardens, and is believed to have been standing here since before the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788.
It is also an example of how dying and dead trees become valuable as they are animal habitats, although to us they may appear unattractive. Trees in cities tend to be pruned neatly as they grow and are rarely left to develop the hollows and rotten sections that are perfect homes for animals.

9. She Oaks - markers of a vanished shoreline

Coastal She-oaks or Swamp-oaks (Casuarina glauca) usually grow along the edge of rivers, lakes and the high-tide line of the seashore. These trees may seem out of place, but they are descendants of the she oaks which once grew along the edge of Farm Cove (traditionally known as Woccanmagully).
Not so long ago, from here you would have gazed over a rocky shelf, a sandy beach and a tidal flat leading to the harbour. But between 1848 and 1878, a sea wall was built and the flats filled with earthworks from city construction sites, creating the sunny lawns that visitors now enjoy.

10. Children’s Fig - an affectionate friend

For over 100 years, this massive Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla) has shaded the Farm Cove lawns. For generations it has been well-loved by visitors to the Gardens - particularly children, who have swung from its boughs, climbed in its branches and played under the shelter of its canopy.
In 1983 the tree was dubbed the ‘Children’s Fig’ in recognition of its long-held role as playground for the Gardens’ youngest visitors. Today, it is old and unstable and can only be loved from afar.

11. Coolabah Tree - growing by a billabong

The small gum tree leaning over the pond is a Coolabah Tree (Eucalyptus coolabah) - an important symbol of Australian identity. Our ‘unoffical national anthem’ Waltzing Matilda is the tale of a swagman who camped under the shade of a Coolabah tree.
Another story, dating from 1861, tells of the intrepid explorers Burke and Wills dying of starvation under a Coolabah tree at Coopers Creek in South Australia. They would have survived, if only they had taken note of the word ‘DIG’ carved into the trunk - directing them to a stash of food buried at the foot of the tree.

12. Domain Figs - past or future avenue?

The Domain’s grand avenues of Moreton Bay Figs (Ficus macrophylla) were planted along Art Gallery Rd, Hospital Rd and Mrs Macquaries Rd over 150 years ago. Unfortunately they are reaching the end of their lifespan and are now in declining health.
Although many people feel strongly that they should be retained forever, the trees are not immortal and will continue to deteriorate. At some stage the decision has to be made to replace them with young trees for future generations to enjoy. The Botanic Gardens Trust has developed a Masterplan for the management of trees in the Domain.

Test findings for Ph reading of salt.

Today i went into lab in period 1 during my free to do my PH testing. The equipment i used for the PH testing was:

1. Data logger
2. Ph Probe
3. Dropper bottle of demineralised water.
   
   Results are shown below:
   
   • Sample 1/site 1:
     PH probe started on 4.37
     PH: 6.31
     
   • Sample 2/site 2:
     PH: 6.27
   • Sample 3/site 3:
     PH: 6.53
   • Sample 4/site4:
     PH: 6.32
     
     
   • When i put the probe back in the chemical mixture it took a reading of 4.57.
     
     When i finished my first lot of soil samples i realised that i had enough time to do a second lot. But this time i thought i would joint down the PH probe reading every time to see how much is varied and to see if i contaminated it.
     PP: means the PH probe
     PH: means the PH i got.
     
     
   • Sample 1/site 1:
     PP: 4.35
     Ph:6.32
   • Sample 2/site 2:
     PP: 4.40
     Ph:6.40
   • Sample 3/site 3:
     PP:4.37
     ph: 6.58
   • sample 4/site 4:
     PP: 4.40
     Ph: 6.33
     
     The PH probe was 4.39 when i put it back into the mixture this means that i have not contaminated the mixture.
     
     
     

Soil samples 3/5/09

Today i went down to Botanical gardens to collect my soil samples as i could not collect them yesterday due to the rain. The soil samples were very moist due to the rain that occured today morning. I collected my soil samples in large zip lock bags, i thought of by extra large so that i could use them as gloves while collecting the soil then turn them out and zip lock the bags shut i then wrote with a permanent maker what site they came from.

Site 1:

Was a near polluted creek in the Botanical gardens it released a smell that was called rotten egg gas.

Site 2:

For site 2 my soil samples were taken roughly about 6 metres away from the Fountain/ Pond. Just off a walking track.

Site 3:

The soil samples for site 3 were taken right on a commonly used walking track to visit the Botanical gardens.

This photo was taken just on the left hand side of the walking track.

Site 4:

This site where i collected these last soil samples was located to the walk way from woolomoloo walf and takes you through towards Botanical Gardens.

I took my samples in the middle of the grass area.