Holocene vegetation and environmental history of Cranbourne Botanic Garden, Victoria

The vegetation of the Cranbourne Botanic Garden has shown substantial changes during the Holocene due to the influences of climate, sea level rise, fire and, recently, European people. The earliest recorded phase, prior to 8500 years BP, was characterised by ephemeral swamps and Casuarina-dominated dry-land communities. Climatic amelioration after this time is indicated by the establishment of permanent swamp conditions and an increase in Eucalyptus within the regional vegetation. Highest available moisture levels occurred between about 7000 and 5000 years ago as a result of increased effective precipitation and the attainment of high sea levels towards the end of the post-glacial marine transgression. Casuarina communities declined abruptly and were partially replaced by tall open eucalypt forests with a substantial amount of the wet sclerophyll taxon Pomaderris in the understorey. Increased climatic variability and burning within the last 5000 years has led to the development of a diverse vegetation dominated by sclerophyll woodlands and heath which has been subsequently modified by European activities. -from Authors