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Title: GRAZING IMPACTS ON LANDSCAPE CONDITION OF A TROPICAL TALLGRASS SITE IN NORTHEAST QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

Author
item Northup, Brian
item BROWN, JOEL - USDA, NRCS

Submitted to: Proceedings Southwestern Association of Naturalists Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2001
Publication Date: 6/1/2001
Citation: NORTHUP, B.K., BROWN, J.R. GRAZING IMPACTS ON LANDSCAPE CONDITION OF A TROPICAL TALLGRASS SITE IN NORTHEAST QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA. PROCEEDINGS SOUTHWESTERN ASSOCIATION OF NATURALISTS ANNUAL MEETING. 2001. p.2045-2047.

Interpretive Summary: Abstract Only.

Technical Abstract: Livestock grazing may impact plant communities in the dry tropics of northern Australia. It can degrade the function of these infertile, non- equilibrium ecosystems, and must be described to quantify sustainable management for the tropical tallgrass zone. We conducted studies in 1993- 97 to ascertain how six grazing regimes affected herbaceous basal area, standing crop, and soil conditions (C, N, root distributions measured in 1997) near individual tussocks, on sites with red earth soils (oxic paleustalfs) in northeast Queensland. Intensive (high utilization) grazing caused significant (P < 0.05) declines in standing crop, basal area and soil quality within four years, compared to low utilization regimes. High stocking rates will result in rapid landscape degradation and eventual loss of long-term productivity if maintained for more than three years.