soil-conservation-people-religion-and-land.pdf - South West NRM

Brian Roberts
5 August 1988
The beef industry makes a significant contribution to the
economy of northern Australia, including 40% of the rural
income of Queensland. Queensland alone has 165 M ha of
native pastures and 4 M ha of improved pastures.
Carrying capacity of native pastures depends on the
rainfall and soil type.
Almost all the growth of pastures occurs between October
and March. As grass matures, herbage quality decreases
to a level where after seed has set, the quality of the
diet is too low to maintain body weight in many cases.
The annual variation in feed production is as variable as
seasonal rainfall, and drought, flood and fire must .be
accepted as natural factors in the environment.
Grass forms the bulk of cattle's diet, with edible shrubs
contributing only during dry periods.
Grass production is significantly reduced where the
density of trees limits light and moisture available to
grass.
In many regions, cleared country naturally develops into
open woodland or even dense forest if re-growth is not
controlled mechanically, chemically or by controlled
burning.
8. Long term overgrazing usually leads to a set sequence of
degradation stages:
(i) Reduction of the best pasture grasses.
(ii) Increase in less palatable annual grasses.
(iii) Expansion of bare areas and surface erosion.
( iv) Scalding and gully erosion.
9. Pasture management decisions should be based on the needs
of both the animals and the pasture. To do this, it is
necessary that the manager can recognize the early signs
of over-use.
10. Ideally, pasture condition can be judged on the
proportion of bulky perennial, palatable grasses present.
The density and type of grass are the prime criteria of
whether pastures are overgrazed or not.
* A guide to the video "Grazing Management" (DDIAE, 27
Minutes, VHS) .