Tropical Grasslands (1994) Volume 28, 270–273

State and transition models for rangelands.
11. A state and transition model of the Aristida-Bothriochloa pasture community of central and southern Queensland

T.J. HALL1, P.G. FILET2, B. BANKS4 and R.G. SILCOCK3

1Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Roma, 2Emerald and
3Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
4'Sunrise', Injune, Queensland, Australia

Abstract

The Aristida-Bothriochloa community extends from the Eucalyptus melanophloia (silver-leaf ironbark) woodlands with Bothriochloa ewartiana (desert bluegrass) in central Queensland to the E. populnea (box) woodlands with B. decipiens (pitted bluegrass), B. bladhii (forest bluegrass) and Dichanthium sericeum (Queensland bluegrass) in southern Queensland. Soils are predominantly light textured with lesser areas of clays. The summer-dominant rainfall is between 500-700 mm annually. These native pastures are used for beef cattle production.
This paper presents a general state and transition model for the community. Specific species mixes in the overstorey, shrub and herbaceous layers in the woodland, grassland, grassland with scattered trees, and dense shrubland states are recorded. The causes of transitions between these states and the probability of occurrence are identified. The main pasture condition deterioration is from an increase in less desirable grasses such as Aristida, Chloris, Eragrostis, Enneapogon and Sporobolus spp., regrowth from the dominant Eucalyptus spp., and soil erosion from the fragile soils.

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