This study compared habitat structure and species richness between grazed and ungrazed breakawayfootslope thickets in the arid shrublands of Western Australia.Mobile or more transient habitatvariables (ground cover, leaf litter cover and depth) were significantly less in the grazed area.Similarly, there were less frogs and lizards in the grazed sites. We interpret these results in the contextof the biology of the vertebrates and conclude that reduction of leaf litter may be responsible for thepatterns. Ongoing sampling within the broader study will be used to test this hypothesis.
Anderson, L., van Klinken, R. D., and Shepherd, D. (2008). Aerially surveying Mesquite (Prosopis spp.) in the Pilbara. In: 'A Climate of Change in the Rangelands. Proceedings of the 15th Australian Rangeland Society Biennial Conference'. (Ed. D. Orr) 4 pages. (Australian Rangeland Society: Australia).
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.