Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Herbivores Behaving Badly - Paddock Scale Spatial Patterns In Plant - Herbivore Interactions
Author
Cowley, Robyn
Rogers, Rod
Mott, John
Johnston, Peter
Publisher
The Australian Rangeland Society
Publication Year
2000
Body

While it is generally acknowledged that herbivores do not uniformly graze the range, little data is available on the spatial patterns of relative herbivore pressure at real paddock scales. Herbivore and plant patterns were examined as part of a larger study which assessed the impacts of changing the form of water distribution within a paddock, from a boredrain system to point waters (troughs). Spatial patterns in herbivore activity, biomass, defoliation and a herbivore pressure index (calculated as the ratio of herbivore dung:standing biomass) were analysed to examine the effect of changing the form of water distribution. This paper reports that herbivore activity was not spatially uniform and that the relative pressure exerted by herbivores was more heterogeneous than herbivore activity or biomass patterns alone would indicate.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Paper
Additional Information

August 21-24, 2000

Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia

ISSN 1323-6660
Conference Name
Australian Rangeland Society Centenary Symposium
Keywords
herbivores
water distribution systems
biomass
Paddock grazing
Queensland