Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Sheep Faeces Under Shearing Sheds: a Documentary of Vegetation Change Using Stable Carbon Isotope Analysis.
Author
Witt, GB
Moll, EJ
Beeton, RJS
Publisher
CSIRO Publishing
Publication Year
1997
Body

In this study we report on a new technique for reconstructing long-tgrm vegetation changes in the Australian rangelands. Sheep faeces, which accumulate annually beneath shearing sheds, provide an untapped and potentially continuous record of vegetation change at a property scale. From stable carbon isotope analysis, inferences about the available vegetation can be made. Our analysis revealed vegetation changes slnce the construction of two sheds, a period of approximately 40 years. Results indicated a significant reduction in the availability of C, grasses on Currawinya (south-west Queensland). However, for the same period there was no significant change in proportion of C, and C, species contributing to the diet of sheep on Talyealye (north-west New South Wales). Given the abundance, age and distribution of shearing sheds in the Australian rangelands, the potential exists to reconstruct a detailed picture of vegetation change at a national scale.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Journal Volume
19
Journal Number
1
Journal Name
The Rangeland Journal