This paper contributes to our understanding of how grazing disturbances influence ground dwelling-spider assemblages. Research on short-duration kraaling has grown rapidly in recent decades, with a focus on grass quality, diversity and functional composition on macro-invertebrates, with limited work on spider assemblages. This work leads the way to identifying ‘indicator taxa’ in terms of arthropod functional groups for populations and distributions at different scales over time and space. These may then be used to assess and predict pasture health. The results of this work also provide valuable data and analyses that will most likely contribute to informing future land-use reformation policies.

In seasonally dry tropical rangelands, the amount and nutritional value of pasture fluctuates widely with rainfall and seasons. Experiments during 4 years examined the diet selected, cattle growth, and the effects of protein supplementation, on tropically adapted steers grazing Mitchell grass pastures in north-western Queensland, Australia. During the rainy season, diet quality and cattle growth were high, but declined progressively to weight loss in the late dry season. Cattle benefited from the protein supplements during the late dry season.

The major challenges facing beef producers in the mulga lands are the inherently low productivity and profitability of the region, exacerbated by widespread degradation, and climate and market variability. The farm-management economics framework was used to assess options to improve profitability and viability of a hypothetical beef cattle property in southwest Queensland, Australia. There was very limited potential to improve profitability or resilience of existing beef enterprises. However, full, or partial conversion to rangeland goat production or carbon farming, respectively, improved property returns and viability.