Heavy grazing of buffel grass pasture in the Brigalow Belt bioregion of Queensland, Australia, more than tripled runoff and exports of total suspended solids compared to conservative grazing

Thornton, Craig; Elledge, Amanda E.

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112704

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…A fifth catchment, C5, was added to the study in 2014 (Thornton and Elledge 2021). Catchment 5 was also a grazed catchment with improved pasture of buffel grass and purple pigeon grass (Seteria incrassate); however, stocking rates in this catchment were as recommended for newly established buffel grass pasture, rather than stocking rates suitable for rundown buffel grass pasture.…”

Section: Site Detailsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The two catchments added to the long-term study during the adaptive land-management phase were characterised by soils, slope and native vegetation similar to the three original catchments. They also shared a common land-use history prior to their inclusion in this study (Thornton and Elledge 2021). A calibration period in an uncleared state before their inclusion in the study was impossible due to their prior history of agricultural land use.…”

Section: Site Detailsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, although the two new catchments have their own unique hydrological characteristics, their relationship to the original catchments in an uncleared state is unknown. Despite this lack of calibration, hydrological responses in these catchments have been clearly attributed to treatment effects rather than a legacy response to historical land use (Thornton and Elledge 2021).…”

Section: Site Detailsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ground cover was assessed quarterly using VegMachine ® (Fitzroy Basin Association 2018) and compared to similar land types throughout the Fitzroy basin by using the method of Thornton and Elledge (2021). The BOTANAL method of Tothill et al (1978) was used to estimate pasture biomass one to two times per year over the total grazed area of the pasture catchments, excluding the shade lines.…”

Section: Ground Cover and Pasture Biomass Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The well managed (unfertilised) pasture system had less nitrogen in runoff than in runoff from virgin brigalow scrub (Elledge and Thornton 2017). In years when runoff occurred from the agricultural catchments, but no runoff occurred from the virgin brigalow scrub, water quality loads were entirely anthropogenic and totally attributable to land-use change (Thornton and Elledge 2021). Certain agricultural management activities also increase risk to water quality.…”

Section: What Are the Impacts Of Land-use Change On Water Quality?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Leichhardt, land clearing and livestock: the legacy of European agriculture in the Brigalow Belt bioregion of central Queensland, Australia

Thornton¹,

Elledge²

2022

Anim. Prod. Sci.

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Context The Brigalow Belt bioregion of central Queensland has been extensively developed for agriculture since exploration by Leichhardt in 1844. About 4.5 million hectares of vegetation dominated by brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) was cleared as part of the Land Development Fitzroy Basin Scheme, which commenced in 1962. When the Vegetation Management Act 1999 commenced, 93% of brigalow woodland had been cleared. Grazing is the dominant land use in the Fitzroy Basin, with 2.6 million cattle over 11.1 million hectares (72% of the catchment area). This is the largest cattle herd in any natural resource management region in Australia, accounting for 25% of the state herd and 11% of the national herd. Aims The Fitzroy Basin, Queensland’s largest coastal catchment, drains directly to the Great Barrier Reef, and as reef health continues to decline, there has been increased focus on the impacts of land-use change and grazing management on hydrology and runoff water quality. The Brigalow Catchment Study sought to determine the impact of land clearing, land-use change and land management on hydrology, soil fertility, water quality and animal production in the Fitzroy Basin. Methods The study is a paired, calibrated catchment study. Catchment hydrology, soil fertility, water quality and agricultural productivity were monitored before and after land clearing and land-use change. Key results The Brigalow Catchment Study has shown that clearing brigalow for grazing in the Fitzroy Basin doubled runoff, increased peak runoff rate by 50% and increased total suspended solid loads by 80%. Soil fertility and pasture productivity also declined under grazing compared with brigalow. Overgrazing exacerbated these results, as failure to reduce stocking rate with reduced pasture productivity more than tripled runoff, peak runoff rate and total suspended solid load compared with conservatively grazed pasture. Conclusions This study demonstrates the impacts of land-use change and land management on hydrology, soil fertility and water quality. The long-term data records are a model in their own right, capable of answering land-use and land-management questions beyond the initial study scope. Implications Sustainable grazing management should consider the production limitations of depleted soil and pasture resources to minimise land degradation.

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Section: Site Detailsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Site Detailsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Site Detailsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Ground Cover and Pasture Biomass Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: What Are the Impacts Of Land-use Change On Water Quality?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Leichhardt, land clearing and livestock: the legacy of European agriculture in the Brigalow Belt bioregion of central Queensland, Australia

Thornton¹,

Elledge²

2022

Anim. Prod. Sci.

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Soil seed bank can complement restoration efforts in a coastal freshwater creek

Ling,

Powell,

Wen

et al. 2023

Wetlands Ecol Manage

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Riparian vegetation is a keystone ecosystem element heavily impacted by livestock grazing. Historically, regeneration approaches of the riparian vegetation use either active (planting) and passive (natural regeneration) strategies. Objective frameworks based on an understanding of the soil seed bank are needed to help guide the approach adopted.This study compared the soil seed bank composition to the extant riparian vegetation to assess the potential for natural regeneration to supplement active plantings, following livestock exclusion. Our results show that the proportions of species nativeness, growth forms, and life cycle was similar for both communities, but there was an inverse relationship between wetland specialist species in both communities.While invasive species in the soil seed bank are considered a challenge, there is potential that restoration efforts may not be overwhelmed when there is a persistent native seed bank combined with other basic management strategies. The high abundance of native grass-types (Cyperaceae, Juncaceae, Juncaginaceae, Asparagaceae, Poaceae, Typhaceae), can be relied upon to regenerate the understorey to complement the planting of the upper tree layer and accelerate the successional trajectories of recovery. However, in areas that are species-rich of all native plant growth forms, redirecting resources to sites that are species-poor (especially of native trees and shrubs) could be an e ciency option. Our ndings have important implications for land managers in not only selecting appropriate growth forms for restoration, but also extending their funding resources further to additional sites across the landscape.

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Wetland water quality patterns and anthropogenic pressure associations across the continental USA

Trebitz,

Herlihy

2023

Wetlands

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Heavy grazing of buffel grass pasture in the Brigalow Belt bioregion of Queensland, Australia, more than tripled runoff and exports of total suspended solids compared to conservative grazing

Cited by 12 publications

References 56 publications

Leichhardt, land clearing and livestock: the legacy of European agriculture in the Brigalow Belt bioregion of central Queensland, Australia

Leichhardt, land clearing and livestock: the legacy of European agriculture in the Brigalow Belt bioregion of central Queensland, Australia

Soil seed bank can complement restoration efforts in a coastal freshwater creek

Wetland water quality patterns and anthropogenic pressure associations across the continental USA

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