Aim Situation Factors to consider
5 . Reducing grazing pressure in selectively grazed areas
6 . Locating water points to even out grazing
7 . Minimising erosion when locating infrastructure e . g . fences
• Heavily grazed areas and patches contrasting with other areas which are ungrazed and where the pasture has become rank .
• Patches and ungrazed areas vary in species composition , morphology , structure and availability of forage .
• Significant areas of the paddock receive little or no grazing pressure .
• New forms or increased rates of soil erosion .
8 . Minimising woody plant problems • Increased density of shrubs and trees , particularly on productive soil types .
• Reduced pasture growth when woody vegetation is thick .
• Encroachment into open land types .
9 . Managing chemicals – herbicides and fertilisers
• Excess vegetation growth in water ways e . g . algae .
• Death of aquatic animals .
• Animals graze more at locations with abundant quantities of preferred forages .
• Animals avoid low quality forage , select high quality patches and regraze these preferred patches .
• Past grazing has modified the plants present and their characteristics .
• Current grazing determines available forage .
• Distance to water is an important determinant of grazing distribution .
• Patches may reflect different grazing use in the past and growth responses to dung and urine and burns .
• Inadequate number and / or location of water points in relation to paddock size .
• Avoidance of land types with less palatable pastures or limited accessibility .
• Areas of reduced ground cover .
• Altered water flows .
• Problem soils .
• Poor placement of infrastructure .
• Gully formation .
• Sequences of very wet years .
• Reduced competition from grasses due to heavy grazing .
• Reduced frequency and / or intensity of effective fires .
• Herbicides , fertilisers and feed supplements carried in run-off to waterways .
• Chemicals applied according to label and stored correctly .
• Impact on the health of the Great Barrier Reef .
• Pollution of waterways leading to excess of vegetation e . g . algae from fertiliser and death of aquatic animals from pesticides .
Substantial areas of the Burdekin are considered to be in poor condition ( Karfs et al . 2009 ; Abbott et al . 2008 ; Beutel et al . 2013 ), leading to reduced productivity , reduced ground cover , increased weed spread , increased run-off , increased erosion , and increased nutrient loss from soils that are already relatively infertile . This limits the productivity of the cattle industry and contributes to increased sediment discharge into the GBR .
The most efficient strategy for reducing the risk of soil being lost from grazing properties and entering waterways is to use stocking rates linked to long term carrying capacity that maintain adequate ground cover and the vigour of preferred perennial pastures ( McIvor , 2012 ). Maintaining long term ground and riparian cover above 70 % is considered important for maintaining the hydrological function of these landscapes and reducing sediment erosion and delivery from all erosion sources ( Lewis et al . 2015 ). Wet season spelling can play an important role in maintaining preferred perennials and grazing land condition . In some cases , such as on sites affected by historical alluvial mining and gully erosion , more active remediation may be required to stabilise sites and reduce sediment delivery . Maintaining and improving cover , especially on chromosol and other duplex soils is important for preventing future gullies and reducing the contribution from active gully areas ( Wilkinson et al . 2015a ).
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