PLANT MORPHOGENESIS FOR SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT OF RANGE RESOURCES 



205 



Australia, response (in species numbers) to rain 

 was spectacular. At Cobar in central New South 

 Wales, an initial survey of species on a seriously 

 eroded red earth recorded 12 grasses and 8 herbs. 

 After spelling from grazing for 7 years and 

 treating with furrows, 27 grasses and 75 herbs 

 were recorded, none of which were introduced. 

 After water ponding on a bare scald at Nyngan, 

 N.S.W., a species count rose from zero to 22 

 grasses and 33 herbs in 3 years. There appears to 

 be an ample range of native species available. 

 and number of species is not limiting in produc- 

 tion or protection. 



Restorative Programs 



There have been many attempts by individuals 

 and government to restore eroded lands to pro- 

 duction. Most of the effort has been directed to- 

 ward the seriously degraded situations, such as 

 the spectacular scald. It is normal for an ephem- 

 eral response to be obtained, but permanent res- 

 toration is difficult. However, reliable techniques 

 have been developed for most of the eroded situa- 

 tions which are encountered. They are not always 

 economically attractive in the short term. 



The basis for all restoration programs is ma- 

 nipulation of the soil moisture by way of fur- 

 rowing, ploughing, diversion, or ponding in some 

 form. These techniques have been adequately de- 

 scribed by Cunningham (7, 8) Fitzgerald (.9, 10). 

 Jones {12, 13, 1^ 15), and Newman (19). Other 

 factors, such as seeding, nutrition and stock ex- 

 clusion, are often included in the treatment. 



References 



(11 Anonymous. 



1965. sheep in the mui.ga zone — a handbook for 

 pastorai.ists. Dept. Agr. West Austral. 



(2) Barker. S.. and R. T. Lange. 



1969. EFFECTS OF MODERATE SHEEP STOCKING ON PLANT 

 POPULATIONS OF A BLACK OAK-BI.UEBUSH ASSO- 

 CIATION. Austral. J. Bot. 17 : 527. 



(3) Burrows. W. H., and I. F. Beale. 



1969. structure and association in the mulga 

 (acacia aneura) lands in south-western 

 Queensland. Austral. J. Bot. 17 : 539. 



(4) Charley. J. I.., and S. W. Cowling. 



1968. changes in soil nutrient status resulting 

 from overgrazing and their consequences in 

 plant communities of semi-arid areas. proc. 

 Ecol. Soo Austral. 3 : 28. 



(5) 



(6) 



(7) 



(8) 



Condon, R. W. 



1968. ESTIMATION OF GRAZING CAPACITY ON ARID GRAZ- 

 ING lands in Australia. In C, . A. Stewart 

 fed.) Land Evaluation. Macinillan of Aus- 

 tralia. Melbourne. 



— . .1. C. Newman, and G. M. Cunningham. 



1969. SOIL EROSION AND PASTURE DEGENERATION IN 

 CENTRAL AUSTRALIA. PTS. I, II, ni, IV.J. Soil 



Cons. X.S.W. 25: 47. 161. 225, 295. 



Cunningham, G. M. 



1967. furrowing aids revegetation at cobar DE- 

 SPITE THE WORST DROUGHT ON RECORD. .T. Soil 



Cons. N.S.W. 23: 192. 



1970. waterponding on scalds. J. Soil Cons. N.S.W. 

 26: 146. 

 (9) Fitzgerald, K. 



1967. THE ORD RIVER CATCHMENT REGENERATION PROJ- 

 ECT. J. Agr. West Austral. 8: 446. 



(10) 



PROJECT 2. 



Agr. West 



1968. THE ORD RIVER REGENERATION 

 DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM. J. 



Austral. 9: 90. 



(11) Goodin. J. R., and C. M. McKell. 



1969. NEW IDEAS FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND UTILI- 

 ZATION of arid land forage plants. In Inter- 

 national Conference on Arid Lands in a 

 Changing World. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson. 



(12) Jones, R. M. 



1966. scald reclamation studies in the hay dis- 

 trict. PART I — NATURAL RECLAMATION OF 

 scalds. J. Soil Cons. N.S.W. 22: 147. 



(13) 



1966. scald reclamation studies in the hay dis- 

 trict. PART II. RECLAMATION BY PLOUGHING. 



J. Soil Cons. N.S.W. 22: 213. 



(14) 



1967. SCALD STUDIES IN THE HAY DISTRICT. PART III. 

 RECLAMATION BY PONDING BANKS. J. Soil Cons. 



N.S.W. 23: 57. 

 (15) 



1969. SCALD RECLAMATION STUDIES IN THE HAY DIS- 

 TRICT. PART IV — SCALD SOILS : THEIR PROPER- 

 TIES AND CHANGES WITH RECLAMATION. J. Soil 



Cons. N.S.W. 25: 104. 



(16) Leigh, J. H.. and W. E. Mulham. 



1966. SELECTION OF DIET BY SHEEP GRAZING SEMI- 

 ABID PASTURES OF THE RIVERINE PLAIN. PTS. I, 



II. Austral. J. Expt. Agr. Aniin. Husb. 6: 

 460-468. 



(17) Marshall, J. K. 



1969. SITE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO AEOLIAN EROSION IN 

 SEMI-ARID AND ARID AUSTRALIA. Univ. Of New 



England, Armidale. Drought Seminar. 



(18) Moore. C. W. E. 



1969. APPLICATION OF ECOLOGY TO THE MANAGEMENT 

 OF PASTORAL LEASES IN NORTHWESTERN N.S.W. 



Proc. Ecol. Soc Austral. 4 : 39-54. 



