Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park

History At the time of European settlement, box-ironbark forests covered approximately or 13% of Victoria. As a result of settlement, nearly 80% of these forests were cleared and the remaining areas were badly degraded by grazing. The forests of the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park are living testament to these claims with some of its natural systems deteriorated as a result of grazing, clearing, logging and mining. When gold was discovered in the area during the mid-1800s, extensive alluvial and reef mining, quartz mining and gravel quarrying began. Fossicking, prospecting and gem hunting are still permitted within the park today. Evidence of these activities including disturbed ground, mullock heaps, dams and old mineshafts may be found scattered throughout the park. Pastoralists driving cattle through Chiltern, known at the time as Black Dog Creek, discovered the forests of box and ironbark during the 1930s. The species were renowned for their strong durable timber and soon felled for fencing, construction and firewood. In fact, firewood collection continued until 2002 when the National Park was formed. A landscape that was originally dominated by large, mature trees and grassy forest floors quickly deteriorated into closely packed stands of multi-stemmed coppice regrowth. The clearing of land for agriculture and grazing impacted negatively on this landscape. Grazing continued through the Chiltern section of the park until the 1980s and the Mt Pilot section until the 1990s. Common problems associated with these activities including the introduction of pest species, soil compaction and erosion, increased salinity and habitat fragmentation were all reported as a result. Park establishment The Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park is an amalgamation of two separate parks, each with distinct geological, historical and ecological profiles. The Chiltern Regional Park, first known as the Chiltern State Park, was a Box-ironbark forest that was reserved in 1980 following the 1977 Land Conservation Council (LCC) recommendations. The Mt Pilot Multipurpose Park was also established under the 1977 LCC recommendations. The Environment Conservation Council (ECC) replaced the LCC in 1997 and gave rise to the Chiltern Box-ironbark National Park of . When the Victorian State parliament gave assent to the it initiated the creation of a highly protected system of parks and reserves. The Chiltern Box-ironbark National Park and the Mt Pilot Multipurpose Park, in addition to Woolshed falls and surrounding land, were brought together to form Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park as it is known today. == Ecology ==

The Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park falls within the Victorian Riverina and Northern Inland Slopes sub-bioregions. The park supports over 600 native species of flora and has the most intact assemblage of fauna with more birds, mammals and reptiles recorded than any other Box-ironbark forest. Fauna The park supports a diverse range of native fauna with 276 different species of mammals, birds and reptiles being reported. It is listed as a threatened species under the FFG Act 1988. The gliders have highly specific feeding and nesting requirements and use trees to move through the landscape. Consequently, they are highly susceptible to changes in forest conditions. Squirrel gliders have a reported home range size of approximately in northeast Victoria. This size can vary greatly and is strongly influenced by the availability of food and the quality of the forest habitat. Most of their time is spent in living eucalypt trees with a strong preference for large, mature trees in flower. They breed once per year with all males dying at the end of each breeding season. The average home range size for females is and for males it often exceeds . For these reasons, sites that offer mature, evenly spaced trees and well connected patches are considered the most suitable habitats. As a predator, the owls have comparatively low abundance and require a constant source of high-energy food which makes them particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and degradation. They are considered to be nationally endangered with a population of approximately 1500 individuals remaining. Honeyeaters observed in northeast Victoria demonstrate a preference for box-ironbark forest, particularly the nectar from yellow gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon) and winter flowering red ironbark (Eucalyptus tricarpa). Other significant flora species found within the park are described below. Red ironbark Red ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), also known as mugga ironbark, grows to a height of in open forests along the inland slopes of the Great Dividing Range in Victoria, New South Wales and southern Queensland. Flowering occurs throughout the year with seven small flower buds in umbels appearing in the axils of mature leaves. Leaf size is known to vary in response to environmental factors including water availability and soil composition. Both the swift parrot and regent honeyeater visit the park during winter to take advantage of the red ironbark's peak flowering period. The monoecious species is wind pollinated and described as having mostly erect branches, tough furrowed bark and dark green foliage. The species exhibits strong drought tolerance and an ability to survive in densely crowded strands though the rate of maturation can be slowed under these conditions. The species is described as having a hairy stem that grows to approximately in height, a single basal leaf and light green to yellow coloured flower with pale red shading. The deciduous herb originates from a population of approximately 100 individuals located inside a radius in the Mt-Pilot section of the park. The evergreen tree grows to a height of and flowers predominantly between November and December on a two to three-year cycle depending on environmental conditions. Seedling establishment is affected by common factors including temperature, light, litter accumulation, grazing, fire, frost and insect predation. == Environmental threats ==

Northeast Victoria is susceptible to periodic natural disasters including fire, flood and drought. Major bushfires have occurred in the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park in 1899, 1912, 1927, 1940 and 2003. While some species benefit from burns through heat activated germination, others like the isolated populations of black cypress pine or Mount Pilot spider orchids may face local extinction. It is likely that past mining practices have led to heavy metal contamination in the park's waterways and sediments. == Park management ==

Approach The Chiltern Mt-Pilot National Park Management Plan was prepared in October 2008 in accordance with the . The plan clearly articulates the park's significance and values in terms of natural resources, culture, history, tourism and recreation as well as providing an extensive list of legislative requirements and ECC recommendations with which it complies. Zoning is said to reflect the park's management priorities by assisting with the protection of sensitive and fragile environments and minimising the impact of potentially harmful activities. Outcomes A community based approach to natural resource management is reflected through collaborative partnerships with groups including Friends, Landcare and other volunteers who play an active role in monitoring and research activities. The Friends of Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park Inc. report that a range of activities have been undertaken since 2009 including removal of weeds, tree planting, site maintenance, sign posting, monitoring of nesting boxes, release of captive bred species and counting of significant species. ==See also==