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The Friends of
Shenton Bushland
Inc.

Currently in flower

How will we find our wild hearts inside this city; How will we find the deep peace?
A. Stevens

 

 

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Bushland Activities page (blog)

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Guided Walks

Flora of Shenton Bushland

Fauna of Shenton Bushland

Fungi of Shenton Bushland

Seminars and Publications

Bushland Management Strategies

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Bush to Beach Walk

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Guided walks:

Natural Control Systems (with Gall Rust)
Working with Weevils
Collaborative arrangements (with Cyanobacteria)
Early Encounters
Coming to a sticky end in a sundew
Playing tricks on insects
Part of the food chain

Everything is part of the food chain

Leaf galls on banksia leaves are part of the food chain.

Look closely at the leaves of acacia and banksia trees. Many of the leaves have galls created by insects. Galls form when insects feed or lay eggs on the plant. Many gall-inducing insects are scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea). Australia has more gall-inducing scale insects than anywhere else in the world1. You may find galls on Acacia, Banksia, Allocasuarina, and Eucalyptus trees within Shenton Bushland.

The leaves, seeds and nectar of plants in native bushland are constantly being eaten by birds and insects. These insects in turn provide food for reptiles and larger birds. Thus, they are a vital part of the food chain in the bushland.

Created by Daniel Boase-Jelinek August 2004

All photographs are copyright of Daniel Boase-Jelinek unless otherwise indicated.

The logo of the Friends of Shenton Bushland is copyright of June L. Weller

Last updated November 2006