WALLABY EXCLUSION
Two fenced plots were established for comparison of grazing pressure impacts — a netted marsupial and livestock exclosure and a standard barbed wire livestock exclosure . Land condition assessment and a record of ground cover at the two plots and on an adjoining grazed transect were monitored from 2019 to 2023 . The aim was to investigate the impact of grazing exclusion ( cattle and marsupials ) on the recovery of erosion and scalded sites . conducted under the Accepted Development Vegetation Clearing Code for Managing of Weeds , and reseeded with a suitable pasture mix .
Observations and site monitoring showed a marked improvement in pasture production and ground cover where marsupials were excluded . Excluding only livestock did not improve ground cover or pasture production .
In December 2019 , rubber vine and other woody weeds were controlled on the black soil flat using an Ellrott plough ,
Woody weeds were controlled using an Ellrott plough .
MONITORING
The following monitoring methods were carried out from 2019 to 2023 :
• seasonal rainfall from a nearby automatic weather station ;
• livestock movement records reported by the landholder and recorded ;
• Patchkey land condition records for modified transects including : 1 . marsupial and livestock exclusion . 2 . livestock exclusion . 3 . livestock and marsupial access .
• photo points for annual photo point monitoring 2019-2023 ( 10 July 2019 , 28 May 2020 , 16 April 2021 , 25 May 2022 and 20 April 2023 ); and
• aerial images were also captured by drone .
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