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Herbage response to tree thinning in a Eucalyptus crebra woodland
Author(s) -
WALKER J.,
ROBERTSON J. A.,
PENRIDGE L. K.,
SHARPE P. J. H.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
australian journal of ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 0307-692X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1986.tb01384.x
Subject(s) - forb , biomass (ecology) , woodland , eucalyptus , grazing , thinning , biology , standing crop , range (aeronautics) , agronomy , agroforestry , forestry , ecology , geography , grassland , materials science , composite material
Abstract The effects of a range of tree densities on native herbage (mainly Aristida ramosa, Bothriochloa decipiens and Themeda australis biomass in a Eucalyptus crebra woodland near Kingaroy, Queensland, were investigated between March 1977 and July 1981. Rainfall in this area averages 750 mm year −1 . Initial tree density was 640 trees ha −1 and this was manipulated using arboricide chemicals to leave plots containing 640, 320, 160, 80 and nil live trees ha −1 . Fires were excluded from the whole area, and half the plots were grazed by cattle. The largest increase in herbage biomass was recorded in the ‘all trees killed’ treatment (nil trees ha −1 ), closely followed by the ‘scattered tree’ treatment (80 trees ha −1 ). The relationship between tree density and herbage biomass was linear. Recruitment of grass and forb plants, as reflected by changes in density, varied according to treatment. Increased grass recruitment was correlated with cattle grazing, whilst forb recruitment was influenced mainly by tree density.