Logs are stacked into eco-piles which bring many benefits

2021

Eco-piles are simply the use of deadwood to create a habitat for animals, plants and other organisms. Using a simple strategy of cutting down non-native invasive species such as Pine trees, the Pearl Valley Golf Course uses the smaller branches and leaf material which are chipped on site to provide a ground mulch to enrich the soil and to provide a nursery habitat for seeds to germinate. The logs are stacked to develop into eco-piles. Benefits of this approach include:

• The cost of moving the felled material is negated
• Saproxylic organisms are conserved, increasing biodiversity
• The slow release of nutrients back into the soil negates the need for fertilisers and helps soil organisms to develop
• The humus helps with soil water retention
• As the eco-pile develops into a perfect seedbed for other native plant species, thickets arise, which in turn create habitat for birds, small mammals and other native animals.