Land degradation and land conservation in the arid zone of Australia: grazing is the problem ... and the cure

Arid lands occupy some 70% of Australia, but are very low in conservation priority. Semi-arid rangelands are degraded from over a century of grazing. The fundamental cause is too many introduced domestic and feral herbivores. Formal conservation reserves will always be inadequate to protect arid ecosystems. The complexity of technological and biological impacts on these ecosystems is illustrated by fences and feral carnivores. The biggest stumbling blocks to effective land conservation in the semi-arid zone are poorly set political priorities and unwillingness to provide adequate funds. As off-reserve conservation involving multiple use of grazing properties is essential, the financial well-being of graziers is fundamental to conservation. Recently developed "minimal stocking rate' grazing systems improve both income and ecosystem condition. -Author