bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of 1080 bait colour on acceptability by target species and removal by non-target animals.
Authors: Rathore AK
Published: December 2005

Baiting trials with meat and carrot baits poisoned with Compound 1080 were carried out on the periphery of three National Parks in New South Wales. The number of meat baits removed by birds was variable, but averaged 28% (+ 11). Colouring the meat baits green significantly reduced the number takenby birds, but did not affect their attractiveness to dogs and foxes. Poisoned carrot dyed green was as effectwe as undyed carrot in controlling rabbits. Reduction in rabbit populations using quarter concentration 1080 (0.083 mg 1080/ g of carrot) was comparable to that from usmg the standard concentration 1080 (0.333 mg 1080/ g of carrot). The use of lower concentration of 1080 in poisoning rabbits is more acceptable ecologically as it may reduce the risk of primary and secondary poisoning of non-target fauna.
LICENSED KANGAROO SHOOTING IN NEW SOUTH WALES: THE PEOPLE, THE MONEY THEY
MAKE AND THE ANIMALS THEY SHOOT
Authors: Young M.D , Delforce R.J
Published: December 2005

Sixty licensed kangaroo shooters were interviewed in New South Wales to determine their social characteristics, incomes and shooting preferences. Two groups of shooters were identified: those who take kangaroos only for immediate, maximum short term economic gain and those who attempt to husband local kangaroo populations to their long term benefit. Amongst the latter group there is both a lack of agreement and a general uncertainty about the optimal shooting strategy to achieve the long term economic benefits they desire. New directions in research and extension are suggested with a view to rectifying this dilemma. Data on the strategies used to take kangaroos for commercial purposes and the accuracy of certam information reported to the National Parks and Wildlife Service are also described.
Mapping and Forecasting Soil Erosion Patterns from Landsat on a Microcomputer-based Image Processing Facility.
Authors: Pickup G , Chewings VH
Published: December 2005

The paper summarises recent work in the development and implementation of broad scale conceptual and mathematical models of the soil erosion process in flat arid lands. The conceptual model is based on erosion cell behaviour. Its mathematical counterpart is the simultaneous autoregressive random field model recently developed for image modelling.The data used in the mathematical model are derived by transforming standard Landsat MSS data to produce a soil stability index. Practical application of the methods requires the appropriate computer software and an image processing facility. The erosion modelling routines have therefore been implemented as part of a user- friendly microcomputer based image processing package which is now available commercially. The package runs on an IBM XT or AT computer using a Vectrix graphics board and the hardware includes high resolution display and hard copy facilities. Both hardware and software cost less than $30,000 making it ~ossible to decentralise image processing technology to branch offices of government departments or to agricultural consultants.
Evaluation of Factors Affecting Surface Runoff on Alpine Rangeland in Victoria.
Authors: van Rees H , Boston RC
Published: December 2005

A 'portable' rainfall simulator was used on alpine soils on the Bogong High Plains in Victoria, to determine the relationship of surface
runoff to soil moisture, rainfall intensity, slope and the percentage of the area lacking vegetation cover (bare ground). A strong inverse
relationship (R' = 0.64) existed between total runoff and antecedent soil moisture conditions. The other factors, within the range evaluated
in these experiments (bare ground 0 to 33'70, rainfall intensity 37 to 97 mm/hr and slope 6 to 23%) had no significant influence on runoff.
Time to runoff initiation was influenced by antecedent soil moisture, slope and rainfall intensity ( ~ ~ ~ 0 . 7 1 ) . It was found that time
to runoff decreased as the soils dried, and the slope and rainfall intensity increased. The percentage of bare ground had little influence on
the time to runoff initiation.
These results show that differences in grassland condition, including large differences in the percentage of bare ground, had little
influence on either surface runoff or on the time to runoff initiation. The single most important factor influencing runoff rates was the
antecedent moisture content of the soil. This factor is generally outside management control.
Nuture the Land: My philosophies of pastoral management in central Australia.
Authors: Purvis JR
Published: December 2005

The continued productivity of Australia's arid and semi-arid pastoral industry is dependent on the correcr stocking of rangelands
and the reclamation of degraded country now. Over the past 25 years as a pastoralist, I have applied management principles and techniques
which I believe are also generally applicable throughout Australia's rangelands. During that time, we have reduced stock numbers, cleared
our station of a hefty debt, substantially improved the station and the quality of the herd, undertaken considerable land reclamation work
and seen the condition of productive grazing country improve. This article describes how it has been achieved in the hope that some of
these management principles might gain wider acceptance throughout pastoral Australia.
Goat and Sheep Grazing in Shrub-Infested Semi-arid Woodlands of New South Wales.
Authors: Downing BH
Published: December 2005

Examination of data on dietary preferences of sheep, goats and cattle suggests that different grazing systems are desirable for each
of the three major woodland types (belah-rosewood, mulga, poplar box) examined. Competition for herbs, frequently palatable to all animal
species, indicates that goats and sheep are unsuitable for joint use either in heavily wooded country or where annual herbaceous production
is less than 200 kg-ha. Supplementary feeding, fire and judicious stocking are proposed as a strategy for inducing goats to eat a proportion
of unpalatable shrubs.
The literature provides little helpful information on how rangelands in the Western Division should be managed. No reports are given
on comparisons of grazing systems, such as rotational grazing, rotational resting, and continuous grazing. No guidance is given on grazing
after burning of the rangeland. Recommendations are generally against the use of goats for control of woody plants, whereas local observation
shows this to be an apparently effective practice. The recommendations are mostly based on experimental procedures which, although suitable
for detecting animal dietary preferences in the short term, are less appropriate for investigation of the effects of grazing on range condition
in the long term. Some suggestions are made towards a different approach for: investigating the effects of grazing by sheep and goats on
rangeland condition, and the economic implications of this in terms of animal production.
The development of a system for monitoring trend in range condition in the arid shrublands of Western Australia.
Authors: Holm AM , Burnside DG , Mitchell AA
Published: December 2005

The role of a monitoring system for Western Australian pastoral shrublands is examined. The authors argue that the objective of management is
to maximise sustained animal productivity, and that this can only be attained if the soil is maintained in a stable state. In non-degraded rangelands this
objective is synonomous with the maintenance of a pasture community with its natural balance of edible and less edible species. In degraded rangelands
the objective of regaining the pristine vegetation may, in many cases, be unattainable. Nevertheless, the objective of maximum sustained productivity
again appears suitable since this would ensure that, where management is able to influence the direction of change, it is towards a pasture dominated by
useful, rather than non-palatable, species. Our monitoring system aims to assist management achieve these objectives.
The Western Australian Rangeland Monitoring System (WARMS) has been designed to include the assessment of ecological processes but with
a strong bias towards characteristics that can be interpreted in production terms. We expect that the system will primarily and most importantly, aid
pastoralists in their season by season decisions on stock movements. It will also provide a tool for the land administrator, who must be able to assure the
wider community that the land is being used wisely. Finally, it should assist range scientists towards a better understanding of rangeland ecosystems.
The WARMS system involves a series of grazed range monitoring sites, lightly grazed reference areas and ungrazed control areas. At each
monitoring site a photograph is taken and plants within a fixed area are identified and marked on an overlay. The number and size of perennial shrubs
are recorded within fixed belt transects and the contribution from perennial grasses and biennial species is assessed. Soil stability is also assessed using a
rating scale and a modified step point procedure.
A survey of Bladder Saltbush (Atriplex vesicaria Heward ex Benth) dieback on the Riverine Plain of south-eastern Australia from the late 1970s to 1983.
Authors: Clift DK , Semple WS , Prior JC
Published: December 2005

Bladder saltbush (Ahiplex vesicaria Heward ex Benth) is a valuable perennial chenopod shrub of the northem Riverine Plain of south-eastem Australia. From 1977 to 1983, dieback affected stands of this shrub over a wide area, reducing the drought reserves on many pastoral holdings. By early 1983 reports of new outbreaks of dieback had ceased, and by late 1983 regeneration, both vegetatively and from seedlings, was evident in most areas. This study reviews what is known of this dieback event. The extent of healthy bladder saltbush stands, pre-dieback and towards the end of the dieback period was mapped. It was found that the area of leafy bush had declined by 53 per cent, from 1.1 to 0.5 million hectares, by the end of 1983. There was considerable variation in timing, pattern and progress of dieback. The cause was not established.
Response of plant growth to removal of surface soil of the rangelands of western Queensland.
Authors: Pressland AJ , Cowan DC
Published: December 2005

Pot and field studies were conducted to determine the potential effect on plant production of soil erosion in western Queensland. Soil from both the Mitchell grass (Astrebla spp.) and mulga (Acacin aneura) woodlands were used, but the studies concentrated on the latter soils. Test plants (oats, sorghum and pasture grass species) were grown in soil taken from sequential 5 cm intervals from the surface to 20 cm down the profile of each of the selected soils. Plants growing in subsurface soil, irrespective of soil type or history, were less productive than those growing on surface soil. This was attributed in part to reduced soil fertility and a difference in soil pH. Buffel grass (Cenchrur ciliaris), a species which has some use as an improved pasture in these rangelands, would be seriously disadvantaged on eroded soils. It is concluded that erosion of surface soil on these landscapes should be minimized by conserving ground cover.
Photographic standards for estimating comparative yield in arid rangelands.
Authors: Friedel MH , Bastin GN
Published: December 2005

When the conventional comparative yield method was tested in arid rangelands with a diversity of range types, species and structure, it gave rise to large differences between operators' estimates of yield, which were not easily reduced by calibration. As well, the procedure was too time consuming for a monitoring system. To improve the efficiency of yield estimation, we tested a modified version which substituted a folio of photographs for the selection and assessment of reference standards and calibration quadrats. The differences between operators' estimates were still large, but could be relatively easily reduced by periodic calibration because operators used the technique more consistently than the conventional method. We suggest that the reliability of estimates would be improved with extra training, a wider choice of photostandards and the use of a single operator. The procedure is rapid and easy to use, and we recommend its use in combination with the dry-weight-rank technique for species composition. A program is available which enables the collection and analysis of data from both methods in the field, using a hand-
Sheep productivity in an Astrebla grassland of south-west Queensland.
Authors: Orr DM , Evenson CJ , Jordan DJ , Bowly PS , Lehane KJ , Cowan DC
Published: December 2005

A grazing study conducted between 1979 and 1983 assessed the seasonal trends of ewe productivity in Astrebla grassland in south- western Queensland. This study was designed originally to compare productivity on two pastures with different compositions, however, these differences in pastures composition were not achieved. Large differences in liveweight, wool growth and reproductive performance occurred between years in response to differences in pasture growth resulting from large variation in the seasonal incidence of rainfall. Rainfall effective for plant growth, both forbs and grasses, resulted in a high quality diet which resulted, in turn, in increased sheep productivity. Reproductive performance was particularly sensitive to the quality of the ewes diet around the time of lambing through the effect of diet quality on lamb survival and growth rate. It is suggested that the effect of rainfall on reproductive performance is pasture.
Seasonal changes in the nutritive value of grass species in Spinifex pastures of Western Australia.
Authors: Holm AM , Allen RJ
Published: December 2005

This study was undertaken to assess whether the nutritional quality of spinifex pasture lands is improved by buming to promote the growth of grasses other than spinifex. We selected two comparable sites in the Exmouth Gulf region of Western Australia; one had been bumt in late 1979 and the other had not been burnt for many years. On these sites we sampled the five grass species present, as well as Triodia pungens (soft spinifex) and Plectrachne >chinzii (Oat eared spinifex) on 10 occasions from March 1980 to April 1982. Plant parts were analysed for nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur content, and in vitro digestibility. None of the common grass species tested was more nutritious or more palatable than soft spinifex. It seems that little is gained from manipulating spinifex pastures through burning if the aim is to encourage alternative grass species. There is a need however for further studies into the importance of woody herbs and forbs in the nutrition of grazing animals on spinifex country and the effect of fire on these species.
Fair use and a fair go.
Authors: Wilcox DG
Published: December 2005

Pastoral managers face a bewildering array of management options while striving to remain viable. Many researchers and extension officers are forced to specialise, and "do good science" at the expense of working within a broader picture of practical station management. As a result their information and advice is often directed towards only part of a property's total management system. The development of new advisory tools, many of them using micro-computers, offer government officers and pastoral managers alike greater opportunities for effective interaction. We present the philosophy and structure of one tool, which has evolved with these developments, RANGEPACK HerdEcon, a dynamic herd or flock model lied to property cash flows. It can operate at a simple level initially, but it is able to mimic complex situations just as easily. Designed to accommodate sheep, cattle or mixed enterprises, it will enable a pastoral manager or an extension officer to develop management strategies for a particular property, which deal effectively with climatic variation, resultant animal production and subsequent cash flows. RANGEPACK HerdEcon will run on IBM compatible personal computers with at ~kast 512k of RAM.
The nutrient status of sheep grazing on a dry Mitchell grass pasture association in central-western Queensland.
Authors: McMeniman NP , Beale IF , Payne G
Published: December 2005

The lambing performance of a group of ewes grazing a dry Mitchell grass pasture association in central-westem Queensland was recorded and found to be very poor. A portion of the ewe flock received a urea-molasses supplement those ewes did not exhibit an increase in lamb or ewe survival and it is likely that most did not consume the supplement. One week prior to the ewes' expected date of lambing, intact wethers and other wethers with oesophageal fistulas or rumen and abomasal cannulas were grazed on the pasture and the intake and digestion of nutrients by these animals were determined. Extrapolating the results from the wethers to the ewes indicated that the major limiting nutrients for the ewes were energy and, at least during the latter stages of lactation, rumen digestible nitrogen. Other nutrients that may have been deficient in the diet were copper and zinc.
Bladder Saltbush (Atriplex vesicaria Heward Ex Benth) Regeneration on the Riverine Plain of South-Eastern Australia since 1983.
Authors: Clift DK , Dalton KL , Prior JC
Published: December 2005

This study reviews the distribution of healthy bladder saltbush on the Riverine Plain of south-eastern Australia towards the end of 1986, as well as the characteristics of regeneration following the saltbush dieback of 1977-83. The area of bladder saltbush increased by 53 per cent, from 0.53 to 0.81 million ha, in the period 1983-86. A further 0.32 million ha, which previously supported saltbush, failed to regenerate. Variations in the pattern and progress of regeneration were closely related to variations in soil type and the effects of pre- and post-dieback grazing. Although the cause of dieback remains unknown, it would appear that much of the decline in the distribution of bladder saltbush could be attributed to post-dieback mismanagement of affected stands.
Electric shock conditioning of sheep to avoid feed supplement troughs in field investigations of diet supplementation.
Authors: Martin MJD , Pritchard DA , Stephenson RGA
Published: December 2005

We examined the possibility of conditioning grazing sheep not to eat freely available supplements. The technique used a standard electric fence energizer connected to a trough filled with molasses. A flock of 60 wethers and another flock of 120 ewe and wether hoggets were each divided into three treatment groups. All treatment groups were initially allowed access to the molasses trough with the energizer switched off. After two days, the control group was removed while the energizer was switched on for the other two groups; the voltage was measured at 6,500 volts. Sheep in one group were removed from the yard after one day's exposure while the other sheep were left with the energizer on for a further two days. One and four weeks later all sheep were exposed to the molasses trough without the energizer turned on. The wethers and hoggets were then placed in 120 and 250 ha paddocks. Numbers of sheep visiting the troughs were checked 6, 18, 22 and 26 weeks after introduction. Total success was achieved in creating avoiders and acceptors in their respective groups in the yard. None of the control group rejected supplements throughout the experiment in the paddocks. However, for the other wether groups between 70% and 73% respectively rejected the supplement. For the hogget groups the rejection rates were 74% and 70%. The behaviour and conditioning of the animals to avoid the troughs particularly stressful to the individual sheep. While the technique supplemented and non-supplemented sheep within one paddock.
Blue-green algae in southern Australian rangeland soils.
Authors: Rogers RW
Published: December 2005

Blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria) are imponant to the ecology of arid rangelands as sources of nitrogen and as soil stabilizers, yet have been the subject of little comment or investigation in Australia. To provide information on their distribution soil samples were collected from 136 locations in rangeland areas of southem Australia and cultured to permit the identification of the blue-green algae present. Blue-green algae were found in 134 of the samples. The species represented include several apparently capable of nitrogen fixation, and all produce a gelatinous sheath which can bind soil panicles to produce soil-surface crusts. It is likely that lichens and blue-green algae are important for the ecology of arid rangelands now, and if climatic change destroys the lichens which are very heat sensitive when wet, blue- greens may become even more significant in soil conservation and the maintenance of pasture productivity. Both lichens and blue-green algae merit inclusion in assessments of range condition.
An evaluation of range regeneration programmes in Western Australia.
Authors: Hacker RB
Published: December 2005

Range regeneration programmes and related research are reviewed for three major project areas - the Ord River Catchment, the Fitzroy River Frontage and the Winter Rainiall Arid Zone. Successful regeneration techniques are well established for the Ord River Catchment although the ongoing management of treated areas presents a number of difficulties. Regeneration techniques for the Fitzroy Frontage have not been firmly established but, if economically justifiable, are likely to involve water ponding and the amelioration of soil conditions by organic mulch accumulation. It is argued that extension of the water ponding principle to areas of higher slope than those on which the technique is normally used is likely to be an important component of the development of regeneration procedures in the arid zone. Experience in all three environments suggests that a number of principles apply generally. Control of grazing by native and feral animals is a pre-requisite for successful regeneration in any environment. The rate of response to regeneration treatments seems to be inversely related to the degree of degradation suggesting that less severely degraded areas are likely to provide the best economic return from regeneration programmes. Processes of ecological succession seem important in all regeneration activities in the rangelands and cannot be entirely bypassed by cultural intervention.
Approaches to the restoration of rangelands - The Queensland experience.
Authors: Pressland AJ , Graham TWG
Published: December 2005

Expectations of the productivity of rangelands which are greater than can be realistically achieved are the prime cause of degradation. These case studies centred on Queensland are used to highlight the difficulties which can be expected in attempting to restore rangelands to a productive state. The need for an ecological understanding of the system is an essential prerequisite for rehabilitation. Restoration will not be successful in the long-term if management based on sound ecological principles and a change in attitude towards expectations and risk are not implemented.
Some key concepts for monitoring Australia's arid and semi-arid rangelands.
Authors: Friedel MH
Published: December 2005

Both the structure of rangelands and the way they function are characteristically variable in space and time. The landscape is patterned on a series of scales; land systems, land units, erosion cells, grazing effects, distribution of individual plants and microtopography an impinge on the way we decide to monitor changes in vegetation and soils. Temporal variability also occurs at a number of scales and these will affect both the type of data that we collect and the way we interpret them. Spatial and temporal variability in combination determine our view of the processes which operate in the rangelands and the models we use to describe them. New models may lead to a different approach to monitoring.
Principles, problems, and priorities for restoring degraded rangelands.
Authors: Ludwig JA , Hodgkinson KC , Macadam RD
Published: December 2005

Past and current research on restoring degraded rangelands was reviewed at a workshop held in July 1989 by the CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology. Basic ecological and economic principles for restoration, and prevention of further degradation, were explored and priorities for future research were identified.

Although all ecological principles are applicable to restoring degraded rangelands to some degree, four principles emerged as being critically important: (1) ecesis, those basic processes involved in the successful establishment of desired forage species; (2) ecological succession, that series of species replacements where fast growing ephemeral species are replaced by slower growing perennial species which are strongly competitive; (3) resource patchiness, where resources, such as nutrients and water, are concentrated within patches or islands; and (4) facilitation, where herbivores (e.g. kangaroos) act as agents for seed dispersal, influence the establishment of seedlings, and shift species composition by causing differential mortality in species populations.

A number of economic principles also apply to the restoration of rangelands. However, one very significant principle emerged from the Workshop: sustainability, which implies that economic benefits must be long-term, cumulative and lasting (i.e. the costs and benefits of restoration treatments must be viewed well into the future).

Participants in the Workshop listed the following research areas as high priority: (1) assess the extent and current rate of degradation in different rangeland regions, (2) define indicators of degradation for different rangeland types, (3) form multi-disciplinary teams to study those processes critical to understanding degradation and restoration (include scientists from different organizations such as CSIRO and State agencies), and (4) transfer information to land managers to raise their awareness of the degradation problem and the need for restoration using appropriate tools such as computer-based decision support systems (including economic models).
Soil and landscape processes in the restoration of rangelands.
Authors: Tongway DJ
Published: December 2005

A rational analytical approach to the restoration of degraded rangelands is proposed in which degradation is described in terms of loss or diminution of plant habitat favourability. The approach recognizes that fertile patches or zones are maintained by the action and interaction of abiotic and biotic transfer processes. The identity and character of these processes can be deduced from data derived from integrated vegetation and landscape surveys. Ecosystem function and disfunction can be identified and geographically referenced by this procedure. Finally, restoration practices are aimed at reconstituting the landscape processes 'normal' to the ecosystem in question.
Effects of rainfall and simulated browsing on the growth of Acacia georginae (F.M. Bailey) in arid central Australia.
Authors: Robinson DF , Maconochie JR , Hanna PJ
Published: December 2005

Leafy shoots of Acacia georginae were subjected to different combinations of pruning and defoliation, and their subsequent growth patterns recorded over two and a half years. Rainfall and soil moisture records were also kept. Rainfall, soil moisture, new growth and old leaf loss showed variable patterns from year to year and generally were not strongly related to each other. Light pruning was followed by increased leaf growth, with apparent stimulation, whereas heavy pruning and defoliation appeared to be detrimental to growth, mainly in that removed growth was not replaced. Actual inhibition could not be established.
An economic perspective on future research directions for the Australian sheep-grazed rangelands.
Authors: Johnston BG , Macleod ND , Young MD
Published: December 2005

This paper reviews the current structure and major economic constraints to sheep production in the Australian rangelands and identifies some important areas of research tbat could produce significant payoffs for the industry and the nation. The major areas of potential research payoff identified are in preventing further land degradation, developing economic options for restoring degraded land, improving livestock and labour productivity, developing information technology for pier decision-making and devising better incentive systems for land management. Limited effort has been made to quantify the gains from research in Australia, so the information base on which to assess the net payoff from rangelands research projects is weak. It is not possible to determine which of the options identified above offers the highest expected payoff to the scarce research dollar given existing information Because such assessments are difficult to make, further collaborative efforts involving rangeland scientists and economists are needed to apply benefit-cost analysis techmques to setting research priorities. Considerable scope exists for collaborative inter- discipbmy research teams to address the problems identified.
Effects of Sheep Grazing Astrebla Grasslands in Central Western Queensland. Iii. Dynamics of Astrebla Spp. Under Grazing and Exclosure Between 1975 and 1986.
Authors: Orr DM , Evenson CJ
Published: December 2005

The basal area, yield and plant populations of Astrebla spp. were monitored under grazing and exclosure in Astrebla grasslands between 1975 and 1986. This study was undertaken to develop an understanding of how Astrebla spp. respond to grazing, particularly in relation to the high variability of rainfall. Basal area and yield of Astrebla spp. varied widely between years in response to summer rainfall, with few differences between exclosure and grazing. The failure of summer rainfall resulted in increased utilization of Astrebla spp. but this effect was partially offset in some years by the growth of forb species following winter rainfall. Grazing stimulated the recruitment of Astrebla spp. seedlings by increasing the density of inflorescences which, in turn, increased seed production. Survival of seedling cohorts depended on adequate summer rainfall and grazing tended to enhance cohort survival. There was a greater plant flux under grazing than under exclosure. It was concluded that rainfall is the major factor influencing the biomass and plant population dynamics of Astrebla spp. and that grazing up to about 30% utilization is not detrimental to Astrebla spp.
An electrified watering trough that selectively excludes kangaroos.
Authors: Norbury GL
Published: December 2005

It is generally agreed that the provision of artificial watering points has allowed populations of large kangaroos to increase in the arid and semi-arid rangelands. This study examines the effectiveness of a selective watering device, known as a 'Finlayson Trough', that is designed to exclude kangaroos but allow sheep to drink. The device is a low-lying electrified wire that surrounds a trough and is overstepped by sheep but contacted by a kangaroo's feet or tail. Of the 292 observed attempts at drinking by red kangaroos (Macropus rufis), 99% were unsuccessful. Most shocks were received through the feet. Of the 309 observed attempts at drinking by sheep, minor shocks to the legs were received in 17% of cases. These resulted in only short-term disruptions to drinking. Finlayson Troughs could be used humanely to facilitate commercial kangaroo harvesting by exploiting local concentrations of kangaroos around watering points; to control the distribution of kangaroos in sensitive regenerating areas; or, by gradual implementation, to allow kangaroos to adjust their behaviour to accommodate fewer artificial watering points.
Runoff and Sediment Yield From a Semi-Arid Woodland in Eastern Australia. 1. The Effect of Pasture Type.
Authors: Eldridge DJ , Rothon J
Published: December 2005

Some hydrological characteristics of a red earth soil were examined under two pasture types at Yathong in central-westem New South Wales using simulated rainfall. Runoff and rate of sediment loss from plots dominated by perennial grasses were lower than for plots dominated by ephemerals. Time-to-ponding was less on the plots dominated by ephemerals but time-to-runoff was similar for both pasture types. On both grass and ephemeral-dominant soils, measured soil and vegetation attributes explained very little of the variation in runoff and sediment yield. The results do not support the existence of a threshold level of vegetation cover below which runoff increases markedly.
Vegetation Cover Classes and Soil Nutrient Status of the Mulga Lands of South-West Queensland.
Authors: Baker DE , Miles RL , Eldershaw VJ
Published: December 2005

The soils of the semi-arid mulga lands of south-west Queensland are subject to degradation from both erosion and woody weeds. Limited quantification of the nutrient changes in the red earths under these forms of degradation indicates that eroded land has a lower phosphorus level in the surface soil, a lower pH at depth and an inverse electrical conductivity profile, compared with land vegetated by mulga or grassland. Land invaded by turkey bush did not differ in nutrient characteristics from mulga or grassland. It is concluded that phosphorus will play a critical role in any regeneration programme for eroded land.
Book Reviews - 'Queensland's rainfall history - graphs of rainfall averages 18880-1988'. Jacqui Willcocks and Philip Young. Queensland Department of Primary Industries Information Series, 1991.
Authors: Cook SJ
Published: December 2005

of the statistics of the rainfall received at 269 locations throughout Queensland over the last 90 - 100 years. It is printed on A4 bond paper from camera-ready copy and has a soft cover. The general layout is good with stations being listed in both alphabetical and latitudinal and longitudinal position. One page is allocated per station. A seven-page
Influence of habitats, climate, grazing and mining on terrestrial vertebrates at Olympic Dam, South Australia.
Authors: Read JL
Published: December 2005

Small mammals, reptiles and amphibians were trapped in pitfalls in a range of habitats around the Olympic Dam Operations mine in central South Australia over a five year period (1987-91) to assess the impacts on these groups of climate, mining and grazing. Neobatrachus centralis, a frog, was the most abundant vertebrate in the region but was only recorded after heavy rains. Reptiles were both diverse and abundant in summer samples and in general maintained their population sizes during droughts. Mammals, however, exhibited considerable fluctuations in population size which were associated with climatic cycles. Sites within the mining lease consistently yielded higher species diversities and capture rates of reptiles than sites in pastoral land, but this could not be related directly to land use.
Relict Surface-Soil Features in Semi-Arid Mulga (Acacia Aneura) Woodlands.
Authors: Noble JC
Published: December 2005

The physical dimensions and locations of two forms of circular surface-soil features, believed to be constructed by animals now locally extinct, are described for a 200 ha site and its environs in a semi- arid mulga (Acacia mura) woodland in north-western New South Wales. The most common were 48 circular (c. 10 m diameter) features, some with well-defined central depressions carrying vigorous grass tussocks. Soil chemical analysis indicated the relatively high fertility of these central depressions. Surface pebbles were analysed for comparison with similar lithological data in the literature. The evidence suggests that the malleefowl (Leipoa ocerlata) is the most likely agent responsible for building these features. While only four of the larger features (c. 30 m diameter) were located in the study site, they were particularly conspicuous on higher ridges in adjoining paddocks because of the abundance of highly reflective, calcrete fragments visible on the surface of subcircular mounds. It is postulated that they were constructed by the bumowing bettong (Bettongia lesueur).
Rangelands and Global Change.
Authors: Walker BH , Steffen WL
Published: December 2005

The most important implications of this analysis for Australia's rangelands are: i) Better predictions of climate change, both in spatial resolution and degree of confidence, are needed to progress beyond a broad-scale analysis of possible effects. ii) Given that better projections of climate will become available, a "generic" rangelands model, incorporating a better understanding of system-level responses to changes in climate, atmospheric composition and management strategies, is needed to investigate the implications of global change. iii) Based on our current state of understanding, it seems as though the changes in Australia's rangelands will be within the capabilities of managers to cope, over at least the next several decades, provided they are made aware of the likely local and regional changes as predictions improve, and provided they adopt flexible management strategies.
Vegetation Dynamics in Changing Environments.
Authors: Archer S
Published: December 2005

Human-induced changes in atmospheric chemistry and meteorology have the potential to alter a broad array of ecosystem processes over a range of temporal and spatial scales. These may have direct and indirect effects that could influence management strategies and landscape response to disturbances associated with natural events and land use. The extent to which forecasted global changes are effective in altering local ecosystem properties will depend upon a variety of factors. In this paper, I address species life history traits and community and landscape properties that can be used by land managers to evaluate potential manifestations of global change on a local scale.
The Impact of the Changed Financial Environment on Rangeland Management and Ownership Structures.
Authors: Chudleigh JW
Published: December 2005

The dramatic change in the western world's economic environment is characterised by lower inflation, unserviceable indebtedness, lower commodity prices, greater environmental awareness and a complete readjustment of values and bank lending policies as an era of greater financial conservatism develops. An understanding of this historic turning point in economic developments, especially in Australia, brings into question many established concepts of management of our agricultural resources. This paper questions whether these changes demand a more dramatic rethink of the management of our western lands to ensure that the economic imperative of profit (the driving force for private occupancy of pastoral areas) can sit comfortably with the environmental responsibility being increasingly demanded by society.
Righting Scientific Writing: Focus on your main message!
Authors: Brown RF , Pressland AJ , Rogers DJ
Published: December 2005

This paper is about how to prepare research papers that are easier to write and easier to read. It draws on what we have learnt from running workshops for scientists about how to publish more readable papers. The key thing is to distil the most important point that needs to be made in a paper and then Structure the paper around that point so that readers cannot miss it.

Mind-mapping and a clear understanding of what individual readers need to know are important tools to help distil a main message. Conversely, the traditional structure in which a paper builds to a knockout punch at the end and the traditional impersonal styles of written expression are he two most serious obstacles to the effective use of the main message strategy.

Mastering the main message strategy is the key to writing papers that are easier to understand, and also easier to write.
Grazing Gradients in Central Australian Rangelands: Ground Verification of Remote Sensing-Based Approaches.
Authors: Bastin GN , Sparrow AD , Pearce G
Published: December 2005

Remotely-sensed data collected by satellites have been proposed for investigating grazing effects across the large paddocks of arid Australia. These data are used to compute indices of vegetation cover which are then analysed with reference to patterns of grazing behaviour around watering points. Grazing pressure typically increases as water is approached, resulting in a decrease in herbage cover. This pattern of cover change is called a grazing gradient. The change in these gradients from a dry to wet period forms the basis for assessing land degradation as described in an accompanying paper.

This study demonstrates that grazing gradients do exist, that they can be detected with field-based methods of data collection, and that there is close correspondence between ground data and indices of vegetation cover obtained from contemporary Landsat Multispectral Scanner satellite data.

Field data representing aerial cover of the herbage and woody species layers were collected along transects radiating away from water at two sites grazed by cattle in central Australia. Graphical representation of the litter and herbage components demonstrate that gradients of decreasing cover attributable to increasing grazing pressure occur along all, or sections, of each transect. Highly significant correlations exist between the field data and satellite indices of vegetation cover. Localised shrub increase and patches of recent erosion obscured trends of increasing cover with distance from water on parts of some transects. Soil surface state (describing past erosion) was a significant covariate of cover change at one site.

Our ability to characterise gradients of increasing vegetation cover with distance from water using both field and satellite data should mean that the grazing gradient method, when used with satellite data, is a suitable technique for assessing the extent of landscape recovery following good rainfall.
Goals and Strategies for Aboriginal Cattle Enterprises.
Authors: Stafford Smith DM , Mcnee A , Rose B , Snowdon G , Carter CR
Published: December 2005

In recent years Aboriginal people have regained ownership of large areas of rangeland, and in many cases are considering pastoral enterprises in their move towards self-sufficiency. New developments in research and extension must be made accessible to them. Rangeland researchers have recognised the need to focus much more on integrating scientific results with a better social understanding of managers' goals. Recent research indicates that goals and strategies in the commercial industry are often neither optimal nor singular. This applies particularly to Aboriginal communities; these have an even broader range of land use goals relating to traditional and non-traditional elements, the latter stemming partly from the introduced pastoral industry. Past assessments of Aboriginal pastoral projects have paid scant attention to identifying Aboriginal management goals and considering how they may interact with the project or conflict with each other. Attitudes to risk and production stability have rarely been determined, and consequently the impact of climatic variability has not been adequately considered. This has lead to the imposition of inappropriate management strategies and an over-optimistic view of potential returns. Based on goals that Aboriginal communities may have, this paper shows in principle how a pastoral enterprise study could take account of climatic variability in assessing stability and risk. One major set of alternative management strategies has been modelled with RANGEPACK Herd-Econ. This highlights certain features of low stocking approaches which may be lower in risk, more stable in turn-off, and more compatible with other Aboriginal community goals. Assessment of Aboriginal pastoral projects should place more emphasis on identifying what the goals of the communities and managers really are, how these goals interact, and consequently what form of enterprise is most appropriate. Some important points for the assessment of options are suggested. Some case studies need to be undertaken to document the interaction between community aspirations and a range of enterprise types, and hence to evaluate the potential effectiveness of these approaches to assessment.
Telling the sheep (dung) from the goats'.
Authors: Landsberg J , Stol J , Muller W
Published: December 2005

Although feral goats compete with domestic sheep and contribute to the total grazing impact on rangeland pastures their numbers tend to be severely underestimated, particularly in the wooded habitats they prefer. Dung counts provide a potentially useful indication of animal numbers, but have seldom been used for estimating relative numbers of goats grazing in sheep rangelands, because both sheep and goats produce very similar pellets. From a locally-collected reference collection, we devised a number of simple criteria for distinguishing between some of the dung produced by sheep and goats in the mulga rangelands of north-westem New South Wales, but found that there was substantial overlap: some pellets produced by both sheep and goats (but more commonly by goats) look the same. We developed an equation for estimating the origin of such pellets, from a maximum likelihood solution of appropriate probability functions, determined from the reference collection and from the relative proportions of identifiable pellets. This enabled us to estimate the relative abundance of sheep and goats from counts of their pellets. Animal numbers calculated from derived estimates of the relative abundance of dung were comparable with numbers observed in ground and helicopter surveys. The general approach could be used for any problem involving allocating numbers of similar objects to different sources, provided a reference collection is available from which identification probabilities can be determined.
Aborigines and Pastoralism in North-Western Australia: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Multiple Use of the Rangelands.
Authors: Head L
Published: December 2005

I examine aspects of land-use in the north-west Northern Territory by Aboriginal hunter-gatherers and white pastoralists since the early twentieth century. A case study of Legune Station and Marralam Outstation highlights issues of general relevance to those areas of rangelands where pastoralism and huntinglgathering coexist and compete. The historical record indicates that, contrary to widely held views, many aspects of Aboriginal relations to land were maintained throughout the pastoral period. In effect, multiple use has been a reality since contact, and in the wake of the Mabo debate will continue to be an issue for the next century. I argue that policy and bureaucratic frameworks, both past and present, fail to deal with this cross-cultural reality. There are both ethical imperatives and land management advantages in recognising Aborigines as stakeholders in decisions about the future of the rangelands.