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Examination of data on dietary preferences of sheep, goats and cattle suggests that different grazing systems are desirable for each
of the three major woodland types (belah-rosewood, mulga, poplar box) examined. Competition for herbs, frequently palatable to all animal
species, indicates that goats and sheep are unsuitable for joint use either in heavily wooded country or where annual herbaceous production
is less than 200 kg-ha. Supplementary feeding, fire and judicious stocking are proposed as a strategy for inducing goats to eat a proportion
of unpalatable shrubs.
The literature provides little helpful information on how rangelands in the Western Division should be managed. No reports are given
on comparisons of grazing systems, such as rotational grazing, rotational resting, and continuous grazing. No guidance is given on grazing
after burning of the rangeland. Recommendations are generally against the use of goats for control of woody plants, whereas local observation
shows this to be an apparently effective practice. The recommendations are mostly based on experimental procedures which, although suitable
for detecting animal dietary preferences in the short term, are less appropriate for investigation of the effects of grazing on range condition
in the long term. Some suggestions are made towards a different approach for: investigating the effects of grazing by sheep and goats on
rangeland condition, and the economic implications of this in terms of animal production.