Project Leaders: Dr John Woinarski, Parks & Wildlife
Commision NT
Dr Alan Andersen, CSIRO Wildlife & Ecology, Darwin
Project 2.1.2
Summary |
Outputs | Progress |
Project Team
This project collects baseline information on faunal
biodiversity from the experimental sites of Dr Peter O'Reagain
(DPI, Charters Towers). Dr O'Reagain's project, based at the cattle
station Wambiana, was established to investigate the relationship
between pastoral stocking rates, rainfall variability and land
condition. These sites comprise two replicates of each of five
grazing regimes (each in 100 ha paddocks).
To examine the relationships between the experimental regimes
and how biodiversity responds, it is important that information is
collected before the influence of the treatments begin. This is in
order to examine whether there are pre-existing differences in
biodiversity between the plots, and to provide a benchmark from
which to assess subsequent divergence.
This data will be used subsequently to:
- Assess the impacts upon biodiversity from a range of pastoral
regimes.
- Provide information which will contribute immediately to the
TS-CRC-supported PhD research project by Alex Kutt on conservation
values of the Desert Uplands bioregion.
- Provide baseline information on vertebrates and invertebrates
for all plots established for experiment assessing impacts of a
range of pastoral regimes.
- Provide biogeographic information on fauna for use in Desert
Uplands studies.
Baseline information was collected in 1998 and 1999 by Ben
Hoffman (invertebrates) and Alex Kutt (vertebrates). This data will
allow responses of biodiversity to the grazing regimes to be
determined, following a sufficient period of implementation of
those regimes.
The grazing trial site will be re-sampled in two to three years
to assess and document trends in biodiversity responses to the
different grazing regimes. Such biodiversity responses will be
included in the range of other responses (vegetation, soils,
production, etc.) already being monitored by Queensland Department
of Primary Industries, in order to derive a holistic and integrated
overview of the costs and benefits of different grazing
practices.
Dr Alan Anderson, CSIRO WE
Dr John Woinarski, PWCNT
Mr Peter O'Reagan, QDPI
Mr Alexander Kutt, JCU
TS-CRC Student Projects
Ben Hoffmann, CSIRO TERC/NTU
Responses of ant communities to land-use impacts in northern
semi-arid Australia
