Buckambool Human-Induced Regeneration Project

The Buckambool Human-Induced Regeneration Project is a significant land-sector carbon initiative located approximately 52 kilometers south of the major service town of Cobar in New South Wales. Registered in June 2015, the project encompasses a vast area of 31,171 hectares, virtually covering the entirety of the "Buckambool" pastoral holding. The region is deeply entrenched in the rangeland grazing industry, with the property itself historically utilized for sheep and cattle production, alongside the trapping of feral goats which are prevalent in the area.

Operating under the Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) methodology, this project does not involve planting new trees but rather facilitates the restoration of native forests through assisted regeneration. The mechanism relies on the presence of in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers already within the soil. To achieve this, the project activities focus on suppressing the factors that historically prevented regrowth, specifically, the management of livestock grazing pressure and the humane control of feral animals. By reducing the browsing pressure from stock and goats, the project aims to allow suppressed vegetation to mature into permanent forest cover.

The environmental context of the Cobar Shire is classified as semi-arid, receiving an average annual rainfall of roughly 350mm. The landscape at Buckambool is characterized by slightly undulating red loam peneplains, featuring skeletal soils (lithosols) and red earths. The native vegetation responding to the regeneration activities typically includes Bimble Box (Poplar Box), White Cypress Pine, Mulga, and Kurrajong species, which are well-adapted to the variable rainfall and red soil profiles of the Cobar Peneplain.