Is rehabilitation profitable?
Is rehabilitation profitable? Conference Paper
16th Australian Rangeland Society Biennial Conference
- Author(s): Cadzow, R.
- Published: 2010
- Publisher: Australian Rangeland Society
Abstract: Have you ever sat and watched what cattle eat in about half an hour? Have you counted the number of species of plants they prefer to eat? To be productive, cattle should have a variety of nutritious and palatable pasture. To have that variety of plants, pastures have to be receptive to the moisture and nutrients to convert CO2 into the energy required to grow and produce enough seed and leaf matter. Bare soil is vulnerable to bombardment by raindrops (when it does rain) and the soil is pulverised into smaller particles which in turn seal the soil surface, causing more water to run off down the creek instead of soaking into the soil profile. Hardset soils affect seedling emergence and if we can ensure there are plants or plant residues like butts of the perennial pasture species, then we are helping to slow the evaporation rate from the soil and increase the seedling’s chance of establishment. Picture a particular piece of country and what it looked like 20 – 30 – 40 years ago – has it changed? What is different? If there are gullies there, were they as big as they are now? Think of all the grass that may have been there that may not be now. How many cattle would that have fed? There are always arguments for and against rehabilitating soil that has started to shift with the wind or water or scalded country.