Royalties for RegionS Carbon Project - showcase

Fig. 3 - Walk-Over-Weigher
Rangeland Decision
Support System (RaDSS)
A Pilbara demonstration project used live animal tracking, automatic walk-overweighing
and satellite imagery to improve rangeland management and capture
potential carbon farming opportunities.
Previous work by DAFWA indicated
that rangeland management can be
manipulated to increase the level of
carbon stored in rangeland soils and
vegetation in certain land types and
directly from livestock. Preliminary
analysis also suggests that a land
manager can successfully sequester
carbon while continuing to graze
livestock under a modified grazing
regime.
The trial—the Rangelands Decision
Support System (RaDSS)—was
undertaken in a 45,000 hectare
‘paddock’ on De Grey Station (80km
east of Port Hedland); a 380,000
hectare grassland-dominated
pastoral station leased and managed
by the Bettini family.
The mean annual rainfall is
approximately 300mm, summerdominated
with extreme
variability. Preparatory work such
as familiarisation with proposed
trial area, mapping, equipment
procurement, trial design and
benchmark sampling for carbon
content was undertaken during
2014 before the initiation of
the animal measurements in late
2014.
Technologies demonstrated and
assessed in cooperation with
DAFWA, the Federal Department
of Agriculture, the Bettinis, De Grey
LCDC, Rangelands NRM, CSIRO,
Landgate and Revell Science are:
• Taggle live animal tracking:
15 animals with ear tags are
tracked; providing live updates
every 10 minutes. The 3G-signals
from the tags are picked up by
three towers (Fig.1) triangularly
spaced eight kilometres apart
(and sent to a computer). The
results are combined over a
time period and trends plotted.
These trends show where the
animals are grazing and over
what distance. These trend
lines can be retraced to get an
indication of what plant species
are consumed and to what
extent. The tags are also used to
track the response of animals to
self- shepherding (Fig 2).
• Automatic walk-over-weighing
with automated drafting: The
solar-powered scale is installed
on a watering point and
individual animals are weighed
(Fig.3) as they cross the scale.
Individual animals are identified
via NLIS tags and weights sent
to the homestead computer.
These weights are used in two
different ways: i) as a tool to
draft animals at a certain weight
into a small holding yard to be
marketed and ii) as an indication
of pasture/forage condition
two to three weeks ago (the
lag time in animals responding
to changes in feed condition).
Marketing animals earlier would
lead to a reduction in methane
production (young animals
produce less than older animals;
shorten timeframe to produce
methane).
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Royalties for Regions Carbon Project - Showcase