Abstract
Soils supporting brigalow dominated vegetation are fertile, with much plant diversity and good undergrowth. Because of the fertile soils in brigalow country, clearing and land development started since the 1950s for pasture cultivation and other agricultural practices. In Central Queensland, most of the clearing has been done in brigalow stands for pastures, and exotic grasses such as buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) have been promoted over a large scale.
This has affected the diversity of ground-floor species. The present study evaluates the species diversity found on the floors of native and cleared brigalow stands at three different ages of clearing i.e. 5 years, 13 years and 33 years. The paired comparisons at these sites showed that species diversity was more evident in the native stands compared to the respective cleared ones. It is hypothesized that functional diversity of these ground species contributes towards better sustainability of the system, and this is discussed in the paper.
This has affected the diversity of ground-floor species. The present study evaluates the species diversity found on the floors of native and cleared brigalow stands at three different ages of clearing i.e. 5 years, 13 years and 33 years. The paired comparisons at these sites showed that species diversity was more evident in the native stands compared to the respective cleared ones. It is hypothesized that functional diversity of these ground species contributes towards better sustainability of the system, and this is discussed in the paper.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Remnant vegetation in the Brigalow Belt |
| Subtitle of host publication | Management and Conservation |
| Editors | Anne Exelby, Alistair Melzer |
| Publisher | The Centre for Environmental Management, Central Queensland University, Qld |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| ISBN (Print) | 1921047127 |
| Publication status | Published - 2001 |
| Externally published | Yes |