Tools and other decision support services
Guidelines, decision tools and education programs for sustainable grazing management of savanna woodlands in theBurdekin River c
1. To develop and test in the Burdekin catchment an integrated framework for planning and implementing grazing management systems at enterprise and paddock scales, based on sound ecological principles; 2. To provide management tools and training modules which can be applied across the tropical savannas in property management processes such as FutureProfit and BeefPlan; 3. To develop education and training programs in grazing land ecology and management for agency staff, training providers and land-managers
State and transition models for rangelands, 4. Application of state and transition models to rangelands in northern Australia;
Historically, there has been no widely used or accepted system for assessing the condition of rangelands in northern Australia. Consequently, there is a generally poor understanding of vegetation change and its consequences for long-term productivity and stability in the northern Australia pastoral industry. The state and transition approach to understanding vegetation dynamics has recently been put to use in the northern rangelands as a communication tool and for identifying gaps in knowledge in research. State and transition models are also being used in an integral computer-based system to assess the spatial variability in the condition of grazing lands and then to evaluate the implications (environmental and economic) of the outcomes of alternative management scenarios. If state and transition models are to used more effectively in the management of extensive grazing lands, the question of paddock heterogeneity and uneven grazing distribution needs to be addressed.
Testing, developing and promoting principles, guidelines and decision tools for sustainable grazing of tropical savannas
To quantify the long-term (over 10 years) effects of different strategies for managing utilisation on:; 1. resource condition, including cover and patchiness; 2. pasture production and species diversity; 3. soil and nutrient loss (link to Burdekin catchment study); 4. animal performance and production; 5. economic return
Characterisation and assessment of rangeland resources
A project to characterise and assess rangeland resources conducted a biophysical and socioeconomic inventory of the Ord River catchment in the East Kimberley WA. The tools and capacity developed during the project provide a basis for implementing monitoring programs to assess future trends in rangeland resources. The socioeconomic profile can be used to assist in regional land use planning and management. An assessment of current biodiversity data serves as a precursor to a regional conservation plan and enables the identification of gaps to target future resource allocation. The project also developed a methodology for mapping land units that produces maps of high quality and resolution more cost effectively than traditional field-based methods. Interactive computer-based software, Vegmachine, was also developed to monitor rangeland condition using remote sensing. The results of the project provide a sound basis for an improved understanding of the East Kimberley?s rangeland resources, and the impact of intensified production (A).
Stocking rate decision tools for rangeland pastoralists
1. To evaluate the suitability and practicality of alternative approaches to stocking rate assessment.; 2. To collate graziers evaluations of the effectiveness of alternative approaches.