• Hypothesis 1 – planned UHD grazing practices improve pasture yield and composition , ground cover , and long term soil health .
• Hypothesis 2 – planned UHD grazing practices improve land condition .
• Hypothesis 3 – planned UHD grazing practices improve the stability and vegetation outcomes on a range of suitable gully types ( defined by those which can practically be treated using livestock ).
Where possible , these hypotheses were tested with paired sites ( with or without UHD ), ideally replicated and with multiple recordings using an accepted methodology . If the design did not allow statistical analysis ( through lack of replication ) then the results could be assessed by an expert panel .
Expected outcomes from livestock treatments :
Hypothesis 1 – planned UHD grazing practices improve pasture yield and composition , ground cover , and long term soil health .
• Catchment or treatment areas with limited vegetation cover , e . g . severe overgrazing or scalded areas , will have :
o 50 per cent groundcover on productive soils and 25 per cent groundcover on less productive soils ( groundcover including “ weedy ” species , annuals and other pioneer species ) after two wet seasons ; and
o an annual increase of 10 per cent of perennial species after each subsequent wet season , as landscape function improves .
• Catchment or treatment areas dominated by “ weedy ” and annual species , or Indian couch , will have an annual increase of 10 per cent of perennial species after two consecutive wet seasons , as landscape function and soil health improves .
Hypothesis 2 – planned UHD grazing practices improve land condition .
• Catchment or treatment areas with limited vegetation cover , e . g . severe overgrazing or scalded areas ( generally in D condition ) will be moving towards C condition after five years , as landscape function improves ; and
• Catchment or treatment areas dominated by “ weedy ” and annual species , or Indian couch ( generally in D or C condition ) will be moving towards C and B condition , respectively , after five years , as landscape function improves .
Hypothesis 3 – planned UHD grazing practices improve the stability and vegetation outcomes on a range of suitable gully types ( defined by those which can practically be treated by livestock ).
• Gullies on productive soils will have a 50 per cent increase in vegetation cover on gully floors after two wet seasons .
• Gullies on less productive soils will have a 25 per cent increase in vegetation cover on gully floors after two wet seasons .
• All gullies will show visible reduction in head cutting and expansion after five years , as vegetation cover improves and gully profiles stabilise .
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