Soil and landscape processes in the restoration of rangelands.

Tongway, DJ

doi:10.1071/rj9900054

Cited by 33 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, recent work on semi-arid rangelands (Schlesinger et al, 1990;Tongway, 1990;Friedel et al, 1993) has shown that land degradation may result in increased runoff, and increased soil and water redistribution within an area. This leads to changes in the distribution pattern of different types of vegetation cover, and not necessarily a reduction in biomass.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The application of a remotely-sensed diversity index to monitor degradation patterns in a semi-arid, heterogeneous, South African landscape

Tanser

Palmer²

1999

Journal of Arid Environments

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The application of a remotely-sensed diversity index to monitor degradation patterns in a semi-arid, heterogeneous, South African landscape

Tanser

Palmer²

1999

Journal of Arid Environments

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…The combination of a greater amount of pit-trapped seed and capture of eroded soil helps to trap litter in the pits (James and Eldridge, 2007), enhancing the breakdown process by bringing microbes into contact with organic matter. Because pits act as filters and retain resources in situ at fine spatial scales within runoff zones, their effect may be to uncouple runoff slopes from drainage lines, analogous to the trapping of water and sediment by arid zone vegetation (Tongway, 1990).…”

Section: Echidna Pits and The Maintenance Of Functional Woodlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The resource coupling role of animal foraging pits in semi‐arid woodlands

Eldridge¹

2010

Ecohydrology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Water is a strong driver of ecosystem function and diversity in resource-limited drylands. Structures that alter the redistribution of water have the potential to affect vegetation pattern and productivity and the maintenance of spatial heterogeneity. We examined the role of surface foraging pits and mounds constructed by the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) on runoff generation, sediment detention and seed capture. We speculated that pits dug into biologically crusted interspace soils would reduce overland flow and act as sinks for seed, while mounds of ejected soil would increase sediment availability. Runoff and sediment yield were examined under simulated rainfall with five levels of disturbance representing the pits and mounds of echidnas. Increasing the level of disturbance up to 47% cover of mounds and pits had no effect on time to ponding, steady-state runoff or the coefficient of runoff. However, time to initiation of runoff, sediment removal rates and sediment concentration in runoff water increased with increasing disturbance. Pit-to-pit and surface-to-pit movements of Dodonaea viscosa seed tended to increase, while pit-to-surface movements tended to remain unchanged with increasing disturbance. Surface-resident seed generally moved shorter distances with increasing disturbance. The results highlight the importance of mounds and pits of soil foraging animals for generating and trapping eroded sediment. Runoff and erosion processes may therefore provide a mechanism for coupling critical resources such as seed, water and sediment in resource-rich patches that will contribute to the development of small-scale heterogeneity in woodlands.

show abstract

“…This patchy distribution leads to the development of nutrient-rich 'resource islands' (Garner and Steinberger 1989) or 'fertile patches' (Tongway 1990) within which plants and animals are concentrated. Essential nutrients arrive in pulses, such as after high-intensity rainfall or massive erosion events.…”

Section: Microbiotic Crusts and The Development Of Landscape Heterogementioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiotic soil crusts - a review of their roles in soil and ecological processes in the rangelands of Australia

Eldridge¹,

Greene²

1994

Soil Res.

498

307

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Microbiotic crusts are assemblages of non-vascular plants (mosses, liverworts, algae, lichens, fungi, bacteria and cyanobacteria) which form intimate associations with surface soils. They play a major role in infiltration processes through changes to soil physico-chemical properties, and through their influence on soil surface roughness. Whilst some research suggests that they may restrict infiltration, Australian experience is that they are generally associated with enhanced infiltration. Unlike physical soil crusts, microbiotic crusts stabilize the soil against water and wind erosion, increasing landscape stability, particularly in areas of low vascular plant cover. Microbiotic crusts are thus useful indicators of soil surface condition, and cyanobacteria in the crusts fix nitrogen which may be utilized by developing vascular plant seedlings. Little is known, however, about how they interact with vascular plants and soil invertebrates. Their role in rangeland ecosystems has received renewed attention over the past few years with an increasing interest in ecologically sustainable development of arid and semi-arid grazing systems.In this review we discuss the characteristics and distribution of microbiotic crusts in the rangelands of Australia, their roles in soil and eco!ogical processes and the impacts of fire and grazing. Finally we propose a new system for classifying crusts into functional groups and identify areas requiring further investigation.

show abstract

Soil and landscape processes in the restoration of rangelands.

Cited by 33 publications

References 6 publications

The application of a remotely-sensed diversity index to monitor degradation patterns in a semi-arid, heterogeneous, South African landscape

The application of a remotely-sensed diversity index to monitor degradation patterns in a semi-arid, heterogeneous, South African landscape

The resource coupling role of animal foraging pits in semi‐arid woodlands

Microbiotic soil crusts - a review of their roles in soil and ecological processes in the rangelands of Australia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About