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Safe Carrying Capacity and Sustainable Grazing: How Much Have we Learnt in Semi-Arid Australia in the Last 170 Years?

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Land Degradation

Part of the book series: The GeoJournal Library ((GEJL,volume 58))

Abstract

The paper reviews Australian literature on estimating carrying capacity on rangelands from 1823 to 1998. Graziers assume that current stocking rates (numbers of domestic stock per unit area) are identical with the sustainable carrying capacity. It is argued that in virtually all cases, current stocking rates in semi-arid Australia exceed the carrying capacity of the landscape. Despite this, these stocking rates are considered acceptable by both graziers and government agencies. Empirical research by graziers shows that lowering stocking rates by up to 60% increases incomes and improves the vegetation. These lowered stocking rates are probably close to safe carrying capacities and hence sustainable grazing.

Two pragmatic approaches to estimating the stocking rate of ‘sustainable grazing’ are suggested. The first identifies benchmark properties where the vegetation community of interest is rated to be in excellent condition. By obtaining the history of stocking rates, an estimate of safe carrying capacity is possible. The second is simpler: use 50% of the district average stocking rate for the community. This figure will probably be very close to the ‘sustainable grazing’ stocking rate. The ‘50% of district average’ approach is objective, based on ecological theory and empirical research, and is legally defensible.

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Author notes

  1. John Pickard

    Present address: National Parks and Wildlife Service of NSW, PO Box 2111, Dubbo, NSW, 2830, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of the Environment, Macquarie University, NSW, 2109, Australia

    John Pickard

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  1. John Pickard
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Western Australia, Nedlands,Perth, WA 6907, Australia

    Arthur J. Conacher (Associate Professor of Geography) (Associate Professor of Geography)

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© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Pickard, J. (2001). Safe Carrying Capacity and Sustainable Grazing: How Much Have we Learnt in Semi-Arid Australia in the Last 170 Years?. In: Conacher, A.J. (eds) Land Degradation. The GeoJournal Library, vol 58. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2033-5_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2033-5_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5636-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-2033-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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