Very interesting. I'd bet money that the problem is poor fire regimes,
which grazing is a poor alternative.
Jeremy
On Nov 19, 2012 7:17 PM, "Simon Starr" <> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
>
>
> In this week's Weekly Times, Wed 14th, the front page reads "Plains
> Blunderer- Lock-it-and-leave policy debunked as sheep graze a national park
> to save the Plains Wanderer "
>
>
>
> The article opens the lid on the fact that since the acquisition of more
> than 11,000 ha of farmland in Northern Victoria by federal and state
> governments as well as by private environmental groups over the last 20
> years, to protect native grasslands and the associated threatened species,
> the reduction in grazing, and lack of response to the recent wetter years,
> have led to a situation where the Plains Wanderer has virtually been
> completely eliminated from the now protected areas. In my opinion the dense
> grass growth has also crowded out many wildflowers.
>
>
>
> The population in Victoria has crashed, and remaining birds seem largely
> confined to regularly grazed private grasslands, some of those being
> landholders who did not want to sell their native grasslands.
>
>
>
> The grassland reserves are certainly now protected from being
> ploughed/cropped, but when it comes to managing grasslands there are
> different ideas on how to do it !
>
>
>
> It appears that there is now a realization amongst the powers that be, that
> these birds, and other threatened species have been badly affected due to
> poor management on the reserves.
>
> There are many good people working to improve the situation which gives me
> great hope that in the future the dire situation for the Plains Wanderer
> will be reversed. However it will require suitable funding to make it work,
> and in the current climate it is a worry that adequate funds will not be
> allocated to managing what is now a very large area of the northern plains.
>
>
>
> The Weekly Times article will certainly reinforce some attitudes in rural
> areas, that "greenies" do not know how to manage the land. Having lived and
> worked on the land, I think that both sides of the argument have something
> to learn from the other.
>
>
>
> Grassland conservation in the Riverina is still a relatively new exercise,
> so these experiences will no doubt help the process into the future.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
>
>
> Simon Starr,
>
> PS the article does not seem to be available online, but the paper should
> still be available tomorrow/Tuesday.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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