Landscape Function Analysis monitoring compared two adjacent sites in the Southern Black Speargrass rangelands of the South Burnett region in Queensland. Both sites carried black speargrass (Heteropogon contortus), forest blue grass (Bothriochloa bladhii) and wire grass (Aristida spp.) in an open woodland dominated by silver-leaf ironbark (Eucalyptus melanophloia) trees. Site 1 carried a dense stand of E. melanophloia saplings on an ungrazed road reserve. Site 2 carried sparser, mature E. melanophloia and was managed with light to moderate grazing pressure. Site 1 exhibited a greater capacity for retaining and capturing resources than site 2, but only in terms of a soil surface assessment. When assessing andscape organisation, Site 2's functional capacity was higher. Because of this paradox, further interpretation of the implications of Landscape Function Analysis is required to effectively assess and compare the impacts of grazing and tree demographics in this rangeland type.
Renmark, South Australia
ISSN 1323 660
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.