Ground cover habitats fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are ground covers?

Ground covers are usually short plants with flexible stems that grow from the base. They include lilies, mat rush, vines, orchids and native grasses such as kangaroo grass. As they spread across the soil surface, ground cover plants help hold the soil together, reducing erosion and protecting the ground.

Lomandra, also called mat rush, provides shelter and protection for many small animals including lizards, snakes, and smaller animals.

What animals use ground cover habitat?

Ground cover plants provide shelter, hiding places and nesting materials for many animals, including invertebrates, small mammals, ground-feeding birds, reptiles and frogs. Their seeds and fruits are also an important food source for small birds.

Ground cover plants are used by many animals to provide protection, food and nesting materials.

Many lizards including blue tongue lizards will use ground cover plants such as this blue flax lily,to provide protection.

Blue flax lilies produce berries that provide food for many birds.

After bushfires flannel flowers grow quickly to cover the ground with important habitat. They produce seeds that provide food for seed eating birds and invertebrates.

Red browed finches

Red browed finches live in flocks of 10 to 20 birds. They feed on seeds found on ground cover plants. Sometimes red browed finches can be seen perching on seeding grass heads such as that of kangaroo grass. When disturbed they will fly into dense undergrowth.

Red browed finches move quickly between ground cover plants looking for seeds.

Related fact sheets

Habitats

• Habitat fact sheet – overview
• Tree habitats fact sheet – canopy habitats that sit above the ground cover layer.
• Shrub habitats fact sheet – mid-layer plants that link with grasses and ground covers.
• Leaf litter habitats fact sheet – decomposing material beneath and around ground covers.
• Rock and log habitats fact sheet – logs and rocks that often sit among or beside ground covers.
• Water habitats fact sheet – ponds, creeks and wetlands near grassy or sedge ground covers.

Animals using ground cover habitats

• Long-nosed bandicoot fact sheet – uses ground cover, leaf litter and logs for shelter and food.
• Invertebrates fact sheets – overview – many soil and grass-dwelling invertebrates rely on ground cover.

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