Euston-Brown, D., Rathogwa, N & Richardson ... - DWA Home Page

4.3.1.2d) Bulldozing
Scraping with bulldozers with a front-mounted blade plough has been used extensively in Australia
(Natural Heritage Trust, 2004) for Acacia nilotica and Parkinsonia aculeata. There is one known and
documented example of this method being used successfully in Phinda Game Reserve near Hluhluwe
(Wessels, 2006). In this case, the blade of the dozer was kept just above the surface so that the plants
were uprooted and minimal disturbance of the soil occurred as it was not cut or dugout. This could be
considered an appropriate method in this habitat, but not in other savannas where the grass and herb
layer is better developed or the woodland/bushveld component is low (10 years) impenetrable
infestations
• No herbicide cost
4.3.1.2e) Browsing/Grazing
Acacia xanthophloea (fever tree) habitat in Phinda Game
Reserve. A dense infestation of chromolaena at this site was
bulldozed a few years prior to this photograph.
• Limited to particular habitat/terrain in dense
infestations
• disturbance to soil significant
• loss of indigenous diversity
• accessibility and petrol costs
• Risk: disturbance causes reinvasion of other weeds.
• Risk: unforeseen impacts of soil compaction
Browsing and grazing by game and cattle can also be regarded as a form of control if carefully
managed. This method is only applicable to chromolaena, as lantana is toxic to cattle and probably
most game. However, even if this is the case, cattle and game also learn quickly to leave lantana
alone. Herding a large herd of cattle or game through a dense infestation can be used to open up the
infestation making it more accessible for humans to access and apply the appropriate treatment.
Development of a clearing protocol based on ecological criteria for Mesic Savannas and Sweet Grassveld for the Working for Water Programme
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