Vegetation change,erosion risk and land management on the Nullarbor Plain,Australia |
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Authors: | D Gillieson P Wallbrink A Cochrane |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Geography and Oceanography, University College, University of New South Wales and CSIRO Division of Water Resources, Canberra, Australia, AU |
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Abstract: | Arid karst landscapes that have been degraded by human activities provide a challenge for rehabilitation and an opportunity
to test ideas about the stability and resilience of limestone ecosystems. The Nullarbor Plain is the largest arid karst area
in Australia (220 000 km2) and is divided into extensive closed karstic depressions separated by low rocky ridges, while the dominant vegetation is
chenopod shrubland. Since European settlement there has been considerable change in the vegetation, with significant reduction
in shrub and grass cover over large areas of the plain. These changes are related to a state and transition model of vegetation
dynamics which incorporates climatic variability, fire history and grazing pressure from sheep, kangaroos and rabbits. A partial
sediment budget using 137Cs inventories reveals local and regional patterns of soil redistribution within this arid karst landscape. Rehabilitation
of eroded soil in pastoral lands has been accomplished at several sites but is labour intensive and vulnerable to climatic
fluctuations. Given the low stock numbers, limited number of people involved, and poor economic returns, it would be sensible
to make pastoral activities on the Nullarbor secondary to conservation priorities. This would necessitate a change in land
ethic to stewardship, with emphasis on rehabilitation and control of feral animals. Management of increased numbers of visitors
to the caves and karst also requires that resource inventories and management plans for each area be drawn up and used.
Received: 1 June 1995 · Accepted: 4 December 1995 |
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Keywords: | Karst Desert Vegetation Erosion Radionuclides |
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