Habitat use and behaviour of cattle in a heterogeneous desert environment in central Australia

Abstract

The activities of livestock in arid environments typically centre on watering points, with grazing impacts often predicted to decrease uniformly, as radial piospheres, with distance from water. In patchy desert environments, however, the spatial distribution of grazing impacts is more difficult to predict. In this study sightings and dung transects are used to identify preferred cattle habitats in the heterogeneous dune system of the Simpson Desert, central Australia. The importance of watering points as foci for cattle activity was confirmed and it was shown that patchily distributed gidgee woodland, which comprises only 16% of the desert environment, is the most heavily used habitat for cattle away from water and provides critical forage and shade resources. By contrast, dune swales and sides, which are dominated by shade- and forage-deficient spinifex grassland and comprise >70% of the available habitat, were less utilised. These results suggest that habitat use by cattle is influenced jointly by water point location and by the dispersion of woodland patches in a resource-poor matrix. The findings were used to build a modified conceptual model of cattle habitat use which was compared with an original piosphere model, and the consequences for wildlife in environments where the model applies are discussed.

Interactions of Grazing History, Cattle Removal and Time since Rain Drive Divergent Short-Term Responses by Desert Biota

“…For the most abundant skink, Lerista labialis [59], captures varied over time and patterns of response to grazing history and treatment were inconsistent. As this species is largely subterranean and prefers the loose sand on dune crests [59], it was not expected to be impacted greatly by cattle as cattle seldom use dune crests [20]. These conclusions indicate that the two most abundant skinks in the study persist under light grazing conditions, and accord also with the prevailing view that most species decline where grazing is heavy [53], [57].…”

“…Over this period, improvements in vehicle technology have enabled easier access to the remote interior parts of the desert which are over 100 dune crests away from homesteads on the desert’s eastern fringe. Although cattle were nominally free to move westward with little obstruction from fences, it is likely that most stayed near the homesteads in the east due to the absence of water in the interior of the desert and because cattle avoid crossing dunes [20]. In addition to vehicular access, improvements in technology in the 1970s helped to maintain cattle in areas distant from the homesteads: access was gained to deep artesian water using bores run on diesel generators, and paddocks were established around the new watering points to confine the grazing herds for mustering operations [21].…”

Ecosystem risk assessment of Georgina gidgee woodlands in central Australia

“…Gidgee woodland patches provide important habitat and resources for cattle (Frank et al . ) compared to surrounding spinifex: shade and shelter from wind (Bird et al . ), easy movement on the hard, clay‐rich soils, drought forage (gidgee foliage and chenopod shrubs) and understory plants that are more nutritious than in the impoverished spinifex grasslands (Grigg et al .…”

Resource Pulses in Desert River Habitats: Productivity-Biodiversity Hotspots, or Mirages?

“…comm. ), after which they were removed entirely from the region; camels and kangaroos occur, but at densities <0.05 animals/km 2 [61], [62], [63]. Smaller grazers such as rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) also are present sporadically but in very low numbers [64], [65].…”