Why were the plants being used for revegetation selected?
Puccinellia and cereal rye were used because they are both shallow rooted plants that will help bioremediation and reduce the effects of wind erosion. Puccinellia is commonly found around the lakes and is the only species that can handle high salinity and acidic soils, with enough seed available for the project. Cereal Rye is also already found in the region. It grows well in sandy soils and is able to cope with dry and extremely windy conditions. Therefore it is very good in tackling wind erosion issues and stabilising sandy soils. Due to the amount of soil exposed along the Lower Lakes’ shorelines, the amount of seed needed was not available for other species, even if they had been suitable.
