Bulletin No 4023 - Pasture plants of the Western Australian shrublands

Authors

D G. Wilcox, Department of Agriculture, Western Australia
J G. Morrissey, Department of Agriculture, Western Australia

Files

Publication Date

1977

Series Number

4023

Abstract

The use of the shrubland pastures of Western Australia began in 1861 when Mr. W. Burges of the Bowes Station near Northampton sent a flock of sheep along the Greenough River to graze the country where Yuin station is today. Following his example, a number of other enterprising men established grazing areas along the river courses of this harsh and often drought stricken and forbidding land. By 1925, virtually all of the pastoral land of value in the mulga zone west of the Gibson Desert and the Great Victoria Desert had been developed, and by 1934, over four million sheep in addition to cattle grazed these native pastures.

But for all its harshness and its seeming resistance to drought, we now know that the environment was extremely fragile and could not possibly remain in harmony with the large numbers of domestic stock which were sud­denly placed upon it. These, along with an explosion of kangaroo numbers and a very severe drought, imposed strains upon a system quite unused to heavy grazing pressures. A substantial reduction in the population of de­sirable plants in the shrubland pastures followed. This country is now more suscept­ible to drought and its productivity has declined.

The Department of Agriculture began a programme of investigation into the pastures of the Western Australian shrublands in 1955. During these studies, we have been able to identify a number of the more important plant species and to propose grazing management practices which will foster those which are desirable in the grazing ecosystem.

This book has been prepared as a guide to the proper management practices of the Western Australian mulga region. It describes a method whereby range condition can be determined by a pastoralist on his property and shows how certain plants can be used in this assessment. It also suggests methods for deciding on the proper stocking rate for a property. It is generously illustrated with coloured pictures of the more important pasture plants of the area.

The text describes each plant, its general distribution, its pastoral value and its use as an indicator plant in the assessment of rangeland condition.

Number of Pages

60

ISBN

0 7244 7353

Publisher

Western Australian Department of Agriculture

City

Perth

Keywords

Pasture plants, Plant identification, Western Australia, Western Australian shrublands

Disciplines

Agricultural Science | Agronomy and Crop Sciences | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Plant Biology | Plant Sciences

Recommended Citation

Wilcox, D G, and Morrissey, J G. (1977), Bulletin No 4023 - Pasture plants of the Western Australian shrublands. Western Australian Department of Agriculture, Perth. Bulletin 4023.
https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/bulletins/302

Maps

Maps are not included as part of the complete document download. If this report contains a map, it will be available in the individual parts list below.