The inherent variability of annual rainfall and large, spatially-variable paddocks pose significant challenges to the sustainable management of rangelands. This paper reviews the latest research on the rangelands of northern Australia and assesses the extent to which current management recommendations are supported. Overall, land condition will be maintained or improved and long-term profitability maximised by flexible stocking around long-term carrying capacity, periodic wet-season spelling and managing for even utilisation within paddocks.

Native grasses such as weeping and kangaroo grass are present in a large proportion of Australia’s pastoral area which has deficient soil phosphorus levels. Despite this, there are very little data on the response of native grasses to increasing contents of phosphorus in the soil. Our findings highlight differences between species in DM production between native grass species after addition of phosphorus to soil to achieve a range of phosphorus contents in soil. These differences help explain the spatial variability of weeping and kangaroo grass given current management practices across Australia’s rangelands.

Sparse rabbit populations cause severe damage to native vegetation in Australia but the problem is poorly recognised because it is difficult to estimate rabbit abundance accurately in dense vegetation. A simple, quick method of estimating rabbit density during vegetation surveys by counting rabbit dung pellets in small quadrats is proposed. This methodology is seen as particularly useful in providing a tool to allow rabbit densities to be estimated and then compared with the thresholds, determined separately, at which damage occurs for given ecosystems.

This paper reports on a life-history study for two widespread and common shrubs of semiarid eastern Australia (Eremophila sturtii R.Br. and Dodonaea viscosa subsp. angustissima J.G.West). Both species establish quickly, become sexually mature at a comparatively young age and once they have reached sexual maturity were long-lived, particularly when growing on sandplain. Severe drought significantly increased mortality for plants in the intermediate development stage, particularly for Dodonaea viscosa subsp. angustissima growing on sandhill. Exposure to livestock grazing had limited impact on plants of either species or in any development stage.

Sticky florestina is an accidentally introduced herbaceous weed that currently has a limited distribution in western Queensland, but has the potential to invade large areas of Australia’s rangelands. Experiments identified effective foliar herbicides that can be applied to control both adult and seedling plants of sticky florestina. A minor use permit has since been issued by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority allowing for three readily available chemicals to be sprayed in Queensland at specified rates for control of florestina using both spot and boom spray applications.

If not addressed, the current problems facing the grassland-livestock industry of the Tibetan plateau will lead to catastrophic collapse of the environment, livelihoods and ecological function of the plateau.  After a systematic review of eighteen strategies studied by researchers in recent decades, a novel model of double settlement is proposed in order to provide the opportunity of retaining a nomadic pastoral model and providing settlement required by the younger generations.  Such a model may also provide a solution for the challenges common to many nomadic people across the world. 

Triodia grasses, from arid regions within Australia’s 350-mm rainfall isohyet, are fire-sensitive masting plants that occur in environments subject to climate-driven fire regimes. We conducted a herbarium-based study and found that reproduction in these Triodia is determined by high precipitation over 12 months, and that high-yield years correspond to years of increased fire likelihood. We hypothesise that masting in Triodia in arid regions is a fire-related form of environmentally predictive masting, which facilitates post-fire recruitment via the satiation of seed predators during flammable periods.