Abstract
This paper examines vegetation changes in the absence of fires at Kosciusko during the 14 years following the general withdrawal of livestock grazing at Kosciusko in 1958 on two pairs of plots on subalpine grassland at Dainers Gap (elev. 1700 m) and in the Hotel Kosciusko Water Reserve (elev. 1660 m). One plot in each pair was experimentally grazed. and the other plot was ungrazed. The vegetation of the Kosciusko Reserve was in a relatively natural condition, characterized by continuous forb-rich snowgrass associated with regenerating snowgum woodland. At Dainers Gap the snowgrass was less continuous, and there was no snowgum regeneration. In the Kosciusko Reserve the main effect of grazing was to reduce the cover of the large palatable forbs. This change appeared to be largely reversible within 6 years after the 8 years of grazing treatment was discontinued. At Dainers Gap the tussocks spread laterally in the absence of fire. on both the grazed and ungrazed plots. Under grazing (5 sheepjha/season), small grazing-adapted herbs maintained themselves on the intertussock spaces, but in the absence of grazing they were largely replaced by taller-growing species, many of which appeared only after this treatment had ceased. Shrubs, although uncommon, increased rapidly in size, especially on the grazed plot where competition from herbaceous species was reduced. On the grazed plot the area of bare soil did not decrease appreciably but on the ungrazed plot it decreased on all but the largest bare patches where the lateral spread of tussocks and shrubs was not sufficient to cover them. Under grazing the standing crop on the intertussock spaces at Dainers Gap remained at low levels of about 0.3 kg/m2. but when not grazed for 10 years it increased to about 1 kg/m2, with a resultant increase in surface soil organic matter and decrease in bulk density. During the one season when sheep were weighed at monthly intervals. they gained weight at both sites at the start of the grazing season until the supply of the relatively palatable and nutritious herbs and grass inflorescences was exhausted, then lost weight as mature snowgrass leaves became the main part of their diet. Seasonal weight losses of sheep increased over the 15 years of the experiment as most of the major forbs were eliminated by grazing from the Kosciusko Water Reserve plot, and the area of minor herbs was reduced at Dainers Gap by the encroachment of snowgrass tussocks onto the intertussock spaces. At Dainers Gap in the absence of grazing and fires; water catchment and nature conservation values improved but. without fire, unpalatable snowgrasses and shrubs increased and the value of the area for grazing was reduced. With grazing, the previously unsatisfactory conditions for water catchment and nature conservation were maintained. At the Kosciusko Water Reserve nature conservation and grazing values were reduced by grazing. Introduction Transhumant grazing increasingly became a major issue in the use and management of the Snowy Mountains, following completion of the Hume Dam in the early 1920s and the report by Byles (1932) documenting the deterioration of parts of the Hume
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Claims 16
Claim · model-written summary
The Kosciusko Reserve had continuous forb-rich snowgrass and regenerating snowgum woodland.
Verbatim
e0“continuous forb-rich snowgrass associated with regenerating snowgum woodland”
e1“The vegetation of the Kosciusko Reserve was in a relatively natural condition”
Claim · model-written summary
Dainers Gap had less continuous snowgrass and no snowgum regeneration.
Verbatim
e0“At Dainers Gap the snowgrass was less continuous, and there was no snowgum regeneration”
Claim · model-written summary
Grazing reduced cover of large palatable forbs in the Kosciusko Reserve.
- Taxon
- large palatable forbse0
- Treatment
- grazinge0
- Outcome
- covere0
- Direction
- reducee0
- Setting
- Kosciusko Reservee0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“In the Kosciusko Reserve the main effect of grazing was to reduce the cover of the large palatable forbs”
Claim · model-written summary
Forb cover recovered substantially within six years after grazing stopped.
Verbatim
e0“This change appeared to be largely reversible within 6 years after the 8 years of grazing treatment was discontinued”
e1“the large palatable forbs”
Claim · model-written summary
Tussocks spread laterally in both grazed and ungrazed plots without fire.
Verbatim
e0“At Dainers Gap the tussocks spread laterally in the absence of fire. on both the grazed and ungrazed plots”
Claim · model-written summary
Small grazing-adapted herbs persisted under grazing.
- Taxon
- small grazing-adapted herbse0
- Treatment
- grazing (5 sheepjha/season)e0
- Outcome
- maintained themselves on the intertussock spacese0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“Under grazing (5 sheepjha/season), small grazing-adapted herbs maintained themselves on the intertussock spaces”
Claim · model-written summary
Without grazing, taller-growing species largely replaced small herbs.
- Taxon
- taller-growing speciese0
- Treatment
- absence of grazinge0
- Outcome
- replaced by taller-growing speciese0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“in the absence of grazing they were largely replaced by taller-growing species”
Claim · model-written summary
Shrubs increased rapidly in size, especially on the grazed plot.
Verbatim
e0“Shrubs, although uncommon, increased rapidly in size, especially on the grazed plot where competition from herbaceous species was reduced”
Claim · model-written summary
Bare soil did not appreciably decline on the grazed plot.
Verbatim
e0“On the grazed plot the area of bare soil did not decrease appreciably”
t0“Vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Bare soil decreased on the ungrazed plot except the largest patches.
Verbatim
e0“on the ungrazed plot it decreased on all but the largest bare patches”
t0“Vegetation”
t1“bare soil”
Claim · model-written summary
Intertussock standing crop remained about 0.3 kg/m2 under grazing.
Verbatim
e0“Under grazing the standing crop on the intertussock spaces at Dainers Gap remained at low levels of about 0.3 kg/m2”
t0“Vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
After ten ungrazed years, intertussock standing crop reached about 1 kg/m2.
Verbatim
e0“when not grazed for 10 years it increased to about 1 kg/m2”
t0“Vegetation”
t1“standing crop”
Claim · model-written summary
Ungrazed vegetation increased surface soil organic matter.
Verbatim
e0“with a resultant increase in surface soil organic matter and decrease in bulk density”
t0“Vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Ungrazed vegetation decreased soil bulk density.
Verbatim
e0“with a resultant increase in surface soil organic matter and decrease in bulk density”
t0“Vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Without grazing and fire, snowgrasses and shrubs increased and grazing value fell at Dainers Gap.
Verbatim
e0“without fire, unpalatable snowgrasses and shrubs increased and the value of the area for grazing was reduced”
Claim · model-written summary
Grazing reduced conservation and grazing values at the Kosciusko Water Reserve.
- Taxon
- Vegetationt0
- Treatment
- grazinge0
- Outcome
- nature conservation and grazing valuese0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Setting
- Kosciusko Water Reservee0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“At the Kosciusko Water Reserve nature conservation and grazing values were reduced by grazing”
t0“Vegetation”