GRASSLANDS

Grasslands are areas with few natural trees or shrubs and are dominated be grasses as the name suggests.  These are some of the world’s most iconic landscapes – think of the plains of the Serengeti in Africa, the savannas of North America and the steppes of Europe and Asia. 

Here on the Plains grasslands are a vital part of our livestock business supporting significant cattle production.  An important part of our business management is matching the needs of our livestock with pasture availability.  This ensures that the land is not overgrazed and the welfare of the livestock is maintained. 

A particular issue we have with the grasslands on Anna Plains is the encroachment of Mealeuca (paperbark) species on the grasslands of Anna Plains.  Photo monitoring from station management together with aerial photos and satellite images shows the encroachment of paperbark. 

These trees obviously reduce pasture availability to livestock and they reduce the abundance of foraging ground for migratory shorebirds.  In addition they also provide refuge for predators such as birds of prey and feral cats. 

The encroachment of trees onto grasslands is not a situation unique to this part of the world.  Reports of trees encroaching onto grasslands have been made in Africa and North America. 

The reasons for the tree encroachment are on grasslands are not fully understood.  One reason could be increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which favour the growth of trees as opposed to grasses.

 

Most of the grasses in this part of the world use the C3 pathway for photosynthesis as opposed to the C4 pathway which many trees have evolved to use.  C4 plants are more efficient than C3 plants and are well adapted to high temperatures and moist environments, both features of our grasslands here on the Plains, particularly in the wet season.

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will continue to increase.  If the higher levels of carbon dioxide are a factor in the spread of trees on the grassland then we will have to learn to deal with it.  Potential management solutions include the use of fire to control tree growth and the use of grazing animals to knock back the trees.  The use of herbicides could also be considered in some areas although the scale of the rangelands means this solution would be impractical. 

FURTHER READING

Grasslands in a changing world.  Drovers Cattle Network.  http://www.cattlenetwork.com/expert-columns/?author=Joseph+Craine&aid=213203031

Positive Media for Livestock

It is easy to get downcast in the livestock industry.  Not only do you have to cope with low prices, high costs and increasing Government regulation, but there are also ridiculous claims from environmentalists that livestock production is bad for the environment. 

It is always good to see positive media about the sector when it comes along.  Once piece of media that has gained a lot of traction recently is the video by Allan Savory on the potential to reverse desertification in the world’s grasslands through the use of livestock.  Not only can there be food production from now degraded areas, economic and political stability can be improved in areas prone to violence. 

Allan Savory also mentions the role of regenerating grasslands and its positive effects on reversing the global warming.  The video challenges much of what is regarded as conventional thinking – that livestock production adversely affects the environment and that less is better.  To those of that produce livestock in the rangelands it confirms what we already know.  That is running livestock in the rangelands is one of the most environmentally benign forms of food production.  The rangelands are teeming with life and capable of producing large amounts of food. 

Further Reading

Allan Savory: Grassland ecosystem pioneer.  http://www.ted.com/speakers/allan_savory.html

The Amazing Dung Beetle

One of the great advantages of living in the middle of nowhere is that you can marvel at the wonders of nature.  There is nothing like seeing a big red kangaroo skip away against the backdrop of a Kimberley thunderstorm. 

It is not just majestic creatures like kangaroos that capture my attention, the humble dung beetle is also an incredible animal in its own way.  Consider how the dung beetle goes to work on the pile of dung shown in the photo below, in this case from a horse. 

In only a few short hours it is converted into basically a powder as shown in the photo below.  This makes life a lot more pleasant for everyone and every animal in their surroundings, importantly reducing the breeding ground for flies in addition to the aesthetic benefits. 

It seems there is a lot more to the dung beetle than meets the eye.  Dung beetles are one of the few animals that use the stars to navigate.  Included in this exclusive club with dung beetles are some birds, seals and humans.  As reported in a recent edition of The Economist, it seems that dung beetles navigate by being able to identify the cluster of stars that forms the Milk Way. 

Further Reading

Stars in their eyes.  How dung beetles navigate.  The Economist, January 26^th – February 1^st 2013, p67.