Ten years of vegetation change after cattle removal in a savanna landscape in northern Australia are documented in detail. Predicted improvements in landscape health were evident, as measured by proportional increases in key native perennial palatable species, but there were also some unexpected and perverse results. This study builds on knowledge of how disturbed landscapes respond to cattle removal, demonstrates that recovery in conservation reserves may be complex, and suggests possible indicator plant species which can be used to monitor the effects of grazing removal in the local area.

Temperature sequences throughout the year stimulate seasonal cycles in dormancy/non-dormancy, explaining emergence flushes in autumn and spring and the long life of the seed bank of this important weed. Temperatures fluctuate more widely at the soil surface than deeper in the profile, so buried seeds tend to be dormant but dormancy is broken if brought to the soil surface by disturbance. It is important to understand these temperature responses in order to manage populations of this species.

Spatial variations in ground cover is one of several factors responsible for changes in runoff within a catchment. The paper characterises the spatial variation in ground cover at the sub-catchment scale in the Burnett–Mary region of Queensland using two-parameter, i.e. the mean and standard deviation, beta distribution. The study can be used to adequately address the effect of cover variation on runoff in the current-generation of hydrological models.

The Australian rangelands hold unique natural and cultural heritage values and are home to many remotely based Indigenous communities. Commercial use of wildlife offers important livelihood opportunities to Indigenous people but there is a unique combination of historical, legislative and cultural factors that limit the success of such enterprises. A greater emphasis on business acumen and assistance in transitioning from social to economic enterprises will allow Aboriginal people the opportunity to remain on their traditional lands, which, in turn, will improve the resilience of the rangelands.

Calotrope is an exotic woody weed of northern Australia’s rangelands that reduces biodiversity and productivity in pastoral situations. A lack of effective control strategies prompted the present study in which 100% plant mortality was achieved when plants were cut 10 cm or more below ground level, whereas all plants cut at ground level showed vigorous reshooting. Below-ground cutting using suitable machinery offers graziers a reliable means of reducing calotrope populations, provided follow-up measures to combat new seedling emergence are undertaken.

Stocking rate and supplementary feed are critical for the maintenance of grassland productivity. Here we investigate whether the amount of supplementary feeds affect stocking rate on grassland and found that the former is not a driver of stocking rate. We suggest the need for policies that support the scientific use of supplemental feed to improve the utilisation of native pastures.

In recent years, grassland degradation in China’s Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has increased due to reduced rainfall and overgrazing. In this study we examined the reproductive characteristics of Kobresia humilis (C.A.Mey. ex Trautv.) Serg., the dominant plant in the alpine meadows of the Plateau, under various levels of rainfall and trampling intensity by Tibetan sheep and yaks to further explore K. humilis reproductive strategy and its mechanisms to cope with varying levels of rainfall and grazing.