Long-Term Vegetation Change in Relation to Cattle Grazing in Sub-Alpine Grassland and Heathland on the Bogong High-Plains: an Analysis of Vegetation Records From 1945 to 1994

1994 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 607 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHA Wahren ◽  
WA Papst ◽  
RJ Williams
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cattle Grazing ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Shrub Cover ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Australian Alps ◽  
Grazed Grassland ◽  
Ungrazed Plot

Changes in vegetation composition and structure are described for grassland and heathland communities on the Bogong High Plains, in the Victorian Alpine National Park. The data are based on long-term records collected from permanent reference plots over the period 1945 to 1994 from plots established in 1945, 1946 and 1979. In the Pretty Valley grassland plots, established in 1946, cattle grazing has prevented the large-scale regeneration of a number of tall, palatable forbs and short, palatable shrubs, while in the absence of grazing, the cover of these Life forms increased substantially. The amount of bare ground and loose litter was significantly greater on the grazed compared with the ungrazed plot. Between 1979 and 1994, there was little or no identifiable trend in the cover of Vegetation or bare ground at either the Pretty Valley grazed site, or two additional grazed grassland sites established nearby in 1979. The current condition of grazed grassland on the Bogong High Plains is interpreted as stable, yet degraded. Improvement in condition will occur in the absence of grazing. In the Rocky Valley open heathland plots, established in 1945, increases in shrub cover over the study period were due to growth of shrubs following the 1939 bushfires that burnt much of the Bogong High Plains. From 1945-1979 shorter-lived shrubs increased in cover; since 1979, these shrubs have senesced, and are being replaced mainly by grasses. On the grazed plot longer lived, taller shrubs have continued to increase in cover and are not senescing. Between 1979 and 1989, total shrub cover declined on the ungrazed plot, but increased on the grazed plot. There was no evidence that grazing has reduced shrub cover, and therefore potential fire risk, in open heathland. These findings have significant management implications for the Alpine National Park and are consistent with those from other regions in the Australian alps.

Effects of Disturbance and Grazing by Cattle on the Dynamics of Heathland and Grassland Communities on the Bogong High Plains, Victoria

1987 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 413 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ Williams ◽  
DH Ashton
Keyword(s):  
Field Trial ◽  
Gradual Increase ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
The Past ◽  
Grassland Communities ◽  
Heath Communities ◽  
Shrub Establishment ◽  
Grazed Grassland

Within the high subalpine tract of the Bogong High Plains there has been a gradual increase in the cover of shrubs over the past 40 years, especially within open heathland and grassland communities. A field trial, using permanent 1 m2 plots, has confirmed that the establishment of shrub seedlings such as Asterolasia trymalioides, Grevillea australis, Phebalium squamulosum and Prostanthera cuneata occurs primarily upon bare ground, and is absent where the cover of vegetation or fixed Poa hiemata litter remains intact. The survival of Poa hiemata seedlings on bare ground is low, except where local shelter is afforded. Disturbances which cause bare ground, including domestic cattle activity, can create microsites suitable for the establishment of shrub seedlings. Shrub establishment and development may be inhibited by cattle trampling, and some palatable shrubs, e.g. Asterolasia and Grevillea, are especially affected. If cattle are removed from previously grazed grassland and heathland sites where shrubs such as Asterolasia and Grevillea have established, the encroachment of such shrubs will be more rapid than on similar sites subject to continued grazing. However, continued cattle activity is unlikely to inhibit the development of non-palatable, vegetatively reproducing shrubs such as Prostanthera cuneata and Phebalium squamulosum within closed heath communities.

scholarly journals First estimation of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) abundance and density using digital cameras and capture–recapture techniques in a German national park

2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Weingarth ◽  
◽  
C. Heibl ◽  
F. Knauer ◽  
F. Zimmermann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Digital Cameras ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eurasian Lynx ◽  
Habitat Directive ◽  
Abundance Estimates ◽  
Capture Recapture

Eurasian lynx are individually identifiable by their unique coat markings, making them ideal candidates for capture–recapture (CMR) surveys. We evaluated the use of digital photography to estimate Eurasian lynx population abundance and density within the Bavarian Forest National Park. From November 2008 to January 2009 we placed 24 camera trap sites, each with two cameras facing each other on well–used walking tracks). The units were placed based on a systematic grid of 2.7 km. We captured five independent and three juvenile lynx and calculated abundance estimates using Program Mark. We also compared density estimates based on the MMDM method (Mean Maximum Distance Moved) from telemetry data (½MMDMGPS) and from camera trapping data (½MMDMCAM). We estimated that in an effectively sampled area of 664 km2 the Eurasian lynx density was 0.9 individuals/100 km2 with ½MMDMCAM. The Eurasian lynx density calculated with ½MMDMGPS was 0.4 individuals/100 km2 in an effectively sampled area of 1,381 km2. Our results suggest that long–term photographic CMR sampling on a large scale may be a useful tool to monitor population trends of Eurasian lynx in accordance with the Fauna–Flora–Habitat Directive of the European Union.

Recovery of subalpine grasslands from bushfire

2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roxana Bear ◽  
Catherine Marina Pickering
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Soil Protection ◽  
Above Ground Biomass ◽  
Vegetative Cover ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Seed Sources ◽  
Subalpine Zone ◽  
Australian Alps ◽  
Subalpine Grasslands ◽  
Burnt Areas

In January–February 2003 bushfires burnt 1.75 million hectares of the Australian Alps, including >70% of the subalpine zone of Kosciuszko National Park. The recovery of subalpine grasslands 1 year after these fires was examined by comparing vegetation between paired unburnt and burnt plots at six subalpine grassland sites. Although the cover of vegetation at these sites had largely recovered, there were still differences between unburnt and burnt plots. For example, there were large areas of bare ground (19% v. <1%) in the burnt plots and less vegetative cover (56% v. 87%). The above-ground biomass of the recovering vegetation was much lower, 10% of that in unburnt plots, well below the levels required for adequate soil protection. Weeds did not appear to have spread post-fire, although this may not be the case in burnt areas adjacent to weed seed sources. Both cover and biomass of burnt areas will continue to increase provided there is limited disturbance in the future. Recovery will be uneven, owing to the inherent variability of subalpine grasslands, patchiness in the severity of the fire and differences in post-fire conditions.

scholarly journals Identifying Avian Community Response to Sagebrush Vegetation Restoration in Grand Teton National Park

2013 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 36-45
Author(s):  
Tracey Johnson ◽  
Anna Chalfoun
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Grassland Birds ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Sagebrush Steppe ◽  
Native Grasses ◽  
Shrub Cover ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Grand Teton National Park

Approximately 50-60% of native sagebrush steppe has been lost to non-native grasses, which has contributed to population decreases for sagebrush-associated songbirds. Removal of non-native grasses and restoration treatments may return structure and function of sagebrush steppe and ultimately benefit songbirds, but their responses must be evaluated. To determine breeding songbird community responses to sagebrush restoration treatments, in 2013 we conducted bird surveys at restored plots at the Kelly Hayfields restoration area in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. We compared bird communities and vegetation characteristics in restored plots to plots that were unrestored and to areas of native sagebrush steppe as starting and endpoints for restoration, respectively. Unrestored plots were dominated by non-native grasses; restored plots were dominated by forbs and bare ground and had very little shrub cover (< 0.1%). Native sagebrush plots were dominated by shrubs and native bunchgrasses. Bird community composition was distinct among the three types of plots. Abundance of grassland birds was highest in unrestored plots, and was positively related to cover of non-native grass and litter depth. Abundance of shrubland birds was highest in native sagebrush, and was positively associated with shrub cover. There were very few detections of birds in restored plots, and most species were negatively associated with the high levels of bare ground that characterized these plots. Restored areas may initially (≤5 yrs) provide little breeding bird habitat, which should be accounted for when determining schedules of restoration treatments at Kelly Hayfields.

Sphagnum Peatlands of Kosciuszko National Park in Relation to Altitude, Time and Disturbance

1999 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Clarke ◽  
A. R. H. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
National Park ◽  
Vegetation Change ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Large Change ◽  
Shrub Cover ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Trends Over Time ◽  
A Site

Sphagnum peatlands or bogs in the Kosciuszko National Park ranging from montane to alpine in elevation were sampled on two occasions spanning a maximum interval of 32 years. Data analysed for individual samples (305 quadrats) clustered into consistent microhabitat (hummock/hollow) groups and subalpine/alpine subgroups. Quadrat data were aggregated for sites (13 bogs) and analysed for floristic trends over time. Cluster and ordination analyses showed a large change in a single montane bog, but relatively little composition (presence/absence) change for the subalpine and alpine bogs. Analyses of dominant species in alpine (three) and subalpine bogs (three) showed some temporal trends in cover. There appears to be an increase in the cover of Sphagnum and a decrease in shrub cover in the subalpine bogs over the 20–32 years. Changes in shrub cover in undisturbed subalpine sites are attributed to shrub senescence and lack of recruitment. Changes at a site with intensive ski field development (Smiggin Holes) were analysed separately and compared with adjacent sites with no such development. Sphagnum cover had not increased at this site and shrub decline was pronounced. Bare ground and ruderal species increased in cover whereas 13 native species that were originally recorded in 1959 were not re-recorded in 1991. The detection of vegetation change in bogs through monitoring is important for adaptive management of vegetation under intensive use.

The Effects of Grazing Activity on the Hydrology of the Bogong High Plains, Australia.

1995 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 138 ◽  
Author(s):  
RE Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Cattle Grazing ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Hydrological Data ◽  
Alpine Zone ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Longest Run ◽  
Grazing Pressures ◽  
Small Catchments

Stock have been grazed on the Bogong High Plains during the summer months every year for more than a century. Several severe droughts between the 1880s and 1920s resulted in abnormally large numbers of stock being depastured there in addition to the usual numbers, which contributed both to the degradation of the vegetation cover and an increase in erosion. In the 1940s, controls were placed on the number of stock permitted to graze the Bogong High Plains, and since that time total numbers 07 grazing stock have declined from 9000 cattle to just over 3000 cattle today. In this paper, historical hydrological data from the Bogong High Plains are examined to see if cattle grazing activities may be related to trends in the run-off of several streams in the subalpine and alpine zone. Long-term declining trends in both cattle grazing numbers and run-off variables were identified as statistically significant in one of the four catchments examined - albeit in the catchment with the longest run-off record. There was some evidence that the monthly run-off from three small catchments subject to differential grazing pressures supported a correlation between high grazing densities and large run-off volumes during the summer months, but this result was not substantiated by modelling daily storm hydrographs for those same months. All the hydrological data examined post-dates the period of major environmental degradation, which may have contributed to the moderate results obtained. The fact that run-off volumes declined between the 1940s and the 1980s suggests that there has been an improvement in the environmental conditions of the Bogong High Plains since grazing controls were introduced, but it is not certain whether full recovery has taken place, or ever will.

scholarly journals Aves, Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay territory, south-eastern Australia

Check List ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 479 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Lindenmayer ◽  
Christopher MacGregor ◽  
Darren Brown ◽  
Rebecca Montague-Drake ◽  
Mason Crane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Term Study ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
South Eastern Australia

A large-scale, long-term study is being conducted to describe the bird assemblages inhabiting a 6500 ha area at Booderee National Park, south-eastern Australia. In this paper, we provide a list of birds recorded within rainforest, forest, woodland, shrubland, heathland and sedgeland during surveys conducted each spring between 2003 and 2007. Of particular interest was the contrast between the birds of sites burned in a wildfire in 2003 and sites that remained unburned. We recorded a total of 103 species from 35 families. We found that after the major fire, the vast majority of individual species and the bird assemblage per se in most vegetation types recovered within two years. Exceptions occurred in structurally simple vegetation types such as sedgeland and wet heathland in which reduced levels of species had not returned to pre-fire (2003) levels by 2007.

scholarly journals Sampling bias exaggerates a textbook example of a trophic cascade

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine M. Brice ◽  
Eric J. Larsen ◽  
Daniel R. MacNulty
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Trophic Cascade ◽  
National Park ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sampling Bias ◽  
Scientific Challenge ◽  
Large Predators ◽  
Term Data

AbstractUnderstanding how wildland ecosystems respond to the loss and recovery of large predators is vital to decipher the forces that structure food webs and to guide the practice of ecosystem conservation, restoration, and rewilding. This is a major scientific challenge, however, because these large-scale, uncontrolled systems are difficult (or impossible) to sample properly. We show how a tradition of nonrandom sampling has confounded this understanding in a textbook system (Yellowstone National Park) where carnivore [wolf (Canis lupus)] recovery is often associated with a trophic cascade involving changes in herbivore [elk (Cervus canadensis)] behavior and density that promote plant regeneration. Long-term data indicate that a customary practice of sampling only the tallest young plants overestimated regeneration of aspen (Populus tremuloides) by a factor of 3-44 compared to random sampling. Our results demonstrate how seemingly minor departures from principled sampling can generate substantial misunderstandings about the strength of trophic cascades caused by large terrestrial predators.

Evolution of Large-Scale Coronal Structures

1994 ◽  
Vol 144 ◽  
pp. 29-33
Author(s):  
P. Ambrož
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Field Line ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Coronal Magnetic Field ◽  
Source Surface ◽  
Solar Cycles ◽  
Characteristic Relationship ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
Coronal Structures

AbstractThe large-scale coronal structures observed during the sporadically visible solar eclipses were compared with the numerically extrapolated field-line structures of coronal magnetic field. A characteristic relationship between the observed structures of coronal plasma and the magnetic field line configurations was determined. The long-term evolution of large scale coronal structures inferred from photospheric magnetic observations in the course of 11- and 22-year solar cycles is described.Some known parameters, such as the source surface radius, or coronal rotation rate are discussed and actually interpreted. A relation between the large-scale photospheric magnetic field evolution and the coronal structure rearrangement is demonstrated.

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