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Summary: Wildlife management on a landscape scale is often complex, particularly where different land use practices occur in the same region. This is particularly so for the management of overabundant grazing species (both domestic and native) in a modified landscape, where anthropogenic activities and climatic drivers can influence their distribution and abundance beyond sustainable levels. In Australia's arid rangelands, macropods benefit from pastoral activities including improved pastures, artificial watering points and the removal of apex predators. This paper addresses some of the challenges associated with managing Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) in a conservation context on the privately managed Boolcoomatta Station conservation reserve in the South Australian arid rangelands. We reflect on the history of the region and how anthropogenic activities, associated with an unpredictable climate, have made macropod management so complex. Ecological monitoring at Boolcoomatta Station suggests that, along with the influence of rainfall, grazing by overabundant Red Kangaroo had a negative impact on vegetation and resident avifauna of chenopod plains. Fenced exclosures further demonstrate the grazing impact of Red Kangaroo, with perennial grasses found only where grazing was excluded. The closure of waterpoints (dams) failed to reduce Red Kangaroo impacts on the reserve, despite some evidence that persistence of Red Kangaroo near fenced dams may be reduced in the long term. Results of monitoring and management outcomes at Boolcoomatta highlight the need for an improved framework to manage Red Kangaroo. This should include consideration of improved regional stock management practices in the face of climate change; improving our understanding of the role of apex predators in agricultural landscapes; developing and setting grazing impact thresholds to instigate macropod management; improving and standardizing monitoring methods for assessing impacts; and lastly, consideration of the mental health and social well‐being of land managers in these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Protecting native biodiversity is a difficult prospect in extremely modified landscapes, especially where high‐impact exotic species are widespread. Using new data and a review of the literature, this paper comments on the use of livestock grazing to manage the invasive and highly combustible pasture grass species, Buffel Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) and thereby help conserve fire‐sensitive Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) vegetation in reserves in Queensland, Australia. We cite evidence that shows that grazing is a potentially useful management tool in such cases and its use can be compatible with the protection of both fire‐sensitive vegetation and other native plant species within the understorey. However, there are limitations in implementing grazing within conservation reserves including the lack of a clear understanding of the influence of grazing on biodiversity and resource condition. Importantly, we highlight secondary invasion by the exotic grass Indian Couch (Bothriochloa pertusa) as a key emerging threat that may undermine the biodiversity benefits gained by grazing in reserves. Grazing can be a useful tool for conservation management in particular scenarios, but the associated risks demand accompanying monitoring and reporting of positive and negative impacts to ensure the fundamental aim of biodiversity protection is being achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural ecology is the study of agricultural systems, their component parts (particularly the ecological components) and their internal and external interactions. This paper explores how we, as a family of graziers, employ ecological principles in agricultural land management, specifically livestock grazing, and illustrates this with some specific farm management practices. Implications are explored for natural resource management policy and practice that endeavours to engage land mangers adept at the practical application of ecological principles in managing their grazing businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this comment paper is to highlight the need for more research that aims to develop strategies and methods for establishing and maintaining native grasses in degraded pastures. Clues to finding the best strategies are linked to the vigorous debate concerning the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function, which has resonated in ecological research for more than 20 years. Studies aimed at investigating the operational validity of the ‘sampling effect’ hypothesis vs. the ‘niche complementarity’ hypothesis could provide valuable direction on how to successfully re-establish healthy and stable native pasture communities, including the number of species and functional groups needed. Once strategies have been developed, then practical methods on grazing management and sowing are also needed. In the long run, research initiatives in this direction could act to benefit the conservation of native grass diversity, while at the same time, sustain important ecological (and economic) functions such as production, nutrient cycling and resistance to invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperate grassy ecosystems are amongst Australia's most endangered ecosystems. Most remnants are small, fragmented and highly degraded. Practical methods for restoring native understorey species are urgently required. Dominant native grasses such as Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandraForssk.) and Tussock-grasses (Poaspecies) have been eliminated from many remnants by heavy grazing in the past. The reintroduction of these grasses is a critical step for understorey restoration. This paper (i) reviews the literature onThemedaseed biology and seedling establishment; (ii) summarizes the lessons learnt from three major attempts to establishThemedastands in south-east Australia; and (iii) identifies the research needed to enhanceThemedarestoration. Considerable information is available onThemedaseed and establishment biology, and restoration exercises have shown thatThemedastands can be readily established by surface-spreading awned seeds in seed-bearing hay. However, many practical challenges remain, including the need to identify optimal sowing periods, create better seedbed conditions, develop practical mulching techniques, and improve weed control. The use of seed-bearing hay has constrained restoration to relatively small areas in the past. Future trials may benefit by using more concentrated seed products such as seed-bearing florets and pure seeds which permit larger areas to be restored at one time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary In this paper we discuss the findings of research exploring landholder adoption of practices expected to improve the management of river frontages. This research was part of a larger project undertaken by the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (GBCMA) to assess the impacts of grazing on the condition of riparian zones in the GBCMA region. Our research employed a postal survey to a random selection of all river frontage owners in the GBCMA. Research findings highlighted the limited adoption of most current recommended practices (CRP) such as watering stock off-stream and fencing to manage stock access to river frontages. Higher adoption of CRP (in particular fencing) was correlated with greater knowledge of river frontage function and factors affecting river frontage condition; higher importance attached to the environmental, social and economic values of frontages; non-farming occupations; and higher confidence in the efficacy of CRP. These findings have important implications for managers and scientists. There has been a large investment in community education in the GBCMA and survey findings suggest this has been an effective strategy. At the same time, there should be changes in the approach to community education. It seems there is much to be done to improve the acceptability of fencing frontages along large rivers. Appeals to adopt CRP also need to move beyond a narrow focus on farmers and the benefits of increased agricultural production and embrace the range of landholders and the different values they attach to their frontages. Most respondents had no on-property profit and survey data indicated that financial constraints were an important factor limiting the adoption of CRP, particularly among farmers. There was considerable interest in taking up a grant scheme that would provide a higher level of support than is usually offered by government. These findings highlight the important role of economic incentives in assisting private... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Populations of macropods are higher than estimated pre‐European densities in many parts of Australia. To achieve appropriate densities of macropods in the Australian Capital Territory's nature reserves, multi‐tenure kangaroo management units are used to tailor management of kangaroos and total grazing pressure to achieve conservation objectives. An adaptive management framework is recommended that monitors the state of the ground‐layer vegetation and alters the cull accordingly. This case study may provide insights for kangaroo management in other temperate areas of Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Kangaroos (Macropus spp., Osphranter spp.) are the most ubiquitous free‐ranging herbivores in Australia. Much has been written on their impacts on plant community composition and how they interact with livestock, particularly in extensive rangelands. Little is known, however, about how kangaroos affect soil function and their relationship with healthy soils, nor the impact of peri‐urban populations of kangaroos where they might come into conflict with humans. To address this, we used exclosures to examine the impacts of low densities of kangaroos on the morphology of the soil surface in a peri‐urban environment on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia. We found that kangaroo grazing was associated with reduced herbaceous biomass and cover, and biocrust cover, and surfaces were generally more stable, had a greater cover and incorporation of litter and had greater plant species richness compared to inside the exclosures. There were no differences in indices of nutrient cycling nor stability. Overall, our study supports the notion that kangaroo grazing, at the current low densities experienced in this peri‐urban reserve, has had no significant deleterious effect on soil surface health, as measured by the morphology of the surface. We conclude that grazing at the current low levels (˜70 kangaroos km−2) is unlikely to have major long‐term negative effects on soil surface condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents abstracts of several articles about the policy and legislation that govern environmental management. "Water Quality Guidelines to Protect Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems," by Grant C. Hose, Brad R. Murray and Derek Eamus; "Protecting Biodiversity: Property Rights and the Duty of Care," by Gerry Bates; "Accelerating Landscape Change on the Slopes and Grazing Country," by Jason Alexandra

Summary: Where data and information are lacking, structured expert risk assessments can provide a powerful tool to progress natural resource planning. In many situations, practitioners make informal assessments of risk within small groups that typically constitute employees. In this study, we report on three small (in terms of experts) structured expert‐based risk assessment case studies conducted by expert employees of a not‐for‐profit organisation (Australian Wildlife Conservancy) to demonstrate the utility of the approach. The case studies were carried out for three wildlife sanctuaries managed by AWC: Faure Island, Karakamia and Paruna. The likelihood that a set of direct risk factors would cause management failure for sets of important wildlife elements in the three sanctuaries was elicited from the small group of ecological experts. The analysis was couched in terms of a management aim to not lose species from each wildlife element over the management period of 25 years with current management. The experts believed, in particular, that increasing temperature and decreasing water availability associated with climate change were likely to impact significantly upon the vegetation elements and water‐reliant fauna associated with the sanctuaries. Some vegetation elements were also thought likely to be at risk of over‐grazing, unsuitable fire regimes and, in some cases, disease. In addition to predation by exotic predators at one sanctuary, the experts identified additional direct risk factors for various fauna elements associated with expected changes to the vegetation elements, including reduction in food availability, nesting habitat, and generally important life media. From the risk analyses, a preliminary conceptual model was developed to underpin monitoring and to indicate areas for possible management intervention and research. The case studies demonstrate that even in a small workplace team, structured risk assessments can be efficiently accomplished and can provide expedient and transparent information that effectively captures and aggregates the views of the experts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The removal of grazing from the high country in NSW and almost 20 years of rehabilitation and revegetation works at a cost of almost $10 million has restored the alpine zone in Kosciuszko National Park to a near natural landscape. Few visitors today would realise that the summer alpine floral display which they now enjoy each summer, hides a once degraded and severely eroded landscape, devoid of many of the natural catchment values so important to the discharge of water to the rivers and to the Snowy Mountains Hydro‐electric Scheme. The rehabilitation of the alpine zone has contributed to and seen the recovery of many native species and communities, some nearing extinction during the grazing years, such that their conservation will be forever ensured. The rehabilitation and revegetation programme is one that the Soil Conservation Service officers and more recently National Parks staff can be justly proud. It was arguably the first and certainly at the time, the largest landscape restoration programme undertaken in NSW. Much was learnt from the programme through observation of long‐term natural processes, providing for recognition of the limitations within which the work had to be carried out. Working with nature and utilising sound ecological principles was essential to the success of this landscape restoration programme and to the long‐term conservation of the alpine zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Many ecosystems located within agricultural landscapes are in decline, particularly woodlands, grasslands and wetlands. Surviving remnants are generally fragmented and unrepresentative of pre‐disturbance states. Here, we investigate the potential for recovery of ecosystem function in a grassy woodland–wetland mosaic in south‐eastern Australia. We focus on the Plains Woodland/Herb‐rich Gilgai Wetland Mosaics which have declined in extent by 85%. The gilgai soils form a distinctive microrelief of mounds and depressions which become seasonally waterlogged, providing important habitat for a large range of aquatic and dryland species. We surveyed 10 remnants subject to agricultural intensification and seven remnants subject to passive restoration (four with cessation of cultivation and three with livestock removal). Gilgai microrelief was homogenized by cultivation, showed some recovery after release from cultivation, and was insensitive to grazing pressure. Floristic diversity, assessed through indicator species, was vulnerable to grazing. Indicator species were more prevalent in previously grazed sites, but further study is required to determine whether this reflects recovery or differing overall management history. We conclude that passive restoration is possible for recovery of wetland function and some biodiversity values. These conservation actions should be encouraged given the important role these microwetlands play in landscape connectivity and as drought refugia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural grasslands in southern Australia commonly exist in altered states. One widespread altered state is grassland pasture dominated by cool-season (C3) native grasses maintained by ongoing grazing. This study explores the consequences of removing grazing and introducing fire as a conservation management tool for such a site. We examined the abundance of two native and three exotic species, across a mosaic of fire regimes that occurred over a three-year period: unburnt, summer wild-fire (>2 years previous), autumn management fire (<1 year previously) and burnt in both fires. Given that one aim of conservation management is to increase native species at the expense of exotics, the impacts of the fires were largely positive. Native grasses were at higher cover levels in the fire-managed vegetation than in the unburnt vegetation. Of the three exotic species, one was consistently at lower density in the burnt plots compared to the unburnt plots, while the others were lower only in those plots burnt in summer. The results show that the response of a species varies significantly between different fire events, and that the effects of one fire can persist through subsequent fires. Importantly, some of the effects were large, with changes in the density of plants of over 100-fold. Fire is potentially a cost-effective tool to assist the ecological restoration of retired grassland pastures at large scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Travelling Stock Reserves provide the most significant networks of natural habitat in the New South Wales Riverina. Substantial biodiversity gains at two sites over 10 years inspired similar works on more than 200 reserves with high levels of demonstrable change occurring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduced deer occur in many forests and woodlands in Australia and potentially play an important role in influencing the floristics and structure of these landscapes through eating plants and disseminating seeds. In a glasshouse trial, we tested whether field-collected scats of Fallow Deer ( Dama dama) contained viable plant seeds. Scats of deer obtained from a woodland study area in Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, produced seedlings from a range of native and introduced plant species. Forbs and herbs were dominant in these samples, confirming the grazing behaviour of deer at the time scats were collected. Samples of scats from Eastern Grey Kangaroos ( Macropus giganteus), collected contemporaneously from the same sites as deer scats, also produced plant germinants. By volume, deer scats produced a greater diversity of plant germinants, including native and weed species, than did kangaroo scats. Although no weed species emanating from deer or kangaroo scats were of national significance, several species were of regional environmental significance, including Common Mullein ( Verbascum thapsis), which was only found germinating out of deer scat, Stinkgrass ( Eragrostis cilianensis) and Purpletop ( Verbena bonariensis). In addition to dispersing viable seeds, Fallow Deer may also influence vegetation structure through their browsing. Further research is necessary to elucidate their respective role in dispersing native and introduced plants as well as any impacts that foraging behaviour might be having on woodland landscapes, to better inform management of the resident deer population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The Stock Route Network (SRN) is a vast system of public land, comprising vegetated strips and small reserves across the eastern length of the Australian continent. Now predominantly following the road system, this network was historically established to allow for the movement of livestock prior to truck and railway transport. Owing to declines in traditional uses, parts of the SRN may now be sold to private landholders, or put under long-term grazing leases, making them unavailable for other emerging uses. This is in spite of the fact that it is widely accepted by researchers, practitioners, graziers and agriculturalists that the SRN holds great natural and cultural value. We conducted a review of scientific and grey literature to determine the known values of the network for biodiversity conservation, cultural heritage, rural communities and Australian society as a whole. We found that the majority of existing literature on the network focuses on New South Wales (NSW) and is of a conservation-based nature. The Stock Route Network supports a wide range of threatened species and communities, with considerable potential for many more to be discovered. The network also holds heritage value for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The societal benefits from the SRN are numerous because it provides land for recreation and apiary sites, a source of seed for revegetation projects, a focus for rural tourism, as well as the traditional benefits for stock droving and emergency agistment. In the light of our review, we identified key knowledge gaps pertaining to the values of the SRN and propose a number of options for its future management. Appropriate governance and increased investment in SRN management is now urgently required to ensure that it continues to conserve its many environmental and social values in perpetuity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the causes of faunal declines is important for preserving Australia's threatened fauna. Both predation and livestock grazing have been investigated as potential causes of declines, but some studies struggle to account for historical grazing impacts due to the lack of historical information on livestock distribution and grazing intensity. This article summarises some trends in the extent of historical and contemporary livestock grazing on mainland Australia. The cumulative effects of historical livestock grazing are discussed in the light of studies investigating the influences of predation and livestock grazing on faunal declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a discussion of the study concerning the insights into the status of ground-dwelling terrestrial arthropods at sites representing three riparian conditions, a preliminary result. It reports on the relative importance of habitat structure on invertebrate composition and abundance varies seasonally. In relation, it mentions that the domination of Phalaris excerts a strong effect on anthropods. Also, the data shows some invertebrate orders are favored by Phalaris, however, the implications of these differences required further study at a finer taxonomic resolution.

When grassland is grazed by livestock, the structure of the sward changes in a patchy manner. With continuous selective grazing there is a mosaic of short and tall patches but as grazing intensifies the area of short-grazed patch increases until the paddock has a lawn-like appearance. This mosaic of patch structures can be stable, as short patches tend to attract repeated grazing and tall patches tend to be avoided. Because heavy grazing can detrimentally affect soil and water functions in grassland (ultimately resulting in erosion), we aimed to assess how well the physical structure of the sward reflects soil surface condition. We described four grassland patch structures that were assumed to reflect different levels of present grazing, and to some extent, past grazing pressure. We assessed patch structure and two other grass-related variables (basal area of a‘large tussock’ functional group and basal area of all perennial grass) as possible indicators of soil surface condition. Three indices of condition were measured in the field. The infiltration and nutrient cycling index declined progressively across patch structures, consistent with increasing grazing pressure. The stability index was found to be reduced only for the most heavily grazed grass structure (short patches). We found the‘large tussock’ grass functional group to be a more sensitive indicator of soil surface condition than the group consisting of all perennial grasses. We found no evidence of sudden soil surface condition decline beyond a certain level of grass basal area, that is, there was no evidence of thresholds, rather, incremental loss of condition accompanied grass decline. We are thus not able to further refine an earlier proposed management recommendation‘Graze conservatively to maintain dominance of large and medium tussock grasses over 60–70% of the native pastures’, except to suggest the use of short patches as a more practical indicator, rephrasing the recommendation as‘Graze conservatively to allow a maximum of 30% short-grazed patches in native pastures’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important conservation question for grazed areas of lowland subhumid Tasmania is‘what effects do different, practical disturbance regimes have on native vegetation?’ An experiment designed to determine the single and interactive effects of fire and sheep grazing was established at four sites with distinct vegetation types. There were significant interactive effects of fire and sheep grazing on vegetation attributes at all sites. An analysis of published and new data indicated that there were several vascular plant species that appeared dependent on sheep grazing for their persistence in the present landscape, while there were others that were intolerant of this disturbance but required other types of disturbance, such as mowing. However, most native species appeared to survive in a wide variety of disturbance regimes short of ploughing and fertilization. The implications of these results are that a variety of disturbance regimes is necessary to maintain biological diversity in this environment, and that the naturalness of the regime is not necessarily relevant to its use for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental translocations of three endangered plants undertaken in South Australia confirmed the impact of specific factors thought to affect the survival and establishment of seedlings of each species. A trial involvingProstanthera eurybioidesplanted into several different microsites, found microsite to be a critical determinant of survival and growth. Herbivore grazing and weed competition adversely affected survival and growth ofAcacia cretaceaandAcacia whibleyanatranslocants, respectively. While these findings may not necessarily extrapolate to all species, common sense suggests that these three factors should be important considerations when planning other plant translocations. For example, attention needs to be given to the exact placement of individuals in relation to suitable edaphic, biotic and climatic factors around the receptor site. Where weeds threaten the population, they need to be controlled either before or at the time of planting. Furthermore, protection of new plantings from herbivores is likely to be crucial, particularly during the first few months after planting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the Dorrobbee Grass patch located in Lismore, New South Wales. Description of the natural grassland patch; Significance of the patch during the cedar-getting period in mid to late nineteenth century; Efforts to conserve and restore the grassland; Regeneration treatments used to optimize natural consolidation of existing native grass species in the patch.

Discusses the effect of introduced grasses on the conservation of native habitats. Introduction of Para Grass in Australia as a pasture grass suited to seasonal wetlands; Impact of the introduction of the grass on biodiversity within the area; Effect of cattle grazing on the composition and percentage cover of species within a wetland containing Para Grass and native grasses.

Presents abstracts of several articles about environmental planning, monitoring and assessment. "Implementing Ecological Restoration in National Parks," by Jason Cummings and Nick Reid; "Triage: Appropriate for Prioritizing Community Funded River Restoration Projects, But Not for Advancing the Science of River Restoration," by Robyn J. Watts and Andrea L. Wilson; "A Framework and Toolkit for Scoring the Biodiversity Value of Habitat, and the Biodiversity Benefits of Land Use Change," by Ian Oliver.

Summary In southeastern Australia ecological burning is frequently used to maintain a number of plant and animal populations. However, many of these prescribed fires are small, and may focus intense grazing activity on new regrowth. At Reef Hills Regional Park, Victoria shrub species have senesced, presumably due to the absence of fire. Ecological burning may be necessary to promote regeneration, however, the population density of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus ) is high (approx 38 per km2), and grazing pressure presents a significant risk to postfire vegetation recovery. An assessment of grazing patterns and their effects on postfire recovery was carried out at Reef Hills Regional Park through grazing exclusion plots. Preferential grazing by Eastern Grey Kangaroos occurred on small burnt plots compared to adjacent unburnt areas as determined by faecal pellet counts. On burnt areas, there was a significant reduction in shrub diversity on grazed plots compared to ungrazed plots. Most observations of kangaroos were of animals grazing on farmland surrounding the Park, and it is likely that any burning might shift grazing from farmland to burnt areas when new growth occurs. This needs to be considered before any ecological burn plan is applied to manage vegetation communities, particularly if the plan requires small areas to be burnt. We recommended that a large area up to 200 ha area be burnt and monitored to determine whether burning larger areas disperses grazing pressure from macropods to a level where impacts on vegetation are reduced and localized plant extinctions do not occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Fencing remnant native vegetation has become a widespread activity for arresting declines in biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. However, few data are available on the effectiveness of this approach. The present study investigated the short-term effects of fencing to exclude livestock on dominant tree and shrub recruitment, plant species cover, litter and soil characteristics in remnant grassy woodlands in southern NSW. Vegetation and soil surveys were undertaken at 47 sites fenced by Greening Australia (NSW) for 2–4 years. Fenced and unfenced areas at each site were compared using split-plot sampling. Woodlands sampled were dominated by Yellow Box/Blakely’s Red Gum (Eucalyptus melliodora/Eucalyptus blakelyi ), Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa ) or White Cypress-pine (Callitris glaucophylla ). Significantly higher numbers of tree recruits were found in the fenced sites, with tree recruitment found in 59% of fenced sites compared with 13% of unfenced sites. Fenced sites also had significantly greater cover of native perennial grasses, less cover of exotic annual species and less soil surface compaction. However, outcomes varied among woodland ecosystems and individual sites. Where tree recruitment occurred, there was significantly more tree recruitment where there was greater perennial grass cover and less regeneration where exotic annual grass cover or overstorey crown cover was dense. Few shrubs recruited in fenced or unfenced areas, reflecting the lack of mature shrubs in most sites. Fencing is an important first step for conserving threatened grassy woodlands, but more active management may be needed to enhance woodland recovery, particularly in sites where few or no recruits were found. Key words bush regeneration, fencing, grazing exclusion, rehabilitation, woodland restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many native species are now used in the revegetation of soil disturbances in Australian alpine areas, exotic species were, until recently, the only components of seed mixes. The use of exotic species and fertilizer was justified by their availability and low cost, and the prediction that native species would replace the exotic sward, presumably once soil nutrient levels dropped to those found in native vegetation. There was no apparent regard for the invasive capacities of the exotic species used. An investigation of a road verge on the Bogong High Plains, revegetated with a mixture of exotic species in the late 1950s, has shown that colonization by native plants can be very slow. Although many native species had colonized by 1993, exotic species still provided 50percent of the cover. Agrostis capillarisaccounted for most of this. The major native colonizers were Carexspp., Colobanthus affinis, Euchiton spp., Leptinella filicula, Poa hiemata, Ranunculus victoriensis and Scleranthus biflorus. Poa hiemata provided by far the most cover of the native colonizers. There have been considerable increases in the cover and number of native species on the verge since 1989. Cattle grazing and trampling are likely to have limited colonization of native plants prior to the removal of livestock in 1991. Recommendations are made on approaches to future revegetation in the alpine area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the effects of fire and grazing on ants in tropical savanna woodland in north-central Queensland. A total of 39 species of ants from six sub-families and six functional groups were collected and observed during the study. It is found out that grazing influenced more the assemblage of ants compare to fire. A chart depicting the species and groups of ants is presented.

Presents abstracts of several studies about grassland management. "Management Implications of Increased Fuel Loads Following Exotic Grass Invasion," by John R. Stoner, Robyn Adams and Dianne Simmons; "Effects of Recent Changes in Grazing and Fertilizer Management on Species Richness of Native Ground-Layer Vegetation on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales," by Jodie Reseigh, Christopher Nadolny and Nick Reid: "Native Grassess: And Example of Using On-Farm Biodiversity," by Meredith Mitchell.