Register      Login
Australian Journal of Botany Australian Journal of Botany Society
Southern hemisphere botanical ecosystems
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > BT > BT08036
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 56(6)

Evidence for the natural occurrence of treeless grasslands in the Riverina region of south-eastern Australia

Keith L. McDougall
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

Present address: NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change, PO Box 733, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620, Australia. Email: keith.mcdougall@environment.nsw.gov.au

Australian Journal of Botany 56(6) 461-468 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT08036
Submitted: 3 March 2008  Accepted: 4 August 2008   Published: 16 September 2008

Abstract

Grasslands in the Riverina region of south-eastern Australia have long been thought to be derived from woodland dominated by Acacia pendula A.Cunn. ex G.Don and Atriplex nummularia Lindl. following over-grazing and clearing in the 19th Century. Despite the broad acceptance of this view, there is little evidence for such a universal change having occurred. Phytosociological and historical evidence is presented here, which suggests that, although many of the existing grassland remnants are floristically similar to remnants of A. pendula woodland and are probably derived from woodland, natural treeless grassland also probably occurs in the Riverina. Such grassland is floristically distinct from remnant woodland and generally spatially separate, being prevalent in the southern Riverina. Although the delineation of natural and derived grassland boundaries may now be difficult, grassland vegetation in general is of immense biodiversity significance, containing a large number of highly localised rare or threatened species. A decrease in rainfall during the winter and spring growing season, as predicted by climate-change models, may be detrimental to natural grassland, which is restricted to the higher rainfall portion of the Riverina.


Acknowledgements

I am grateful to Matt White (Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment) for provision of electronic data for Victorian quadrat sites, to Megan McNellie for provision of much of the NSW data and to Damon Oliver for comments on an early draft. Ian Lunt greatly helped with transforming the paper into its published form.


References


Baker-Gabb DJ (1987) Habitat selection by the plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus in Australia. Appendix 11.4. In ‘The conservation and management of the plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus’. (World Wildlife Fund: Australia)

Benson JS, Ashby EM, Porteners MF (1997) The native grasslands of the Riverine Plain, New South Wales. Cunninghamia 5, 1–48. open url image1

Benson JS, Allen C, Togher C, Lemmon J (2006) New South Wales vegetation classification and assessment: Part 1. Plant communities of the NSW Western Plains. Cunninghamia 9, 383–451. open url image1

Clarke KR , Gorley RN (2001) ‘PRIMER v5. PRIMER-E.’ (Plymouth Marine Laboratory: UK)

Doust ANL , Everett J (1992) Pycnosorus. In ‘Flora of New South Wales. Vol. 2’. (Ed. GJ Harden) pp. 260–262. (University of New South Wales Press: Sydney)

Foreman PW (1996) Ecology of native grassland on Victoria’s riverine plain. MSc Thesis, La Trobe University, Melbourne.

Geraghty P (1971) Preliminary studies on the ecology of the basalt plains west of Melbourne. BSc(Honours) Thesis, The University of Melbourne.

Harden GJ (1993) Wurmbea. In ‘Flora of New South Wales. Vol. 4’. (Ed. GJ Harden) pp. 110–111. (University of New South Wales Press: Sydney)

Hennessy KJ , Whetton PH , Katzfey JJ , McGregor JL , Jones RN , Page CM , Nguyen KC (1998) Fine resolution climate change scenarios for New South Wales. Annual report, 1997–1998, CSIRO Atmospheric Research. (New South Wales Environment Protection Authority: Sydney)

Horner G , McNellie M , Nott TA , Vanzella B , Schliebs M , Kordas GK , Turner B , Hudspith TJ (2002) Native vegetation map report series no. 2 Dry Lake, Oxley, Hay, One Tree, Moggumbill and Gunbar 1 : 100 000 map series. (NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources: Sydney)

Houlder D , Hutchinson MF , Nix HA , McMahon JP (2000) ‘ANUCLIM 5.0.’ (Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University: Canberra)

Keith DA (2004) ‘Open shores to desert dunes: the native vegetation of New South Wales and the ACT.’ (NSW Department of Environment and Conservation: Sydney)

Lunt ID (1997) The distribution and environmental relationships of native grasslands on the lowland Gippsland Plain, Victoria: an historical study. Australian Geographical Studies 35, 140–152.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Lunt ID (2002) Native grasslands in the NSW Riverina. In ‘Native vegetation guide for the Riverina: notes for land managers on its management and revegetation’. (Eds K Kent, G Earl, B Mullins, I Lunt, R Webster) pp. 31–35. (Charles Sturt University: Wagga Wagga, NSW)

McDougall KL , Barlow T , Appleby M (1993). Grassland communities and significant grassland sites: Western Basalt Plains, Lake Omeo, Murray Valley Riverine Plains and the Wimmera. In ‘Conservation of lowland native grasslands in south-eastern Australia’. (Eds KL McDougall, JB Kirkpatrick) pp. 44–112. (World Wide Fund for Nature: Australia)

Moore CWE (1953) The vegetation of the south-eastern Riverina, New South Wales. I. The climax communities. Australian Journal of Botany 1, 485–547.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Morcom LA, Westbrooke ME (1998) The pre-settlement vegetation of the western and central Wimmera Plains of Victoria, Australia. Australian Geographical Studies 36, 273–288.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

NSW Scientific Committee (2005) Myall Woodland in the Darling Riverine Plains, Brigalow Belt South, Cobar Peneplain, Murray–Darling Depression, Riverina and NSW South Western Slopes bioregions—endangered ecological community listing. Final determination. (NSW Scientific Committee: Sydney)

Porteners MF (1993) The natural vegetation of the Hay Plain, Booligal-Hay and Deniliquin-Bendigo 1 : 250 000 maps. Cunninghamia 3, 1–122. open url image1

Roberts I , Roberts J (2001) Plains wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus) habitat mapping including woody vegetation and other landscape features, Riverina Plains—NSW. Report and GIS layer prepared by Earth Resource Analysis Pty Ltd for NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Rohlf FJ , Sokal RR (1981) ‘Statistical tables.’ 2nd edn (W. H. Freeman and Company: NY)

Sturt C (1834) ‘Two expeditions into the interior of southern Australia during the years 1828, 1829, 1830 and 1831, with observations on the soil, climate and general resources of the colony of New South Wales. Vol. II.’ The Project Gutenberg EBook Number 4330; release date 31/08/2004. (Smith, Elder & Co.: London)

Thackway R , Cresswell ID (Eds) (1995). ‘An interim biogeographic regionalisation for Australia: a framework for establishing the national system of reserves. Version 4.0.’ (Australian Nature Conservation Agency: Canberra)

Thompson J , James TA (1991) Swainsona. In ‘Flora of New South Wales. Vol. 2’. (Ed. GJ Harden) pp. 429–440. (University of New South Wales Press: Sydney)

Walsh NG (1996) Cheopodiaceae. In ‘Flora of Victoria. Vol. 3’. (Eds NG Walsh, TJ Entwisle) pp. 129–199. (Inkata Press: Port Melbourne)

White M , Muir AM , Webster R (2002) The reconstructed distribution of indigenous vegetation types across the NSW Riverina. Report to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sydney.

Williams OB (1969) Studies in the ecology of the Riverine Plain. V. Plant density response of species in a Danthonia caespitosa grassland to 16 years of grazing by Merino sheep. Australian Journal of Botany 17, 255–268.
| Crossref |
open url image1