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.
August 21-24, 2000
Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia
ISSN 1323-6660
Full-text publications from the Australian Rangelands Society (ARS) Biennial Conference Proceedings (1997-), Rangeland Journal (ARS/CSIRO; 1976-), plus videos and other resources about the rangelands of Australia.