Science for Australias pastoral land where climate is variable and changing
Pastoral land, or rangeland, is important to the economy of Australia.The native grasses are adapted to survive the generally low but highly variable rainfall but are not adapted to survive heavy grazing pressure which set death-traps for the plants.These and other constraints demand ecological rather than agronomic thinking.Changing climate (warmer and drier) is increasing the need for major adaptations to pastoral management.Modelling shows extremely hot years and days are likely to occur more often, with more heavy rainfall in summer and autumn, less heavy rainfall in winter and spring in the south, more droughts, more fire and more intense tropical cyclones in the north.The climates across Australia are not unique.However, the grasslands continue to be researched because Australia has a unique geological and evolutionary history.The climate, the geological age of landscapes, the evolution of herbivores and other fauna, the pervasiveness of fire and the human history, in combination, set Australia apart from other continents.Knowledge on the functionality and management of Australian grasses and grasslands is well developed.There are emerging issues though requiring scientific research to ensure adaptation to climate change and the success of Government initiatives.
grasslands grasses rangeland climate variability
Kenneth C.Hodgkinson
CSIRO Land and Water GPO Box 1700, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
国际会议
The 5th China-Japan-Korea Grassland Conference(第五届中-日-韩国际草地会议)
长春
英文
1-4
2014-08-20（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）