bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Cost of Aerial Baiting for Wild Dog Management in North-Eastern New South Wales.
Authors: Thompson JA , Fleming PJS
Published: December 2005

Aerial baitjng for the management of wild dogs in north-eastern New South Wales is carried out in nine Rural Lands Protection Board districts covering coastal and tablelands environments. A survey of participants in the 1988 aerial baiting programme costed the total operation at $106,152. Labour ($36,418) and helicopter hiring charges ($35,693) accounted for over 70 per cent of the costs borne by local and regional control authorities. A total of 24,285 kg of meat (approx. 105,500 baits) valued at $21,018 was used. The average cost of the programme was $4.21 per kg of bait used. Total baiting costs can be accurately predicted from bait quantity. The cost, to individual producers, of aerial baiting for wild dogs, when compared with expected livestock losses without this form of management, suggests that aerial baiting is cost-beneficial.
Long-term effects of warren ripping for rabbit control in semi-arid South Australia.
Authors: Mutze GJ
Published: December 2005

Warren ripping and poisoning were used to control rabbits on the flood-out plain of a major creek system on Manunda Station, a sheep-grazing property near Yunta in semi-arid South Australia. Rabbit numbers were initially reduced by >99 per cent, as indicated by the number of active entrances remaining in rabbit warrens. After nearly 10 years without follow-up control work, ripped warrens had only two per cent of the pre-control number of active entrances. Poisoning effectively reduced rabbit numbers in the short-term, but had no long-term effect on the number of active entrances, either in ripped or unripped warrens. Perennial shrubs regenerated on and around ripped warrens. Warren ripping on this part of Manunda is a cost-effective management option.
Germination of Piptochaetium Napostaense (Speg.) Hackel and Stipa Tenuis Phil. And Seedling Survival Under Field Conditions.
Authors: Distel RA , Pelae DV , Fernandez OA
Published: December 2005

The objectives of this work were to investigate the germination of Piptochaetium napostaense and Stipa tenuis under laboratory conditions and to evaluate the effects of different plant canopy cover on seedling emergence and survival of the two species in the field. Fresh seeds of both species present a high level of dormancy associated with the lemma and palea, preventing seedling emergence immediately after the seeds fall in NovemberPecember. Seventy per cent of the seedlings of both species emerged in autumn. The germination behavior of these grass species may be an ecological adaptation serving to avoid seedling loss through exposure to the high temperatures and drought occurring during summer in the Calden District. Seedling survival was greater in the grazed, low plant canopy cover site, indicating that a certain degree of disturbance to reduce neighbouring plant interference favours seedling establishment in both species.
The decline of the Brushtail Possum, Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr 1798), in arid Australia.
Authors: Kerle JA , Foulkes JN , Kimber RG , Papenfus D
Published: December 2005

That the brushtail possum was once common and widespread in the arid zone is confirmed by a collation of historical information. Although possums were widespread, detailed records from the Northern Territory and South Australia show that they were most abundant in rocky ranges and outcrops and along watercourses. Possums are now rare in the arid zone. In considering the reasons for the decline of this apparently robust species we have further developed Morton's (1990) model for mammal decline in the arid zone. Our hypothesis is based on the premise that disturbance of refuge habitat patches critical for the survival of the species was occurring at the same time as the country was subjected to a below average water balance. During the period between 1920 and 1970 rainfall was either average or markedly below average with no exceptional rainfalls recorded. Analysis of the rainfall data using a cumulative residual mass curve suggests that sub-surface waters were probably not fully recharged, placing a natural stress on the refuge habitats. At the same time, possum populations were being affected by many disturbing factors introduced by European settlement. Once the populations were reduced, they fell into a 'predator- pit' through depredation by dingoes and introduced predators and were unable to increase in numbers even with the advent of improved conditions. In this paper we identify the need to accurately determine the refuge habitats of a species and then utilise tools such as the cumulative mass residual curve to predict when these habitats will be under most stress. Specific protection measures can then be developed in association with land managers in order to reduce disturbance at the most critical times.
Control of Hakea Preissii (Meissner) and Associated Species by Fire in Degraded Semi-Arid Rangelands.
Authors: Holm AM , Shackleton KR , Speijers EJ
Published: December 2005

Hakea preissii has been identified as an undesirable increaser which has invaded formerly productive semi-arid pastoral lands of Western Australia. This paper reports a study designed primarily to assess the susceptibility of H. preissii to fire and to assess the effects of fire on the associated plant community. Plant survival was assessed by comparing the response to a low and high fue fuel load with untreated control plots. Fire intensities of 2900 and 9300 kwlm were achieved with fuel loads of 500 g/m2 and were sufficient to kill 98% of H. preissii by two years after the burn. A fire intensity of 240 kwlm was achieved with 150 .g/m2 fuel load and was sufficient to kill 53% of H. preissii plants. Other perennial species, more highly regarded as sheep feed, including Scaevola spinescens, Rhagodia eremaea, Enchylaena tomentosa and Maireana tomentosa, were killed by fire while Eremophila "crenulata" and Senna species, which are regarded as undesirable increasers in this environment, were generally unaffected by even the most intense fie.
Range Management in a Changing Environment: a Southern African Perspective.
Authors: Danckwerts JE , O'reagain PJ , O'connor TG
Published: December 2005

We address a number of management principles pertaining to temporal and spatial changes in rangeland systems. Both plant community composition, and availability and quality of forage, are temporally variable. The process of community change, at least in southern Africa, appears to differ between humid and arid environments. In humid environments, change follows a relatively gradual and predictable pattern, with both over- and under-grazing resulting in decreased carrying capacity. Factors other than grazing also cause change. In arid environments, change is event-driven, providing the grazier with risks and opportunities to cause or prevent community change from one state to another. Humid and arid rangelands also exhibit different patterns of inter- and intra-seasonal variation in forage availability and quality. In the former, changes, particularly in quality, are relatively predictable, allowing the grazier to match forage demand to supply, thus facilitating stable animal husbandry systems. In arid ranges, the profound change is inter-seasonal forage production, implying unpredictable carrying capacity. Flexibility in livestock numbers is therefore essential. Spatial heterogeneity of rangelands results in patch utilisation and localised deterioration of varying scale. In southern Africa, the traditional response has been fencing, an expensive and sometimes impracticable solution on an extensive scale. Fire and siting of artificial water points or mineral licks are alternative options for redistributing animals. The interaction of spatial heterogeneity with temporal rainfall fluctuations in arid rangelands provides pulses of productivity varying in space, time and magnitude. Settled pastoralism is perhaps unsuited to these environments. Finally, in view of the complexity of rangeland systems, and the paucity of empirical predictions for graziers, we suggest that formalised adaptive management - decision-making from past mistakes and successes - is the most appropriate means for graziers to cope with a changing environment.
Changing Conservation Perceptions in the Australian Rangelands.
Authors: Morton SR
Published: December 2005

Attitudes to conservation in the rangelands are shifting rapidly as cultural change alters the ways in which Australians view their history and environment. In earlier times, pastoralists of the outback were seen as admirable pioneers; today, not all Australians hold such a view. In an effort to predict how trends in social change might affect conservation issues I review recent events in the forest and fishing industries, which like the rangeland industries are to some extent based upon public land or resources. The forest industries have been under sustained attack from conservationists, whereas pressure on the fishing industry has emanated from scientists and governments worried about sustainability. Both industries are changing in response to these pressures, and it is possible that animal production in the rangelands will eventually experience similar forces. I suggest that in the long run the rangeland industries will be unable to ignore change, and that in fact the social currents may provide new opportunities.
Studies on the Mitchell Grass Association in South-Western Queensland. 3. Pasture and Wool Production Under Different Rates of Stocking and Continuous or Rotational Grazing.
Authors: Roe R , Allen GH
Published: December 2005

Pasture productivity and wool production on the Warrego Mitchell grass (Astrebla spp.) rangeland in south-westem Queensland were studied over a period of 13 years under continuous or rotational grazing, each at three stocking rates. The stocking rates were one sheep to three, two or one hectares and the rotational grazing was a six- monthly system of summer or winter grazing. The grazing treatments were applied over two five- year terms with a nil-grazing period at the conclusion of each. The latter periods provided a means of measuring the cumulative effects of the grazing treatments. Drought conditions prevailed during the first term so that supplementary feeding was necessary, but the second experienced above average rainfall. Quarterly measurements were made of the pasture dry matter on offer and its botanical and chemical composition. Monthly sheep liveweights, annual wool production and sheep size development in each term were also measured and monetary returns from wool calculated. Rainfall had a major influence on the results recorded and tended to nullify the effects of grazing treatments. Its unpredictability precludes the reliable use of complex techniques in management planning. The overall results suggested that the optimum grazing management of this Mitchell grass rangeland would be continuous grazing at a stocking rate of one sheep to two hectares. Supplementary feeding during drought would be obligatory and should be budgeted for in long-term planning. There was a 50% higher monetary return from this grazing treatment than from the lighter stocking rate and pasture stability (maintenance of Astrebla spp.) was sustained. Pasture stability was adversely affected by the heavier stocking rate. There was no srlstained advantage from rotational grazing compared with continuous grazing.
Factors Affecting the Distribution and Abundance of Microlaena Stipoides (Labill.) R.br. On the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales.
Authors: Magcale-Macandog DB , Whalley RDB
Published: December 2005

The distribution of Microlaena stipoides on the Northern Tablelands of NSW was examined in a survey of 101 paddocks on 33 properties. Relationships among the abundance of M. stipoides and spatial, climatic, soil and pasture management factors were determined using X2, regression and cluster analyses. Paddocks with more abundant M. stipoides were observed in the eastern and southern parts of the Tablelands where altitude (>750 m) and rainfall (>750 mm) are higher. Higher tree density was associated with more abundant M, stipoides as were native and natural compared with highly improved pastures. Frequent cultivation (regular and intermittent) was associated with absence or very low abundance of M. stipoides. On the other hand, paddocks which had not been cultivated for along time tended to have more M. stipoides than those that had been cultivated in the last five years. Total amount of superphosphate applied, type of grazing animal and grazing method were not associated with the abundance of M. stipoides. Acidic soils had more M, stipoides than soils of higher pH (up to 6.5). Combinations of site factors such as high elevation and rainfall, high tree density, minimum soil disturbance and acidic soil lead to abundant M. stipoides in pastures. Pasture communities in the north and west of the study area had a greater abundance of native warm season perennial grasses and less M. stipoides.
Pastoral Lease Tenure in Australia: Historical Relic or Useful Contemporary Tool?
Authors: Holmes JH , Knight LDP
Published: December 2005

Pastoral leasehold has evolved as the vehicle for the flexible award of property rights and duties in Australia's rangelands capable of serving as an effective public policy instrument while meeting the needs of titleholders. These capabilities were most clearly revealed during the interventionist phase of planned closer settlement. With the loss of policy momentum directed towards further pastoral development and closer settlement, leasehold tenure appeared to be in danger of becoming a bureaucratic anachronism. More recently, however, the sharply escalating revival of public interest in the rangelands is forcing a re- examination of property rights, with renewed interest in lease tenures as policy instruments, within a context of multiple values and uses, many not being readily tied to private land title. We examine the theoretical arguments as well as the pragmatic case for retaining a distinctive regime of limited property rights in Australia's rangelands, focusing on the following issues: matching property rights with resource contexts; balancing internalities and externalities; timing the award of property rights; specificity and flexibility; coordinated administration; and perceptions and expectations. We conclude by identifying the core attributes of an effective property-rights regime based on lease title. These attributes are: clear specification of the property rights of the lessee, designed to meet the resource needs of the enterprise; performance standards with increasing emphasis on sustainable use; capacity to award additional rights, where additional resources can be internalised effectively; specification of the rights of other interest-groups; powers of resumption for more intensive uses; powers to revise lease conditions; and payment of an annual rent. We foresee the revival of the leasehold system as a mechanism for defining property rights and duties precisely, and as an instrument for delivering policies on a wide range of issues concerning the management and use of the rangelands.
Photographic Utilisation Standards for Three Perennial Grasses.
Authors: Anderson VJ , Hacker RB , Hodgkinson KC
Published: December 2005

Height-weight profiles were established for Monachather paradoxa, Thyridolepis rnitchelliana and Eragrostis eriopoda based on field populations from semi-arid mulga woodlands in north-western New South Wales. These profiles were subsequently used to develop photographic standards of percentage canopy remaining by weight as a guide to field assessment of the severity of grazing. Examples of the standards are presented.
Manifest Destiny, Mirage and Mabo: Contemporary Images of the Rangelands.
Authors: Heathcote RL
Published: December 2005

Attitudes to the Australian rangelands have changed markedly over the last 20 years in response to a variety of changes in societal attitudes to the environment in general and changes in national and international scientific knowledge on the nature of the rangeland ecosystem. The paper provides a brief review of those changing attitudes, seen in the context of the sociologist Cohen's four environmental orientations: instrumental, territorial, sentimental and symbolic. Evidence of each is provided and it is argued that future management of the rangelands will need to take cognisance of the variety of views of the nature and role of the rangelands which those orientations encompass.
'not Passing Through': Aboriginal Stakeholders in the Rangelands.
Authors: Williams N , Johnston R
Published: December 2005

Comparison of Aboriginal interests in rangelands in western New South Wales with those in north- western Northern Temtory and the Kimberley of Western Australia reveals little difference in their history, aspirations for land acquisition, or plans for multiple use management. Throughout Australia, Aboriginal people who are traditional owners of rangelands continue to live on or near the land they regard as traditionally theirs. This is true of the more closely settled rangelands as well as remote regions. In all the rangeland areas Aboriginal people now wish (and following the Mabo decision may more realistically expect to gain) some form of freehold title to at least some of their land. Aboriginal people whose traditional lands are located in western New South Wales have access to very little of their land but have maintained their connection to it. They have aspirations of obtaining access to and control over portions of it, with plans to manage it under a multiple use regime that would include small-scale sustainable pastoralism and agriculture, while living in dispersed family groups on the land. Aboriginal people's desire to retain access to their traditional land for non-economic reasons (spiritual, social, historical) is paramount. Should the Commonwealth Land Fund legislation be enacted, cultural imperatives as well as economic viability will need to be taken into account in the purchase of land. Planning for future management should incorporate traditional ecological knowledge and should involve Aboriginal traditional owners and their organisations, such as land councils and resource agencies, in local and regional planning.
Diversity in Yearly Calendars on Pastoral Properties in Western Nsw: a Constructivist Perspective.
Authors: Kersten S , Ison R
Published: December 2005

The diversity in yearly calendars on sheep properties in western NSW is explored using three criteria
of analysis which elucidate these calendars: by seasonal perspective, by main operational activity
and individual reasons. From a seasonal perspective the 18 articulated systems could be grouped into
seven different calendars. The complexity of a grazing system cannot be analysed from a seasonal
perspective alone and the main operational activity and reasons given by individual graziers are a
means of identifying differences between yearly calendars. A 'decision making' diagram is
established combining main operating activity, reasons for planning certain activities and the
month(s) in which they are undertaken.
The research reported is based on a constructivist epistemology, which acknowledges the existence
of multiple valid realities related to human diversity and local knowledge. The results suggest more
insight into the motivations, interpretations and understandings of individual graziers can be gained
by using methods like open invitations and semi structured interviews to work towards coresearching
activities.
Valuing human diversity in interpreting, understanding and preference in property management is a
step towards managing the semi-arid rangelands of western New South Wales in a ecologically and
socially sustainable way.
Why Study Rangeland Values? Some Practices That Scientists Have Much to Answer for.
Authors: Shulman AD , Penman R
Published: December 2005

This essay challenges social scientists who focus on values, to make a practical contribution to rangeland matters. The essay is organised around three questions: Why study values? Can values be neutrally studied? and How can social scientists contribute to the possibilities of better rangeland practices? We suggest that the available language resources used and the environmental realities constructed within our research practices are limiting and not conducive to real, practical solutions. And, in conducting this foray, we wish to demonstrate how addressing these limitations with our audiences can potentially contribute to practical progress on rangeland matters.
Australian Rangelands in Contemporary Literature.
Authors: Kimber RG
Published: December 2005

The subject of this paper being contemporary Australian rangelands literature, I have restricted the study to literature of the decade to 1994, with focus on 1992-1994. I acknowledge recent informative studies, but have developed an individual perspective. In addition to considering recent novels and factual books I have given attention to newspaper and magazine accounts, as these give the most immediate observations of the rangelands, and attitudes towards them and their inhabitants. Key trends that emerge are perceptions of the rangelands as pristine - probably the one continuum since the commencement of written records about Australia; the entirely contrasting view of pastoralists as destroyers of rangelands; and recognition of Aboriginal spirituality as significant in caring for the land. The trends are not, however, entirely in the one direction, as I indicate by presenting both the positive and negative views presented by a select number of writers.
Good Relationships: Ethical and Ecological Perspectives of Rangeland Management.
Authors: Freudenberger DO , Freudenberger CD
Published: December 2005

As we ponder the prospects of our rangelands, we face the fundamental ethical and ecological question: what is good rangeland management? We propose that good management is based on caring relationships. Caring about any person or anything is our only tangible way of expressing gratitude for life and our moment of opportunity to participate in it. The motivation of gratitude is the essence of ethical actions. Good management results from expressions of gratitude through informed, diverse, and responsive relationships with the land. Our relationships must be informed by sound ecological understanding; uninformed acts of gratitude have degraded the rangelands. Good relationships can involve extraction, preservation, conservation and enhancement of natural resources. No single relationship with the land is wholly appropriate. Good management is based on relationships that are responsive to the dynamics of rangeland ecosystems. The ethic and science of ecological sustainability must be incorporated into the moral concept of justice, otherwise justice is short lived. Without justice, communities and the land on which they depend suffer and decline. A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. Is wrong when it tends otherwise. -Ado Leopold
Land Condition in the Tropical Tall Grass Pasture Lands. 2. Effects on Herbage Quality and Nutrient Uptake.
Authors: Ash AJ , Mcivor JG
Published: December 2005

Herbage quality (in vitro digestibility, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations) of plucked samples, and above ground nutrient uptakes (nitrogen and phosphorus) were compared on plots differing in land condition at 10 sites in northern Australia. Over all sites there was a significant increase in digestibility and nitrogen concentration, and a significant decrease in phosphorus concentration, as land condition declined. Both nitrogen and phosphorus uptake decreased as land condition declined. The results indicate that diet quality may be higher from land in poor condition. However, the large decrease in pasture productivity associated with declining land condition may more than offset this apparent improvement in feed quality.
Effects of Temperature and Age on the Germination of Naked Caryopses of Indigenous Grasses of Western New South Wales.
Authors: Grice AC , Bowman A , Toole I
Published: December 2005

The effects of temperature and age on the germination of naked caryopses of nine native grasses from western New South Wales were studied in the laboratory. Maximum germination percentages varied from >90% for Astrebla lappacea to <<1% for Eragrostis setifolia. Optimum temperatures for germination of A. lappacea, Bothriochloa macra, Dichanthium sericeum, Enneapogon avenaceus, Monachather paradoxa, Paspalidium constrictum and Thyridolepis mitchelliana were 20-30�C. Highest germination of Danthonia caespitosa was at 15�C. At temperatures close to their respective optima, most seeds germinated within seven days of imbibition, although rates of germination varied with temperature. In three species (A. lappacea, D, caespitosa, P. constrictum), germination percentages were similar or higher for two-year-old seed compared with 6-month-old seed. At its optimum temperature, two-year-old seed of T. mitchelliana had > 10% germination. In the other five species, germination was <10% for seed stored for more than 12 months. These results have implications for the agronomic use of these species.
Spatial and Temporal Pattern in the Grazing of Grasses by Sheep Within a Semi-Arid Wooded Landscape.
Authors: Hodgkinson KC , Terpstra JW , Muller WJ
Published: December 2005

Grazing the woodlands of semi-arid and arid Australia by domestic stock has extensively collapsed perennial *grass populations and thereby fostered woody plant increase. This study examined the pattern of grazing of individual grass plants by sheep in the landscape of a semi-arid woodland, and a model was developed describing the spatial and temporal influences on the grazing pressure placed on plants. Plants of two widespread perennial grass species differing in palatability, Eragrostis eriopoda and Thyridolepis mitchelliana, were examined weekly in two contrasting periods at the CSIRO Lake Mere Research Facility. The plants were located throughout the landscape in lightly- and heavily- stocked paddocks. Patterns of grazing in space and time were determined by examining the grazing of marked tillers. No preference was shown for previously ungrazed plants and only occasionally were previously grazed plants preferred. Thyridolepis mitchelliana plants were slightly preferred over E. eriopoda plants. Landscape zones receiving water and nutrients from elsewhere were preferred for grazing but the effect was weak. The foliage biomass of herbaceous plants in the immediate vicinity of a grass plant did not influence the number of tillers grazed nor the probability of the plant being grazed. Overall the defoliation of individual plants by sheep was weakly determined by landscape location, stocking level, plant species and prevailing forage on offer. The influence of spatial and temporal variation was small; random grazing of grass plants was the rule. This finding suggests that the grazing pressure on palatable perennial grasses in the paddocks of semi-arid woodlands will be similar across wooded landscapes and that spatial variability in plant mortality could be due to. the combined effect of plant water stress, which varies spatially and temporally, and grazing pressure which varies temporally but not spatially.
The Influence of Recent Grazing Pressure and Landscape Position on Grass Recruitment in a Semi-Arid Woodland of Eastern Australia.
Authors: Anderson VJ , Hodgkinson KC , Grice AC
Published: December 2005

This study examined the effects of previous grazing pressure, position in the landscape and apparent seed trapping capability of soil surface micro-sites on recruitment of the perennial grass Monachather paradoxa (mulga oats) in a semi-arid woodland. Seedling emergence was counted on small plots which had been kept moist for one month. The plots were on bare ground, or at grass tussocks, or at log mounds, sited in the run-off, interception and run-on zones of paddocks that had been grazed for six years at 0.3 and 0.8 sheep equivalent/ha. Few naturally occurring perennial grass seedlings emerged on any of the sites. The level of previous grazing pressure influenced the recruitment of grasses from natural sources as well as from seed of M. paradoxa broadcast on the soil surface; significantly more grass seedlings recruited in paddocks stocked at 0.3 than at 0.8 sheep/ha. Emergence of the sown grass did not differ significantly between the three zones in the landscape, but trends in the data suggest the interception zone may have been the most favourable. Recruitment from in situ grass seed was highest in the mulga grove (run-on) zone. Most seedlings of the sown grass emerged around the bases of existing perennial grass tussocks, but recruitment of volunteer perennial and annual grasses was more evenly distributed between the mulga log-mounds and perennial grass tussocks. It is concluded that very low levels of readily germinable seed of perennial grasses remained in the soil at the end of the drought and that areas with a history of high grazing pressure have less probability of grass recruitment when suitable rain occurs.
Bias in Aerial Survey of Feral Goats in the Rangelands of Western Australia.
Authors: Southwell C
Published: December 2005

Broad-scale aerial surveys of feral goat populations in the aridsemi-arid rangelands of Western Australia have used strip transect methods without correction for visibility bias to estimate minimum abundance. Improved accuracy of these minimum estimates is necessary for more effective control. Line transect methodology was used to assess visibility bias in aerial survey of feral goats in a 375,000 km2area of north-west Western Australia. Visibility of goat groups decreased with increasing vegetation cover. In open country with little or no cover there was no decline in visibility within a 200 m strip from the transect line. In country with high vegetation cover visibility declined markedly with distance from the transect line, and it was estimated that only half the goat groups within the 200 m strip were seen. No size-bias in the estimation of mean group size was detected, The line transect results, and consideration of possible violations to the line transect method, suggest that previously published minimum estimates of feral goat abundance may be negatively biased by at least 30-40%.
Relationships Between Grass, Shrub and Tree Cover on Four Landforms of Semi-Arid Eastern Australia, and Prospects for Change by Burning.
Authors: Daly RL , Hodgkinson KC
Published: December 2005

The range of grass, shrub and tree levels present in the Louth region of western New South Wales was determined in an area where woody weeds are considered to be rampant, and the prospects for change by burning were evaluated. Relationships between the three vegetation elements in each of four major landforms were determined by regression and reduction in the canopy cover of woody vegetation after one or two fires were simulated. Basal cover of grass was negatively related to canopy cover of woody vegetation, except in the Sandplains and Dunefields landform. The relationship here was curvilinear with maximum grass cover occurring at 10% canopy cover of the woody vegetation. Pastoralism was considered to become less efficient when the canopy cover of woody vegetation exceeded 5%; 44% of sites measured were below this threshold. The remaining sites could be divided into two groups; one which would fall below the threshold if burnt with a prescribed fire (21%) and the other which required two fires or an equivalent second treatment to reduce the cover below the threshold (35%). The survey confirmed the perception of pastoralists, administrators and scientists that shrub cover is unacceptably high for pastoralism throughout much of the region. Additionally the perennial grass cover was very low and this would increase the instability of forage supply to pastoral herbivores. The high spatial variability in the composition of vegetation indicates that graziers need to identify and treat areas where return on investment in rehabilitation will be highest and most certain.
The Potential of Some Mechanical Treatments for Rehabilitating Arid Rangelands Ii. Identifying Indicators From Between-Site Comparisons.
Authors: Friedel MH , Muller WJ , Kinloch JE
Published: December 2005

In a companion paper we showed that degraded rangelands in central Australia could rarely be rehabilitated economically with mechanical treatments like pitting and opposed discing. In this paper we devise a set of environmental indicators to guide the selection of areas which might respond to treatment, by exploring the relationships between a wide variety of environmental attributes, the types of treatment and the responses of different groups of plants. The best response of palatable perennials to these mechanical treatments was likely on soils with no more clay than a sandy clay loam, and where average annual rainfall was at least 280 mm. Well developed micro-relief in the soil surface and a crust that was reasonably penetrable when dry and stable when wet were also useful though less important as indicators of likely plant response. Generally, land with these attributes in central Australia is unlikely to be severely degraded. Treatment structures do not persist in soils of high clay content. Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.), an exotic species commonly introduced with treatment, does not thrive in clayey soils, and can invade untreated, better potential areas. The alternatives of larger-scale water ponding or harvesting, and the use of native species, should be considered for degraded soils. Rapid comparative assessments of the response of plants to treatment can be made by counting all perennials with a basal diameter of 25 cm within a standard area.
Spatial Distribution of Sheep, Feral Goats and Kangaroos in Woody Rangeland Paddocks.
Authors: Landsberg J , Stol J
Published: December 2005

The densities and distributions of sheep, kangaroos and feral goats were assessed from extensive dung surveys following dry, moderate and green seasons in three large paddocks in the wooded rangelands of north-westem New South Wales. Densities of sheep (21 9nanimals/km2) were around the long-term district average. Densities of goats (24 animals/km2) were often higher than sheep. Densities of kangaroos (1 1 animals/km2) were usually much lower than either sheep or goats. Animal density was usually related to vegetative cover (ground cover for sheep and kangaroos, shrub and tree cover for goats), but there were also differences among paddocks. Distribution of kangaroos showed the most differentiation according to vegetation type, with densities being consistently high on a small area of alluvial grassland and very low in the paddock with no alluvial plains and the lowest levels of ground cover. The distributions of sheep and goats were correlated in the dry season and both species showed similar ranges in preferences for different vegetation types. Of the large herbivores present in these woody rangelands, kangaroos were the most selective in terms of the vegetation types they grazed, and goats were the least selective. Because their grazing activities are focussed on alluvial grasslands, kangaroos have potential to degrade this locally uncommon vegetation type. However, the densities of kangaroos in other, more widespread, vegetation types were uniformly low. Goats were frequently the most abundant large herbivores present and were also the least selective. Therefore goats probably have the greatest potential for causing widespread grazing impacts across much of these woody rangelands.
Knowing the Rangelands of Western New South Wales: the Past in the Changing Present.
Authors: Quinn MJ
Published: December 2005

There is growing competition for the resources of Australia's rangelands. This competition is spreading from traditional users, like pastoralists, to increasingly include interests in the wider community. The way that the history of the rangelands is represented is important to the way these interests are perceived, articulated and reconciled. Popular (and much academic) writing on the past European use of the rangelands remains bogged in a tradition that stresses simplistic themes of careless destruction. The 1901 New South Wales Royal Commission into the Condition of the Crown Tenants is oftp seen as a seminal document in the history of the understanding of the rangelands. The Royal Commission was not, though, a starting point of sophisticated knowledge of the rangelands. Rather, it was an important articulation of an existing tradition of knowledge. The Commission was, furthermore, a product of widespread local understanding, activism and support for reform in western New South Wales. The European management of the rangelands from its earliest decades has been the result of informed struggle - not wanton ignorance. To clearly see this is to see the possibility that today's competition for resources contains no villains either. Moreover, to accept this past knowledgeability may challenge elements of our modern commitment to accruing knowledge, particularly the assumption that better knowledge will lead to better management.
The Effect of Temporary Closure of Watering Points on Grazing Intensity of Red and Grey Kangaroos With Related Observations on Feral Goats.
Authors: Freudenberger D , Hacker RB
Published: December 2005

In this study we examined the utility of manipulating artificial waters as a means of managing total grazing pressure in semi-arid rangelands of eastern Australia. We tested the efficacy of 'Finlayson trough' exclosure technology at three locations, over two summers, in paddocks with red kangaroos (Macropus rufirs) and two species of grey kangaroo (M. giganteus and M. fuliginosus). We also examined the effect of closing off five waters on the distribution of feral goat grazing intensity at one study site. Generally, there were no apparent reductions in kangaroo and goat grazing intensity following 6-10 weeks of water exclosure, the exception being a minor reduction in red kangaroo grazing intensity at one location. We concluded that kangaroo and goat grazing pressure cannot be substantially reduced by simply closing off waters in and near paddocks for several months. Key words: kangaroos, water exclosure. feral goats, grazing pressure, paddock spelling
Mental Models in Rangeland Research, Communication and Management.
Authors: Abel N , Ross H , Walker P
Published: December 2005

There are disagreements among pastoralists, researchers, management agencies and other users of rangeland resources about how rangeland systems work, and how they should be valued, used and managed. The psychological concept of mental models helps explain how individuals and groups come to view the same ecological system so differently, and why communication among people holding different views is difficult. We present a study of the mental models of some researchers, pastoralists and extension officers to illustrate a method for eliciting, comparing and combining their views of landscape water processes. In this specific case we found there were substantial differences between the mental models of individuals and groups. Variation between individuals was the greater. The method we developed has good potential for exploring and combining differing mental models and formal disciplinary theories of science. Disciplinary theories are intended for general application rather than local management. so to address specific problems, combination of scientific theory with local mental models can enhance understanding. Sharing of mental models also improves communication, and ultimately, we predict. management. The method we developed is one of a number of approaches adaptable to the rangelands. We review these methods briefly, and discuss the application of the mental model concept to improve communication about rangeland research and management within an agricultural knowledge and information system. Keywords: mental models; perceptions; research; extension; communication; rangelands; influence diagrams
A Quantitative Study of Soil-Plant Relations in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.
Authors: Fergusson B , Graham AJ
Published: December 2005

The soil and plants at a 27.4 ha field site near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, were surveyed and analysed with multivariate statistics. Cluster analysis identified four distinct plant communities at the study site. These were: Acacia acuminata shrubland Eucalyptus gvfithsii woodland Eucalyptus salrnonophloia woodland 'Ground Covers' - areas characterised by the presence of generalist herbs, low shrubs and weeds, and the absence of dominant upper storey species. Discriminant function analysis identified site elevation and soil exchangeable Ca as the primary environmental discriminants between the plant communities. Using these two variables, sample points were classified into one of the four plant communities. The two methods of classification matched well, with classification based on the two environmental variables providing an indication of which plant community would be most likely to establish in disturbed areas. This type of information can be important to revegetation programs in the region, guiding the use of appropriate plant species under different rehabilitation conditions. Key wcrds: environmental variables, plant communities, multivariate analysis, classification, revegetation
Herbage Production Following Rainfall Redistribution in a Semi-Arid Mulga (Acacia Aneura) Woodland in Western New South Wales.
Authors: Noble JC , Greene RSB , Muller WJ
Published: December 2005

The effects of stocking rate (nominally ranging from 0.3 up to 0.8 dry sheep equivalents per ha) on rainfall redistribution, soil-water storage and herbage production were studied in three contiguous geomorphic zones (run-off, interception and run-on zones) in a semi-arid mulga (Acacia aneura) woodland in western New South Wales. The amount of rainfall redistribution increased directly with rainfall but there was no significant effect of stocking rate on the amount of soil-water stored in various zones. while soil-water storage differed little between zones following a minor rainfall event (11.9 mm), it was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the run-on zone following a major rainfall event (42.7 mm). The interception zone was by far the most productive herbage zone contributing a significantly (P < 0.01) disproportionate amount of forage (c. 90% of total paddock production at low stocking rates) despite this zone only occupying a relatively small proportion (c. 12%) of landscape catenae. Herbage in the interception zone principally comprised palatable C3 perennial grasses such as Thyridolepis mitchelliana (mulga grass) and Monachather paradoxa (bandicoot grass).

Experimental manipulation confirmed the fundamental importance of rainfall redistribution as a landscape process mediating herbage production in these semi-arid plant communities. Dry matter production by Eragrostis eriopoda (woollybutt) was significantly enhanced (P < 0.05) in the run-off zone when incident rainfall was retained in situ by metal barriers. Conversely, production by Thyridolepis mitchelliana in the lower interception zone was significantly depressed (P < 0.01) where similar barriers prevented access by overland flow. The results are discussed in the context of developing conservative management strategies designed to maintain effective landscape processes in these extensive ecosystems.
Revegetated Saline Pastures as a Forage Reserve for Sheep: 1. Effects of Season and Grazing on Morphology and Nutritive Value of Saltbush.
Authors: Atiq-Ur-Rehma n , Mackintosh JB , Warren BE , Lindsay DR
Published: December 2005

This study determined the impact of grazing on the kind of material selected by sheep from a saltbush (Atriplex amnicola) plantation and the changes in the chemical composition of saltbush plants associated with season.

Saltbush plants in four plots of about 0.9 hectares each were scored from 1 to 5 on the basis of leafiness. Ten Merino wethers were grazed on each plot, giving a stocking rate of about 11 per hectare.

The results demonstrated that sheep selected only stem material of less than 1.5 mm diameter, while the grazing pressure on saltbush plants, as described by the number of stems eaten per 0.1 m2, increased from less than one to an average of 18 to 20 stems in 5 to 7 weeks.

Grazing had a significant effect on dry matter digestibility (DMD) and nitrogen concentration of whole plant samples. During six weeks of grazing the DMD of whole plant samples cut 10 cm from the tips of the branches dropped from 0.53 to 0.25 (P<0.05), whereas the nitrogen content declined from 11 g/kg to 8 g/kg (P<0.05). At the end of grazing the nutritional value of whole plant samples was very poor and sheep refused to eat stem that was thicker than 1.5 mm. These findings question the grazable fraction reported in the literature for saltbush plantation. when the stem diameters used in calculations are not reported or thicker stems were assumed grazable.

Season also had a significant effect on the ratio of leaf to stem and the mineral content. The concentration of sodium in saltbush leaf was negatively correlated (r = -0.93) with both nitrogen and potassium.
Fire Management of Rangelands in the Kimberley Low-Rainfall Zone: a Review.
Authors: Craig AB
Published: December 2005

This paper examines a range of environmental, research and practical issues affecting fire management of pastoral lands in the southern part of the Kimberley region in Western Australia. Although spinifex grasslands dominate most leases, smaller areas of more productive pastures are crucially important to many enterprises. There is a lack of local documentation of burning practices during traditional Aboriginal occupation; general features of the fire regime at that time can be suggested on the basis of information from other inland areas. Definition of current tire regimes is improving through interpretation of NOAA-AVHRR satellite imagery. Irregular extensive wildfires appear to dominate, although this should be confirmed by further accumulation, validation and analysis of fire history data. While these fires cause ma,jor difficulties. controlled burn~ng is a necessary part of station management. Although general management guidelines have been published. local research into tire-grazing effects has been very limited. For spinifex pastures, reconimendations are generally consistent with those applying elsewhere in northern Australia. They favour periodic burning of mature spinifex late in the year, before or shortly after the arrival of the first rains, with deferment of grazing. At that time. days of high fire danger may still be expected and prediction of fire behaviour is critical to burning decisions. Early dry-season burning is also required for creating protective tire breaks and to prepare for burning later in the year. Further development of tools for predicting fire behaviour, suited to the discontinuous fuels characteristic of the area, would be warranted. A range of questions concerning the timing and spatial pattern of burning, control of post-fire grazing, and the economics of fire management, should be addressed as resources permit. This can be done through a combination of opportunistic studies, modelling and documentation of local experience. The development of an expert system should be considered to assist in planning and conducting burning activities. Key words: Kimberley, fire regimes, fire management, pastoralism, spinifex