Large, extensively grazed paddocks in Australian rangelands are often poorly watered, which causes
overgrazing close to water and relatively ungrazed areas further from water. To adjust for watered
area when estimating carrying capacity, estimates within 0 to 3 km and 0 to 5 km from water are
typically used. We calculated the proportion of total forage consumed with distance from water in
grazing trials in the Victoria River District and Barkly regions of the Northern Territory, by multiplying
average defoliation estimates within 500m distance to water (DTW) bands by area of DTW bands.
Cattle grazed further from water in less well watered paddocks . . . . .
Bastin, G, Sparrow, A, Scarth, P., Gill, T. Barneston, J. and Staben G. (2015). Are we there yet? Tracking state and change in Australia's rangelands. In Proceedings of the 18th Biennial Conference of the Australian Rangeland Society, Alice Springs (Ed M.H. Friedel) [Australian Rangeland Society: Perth]
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.