4. FACTS NEVER SEEM TO DIMINISH AN OBSESSION
"The smothering of the ground with excreta and the pollution of the streams by cattle also became more of a conflict as the use of the area by campers increased".
Nomination of Australian Alps Region for the World Heritage List, the Victorian National Parks Association.
"This (cattle grazing) creates areas of bare ground, causing soil loss and more rapid runoff of water, and affects the composition of the vegetation. Some of the more spectacular plants such as the mountain celery (Aciphylla glacialis) are now rarely seen. Other effects include the trampling of moss beds and interference with the regrowth of snow gums.
Australia's Wilderness Heritage - World Heritage Areas Australian Conservation Foundation. 1988
"The Council has taken the view that these concerns, although real, do not justify the removal of grazing from areas other than the most sensitive or important for conservation or walking, as previously mentioned. The Council has recommended further studies however."
Statewide Assessment of Public Land Use. Land Conservation Council, 1988.
The Victorian Government has announced that it intends offering "longer term licences to all (remaining) cattlemen in the high country."
Victoria Needs an Alpine National Park. Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands 1988.
5. THE BENEFICIAL ASPECTS OF CATTLE GRAZING IN THE HIGH COUNTRY
There are significant benefits of grazing cattle in the high country.
The grazing of cattle substantially reduces the potential for wildfire, which apart from immediately devastating the area, can result in severe soil erosion and degraded water catchments.
In 1979 the LCC acknowledged that:
"In some areas, grazing can assist in management by reducing the build up of dry plant residues particularly when exotic pastures have been introduced, thus lessening fuel available for fires".
In its 1988 Report, "Statewide Assessment of Public Land Use", the LCC acknowledged that:
"Well managed forest grazing can also provide community benefits through weed control and fire-fuel reduction".
Cattle grazing is also a more reliable and smoke free alternative to fuel-reduction burning for much of the mountain bushland.
The practice of annual seasonal grazing by cattle and fuel reduction burning are perfectly complementary. The intermittent pressure of annual seasonal grazing by cattle, as distinct from uncontrolled grazing by rabbits, hares, and other such feral animals, is the most environmentally acceptable way to retard fuel build-up. The use of grazing by cattle will prolong the periods between burns. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment will benefit economically, and be less concerned with complaints regarding smoke.
At the alpine and sub-alpine levels, there is often a margin of grassland between the creeks and adjacent forest. These open grasslands are preferred by grazing cattle because the pasture has the benefit of more sun and may be more palatable. The result is that these areas are regularly trimmed each year and are ready to act as fire breaks in the hazardous late Summer fire season. The continuation of grazing will mean that many of the valleys in the high country, and much of the land between them, will be maintained in a fire safe condition.
Mountain grazing will also ensure that mountain cattlemen continue to have an intimate off-road knowledge of their licensed areas. This has and will continue to be of invaluable assistance in search and rescue and fire control.
The Government's Pricing Panel (established to review Crown land rentals) stated that:
"There are benefits which accrue to the Cattlemen in having alpine and bush runs. Similarly, there are benefits which accrue to the Crown in licensing these areas".
In its June 1979 Report the LCC acknowledged the role of the cattlemen:
The MCAV also contends that many people in the wider community generally regard the heritage of grazing of cattle on the high plains with affection and regard it as a legitimate use of the alpine area.
6. THE EFFECT OF CATTLE GRAZING ON THE CONSERVATION VALUES OF THE HIGH PLAINS.
6.1 The Bogong High Plains prior to Cattle Grazing.
In considering the conservation of natural values on the Bogong High Plains it is important to do so in the context of the management and condition of the area prior to white settlement.
Aborigines went up to the Bogong High Plains each Summer seeking case and swift months, marsupial rats, possums, fish and wombats. The aborigines burnt areas following the harvesting of the moths to assist in the hunting of animals. This had the effect of keeping the woody shrubs in check.
Importantly, the area has been burnt many times over for hundreds, and maybe thousands of years and has therefore been actively managed by man for the same length of time.
6.2 Stocking Pressures
In all natural bushland in south east Australia there are a variety of grazing animals, and their populations are limited to the numbers that can survive within the nutritional limitations of stressful winter periods. The consequently limited populations of native fauna are insufficient to adequately control the annual vegetation growth following rain in the warmer months. For many thousands of years this excess growth was reduced when matured and dry, in a patchwork pattern, either by the fire stick management of aborigines or by lightning fires.
All the various exotic grazing animals do not have the same feeding preferences and effects upon vegetation. In rangeland conditions cattle do not permanently damage vegetation as do other imported animals. For example the lack of teeth in their upper jaws prevent them from nibbling plants down to ground level, and often also the roots, like rabbits do.
Horses with upper and lower incisors can graze almost as closely as rabbits.
Cattle will not eat eucalyptus leaves unless in the most dire circumstances of starvation, while sheep, goats and deer are less selective and will eat at least some eucalyptus varieties.
The often maligned cloven hooves of cattle are foot pads that are protected by a rim of protective hoof. While the cattle trim new growth of grass and shrubs, their hooves break down tree litter and senescent grass to where it will be less fire hazard and more quickly become organic matter in the soil.
Grazing is generally appropriate for most habitats as it fulfils the criteria of general principles for fire protection.
6.3 Wildflowers
Much has been made of experiments comparing land inside fenced plots, from which cattle have been excluded, and land outside these fenced plots.
It is accepted that displays of wildflowers are sometimes, and in some places, depleted by cattle grazing. However, the species still exist, are widespread and are in numbers comparable with those in ungrazed experimental plots. It is significant that research confirms that no species has been lost within the last 40 years.
It is inappropriate, however, to compare ungrazed experimental plots with the immediately adjacent land. Many people visit the sites of these experiments and walk around the perimeter of the plot and this itself has some trampling effect. Cattle also walk around the perimeter of the fence and this increases the localised trampling. Cattle tend to re-investigate these sites following visits by people because they associate people with the provision of salt blocks. Furthermore cattle are naturally inquisitive and tend to visit trial plot sites more often than other areas.
Therefore, although the visual impact of wildflower displays outside experimental plots might not be as good as inside the plots, there are many other grazed areas where the display is equally spectacular.
In considering the prevalence of particular species, it is also important to recognise that there is no set botanical pattern on the High Plains. Because of the extremes of seasonal conditions, a normally annual rotation can take two and up to seven years to complete.
Van Rees, Papst and McDougall (1984) have also reported that the abundance of preferred species has remained constant over a number of years in a grazed experimental plot.
Cattle do not have a preference for seed heads and wildflowers. Cattle prefer young pasture and then move on to eating woody shrubs. Grass grazing removes the competition from the flowers which are then able to bloom profusely.
6.4 Weeds
On the introduction of weeds, Van Rees (1982) found Conya bonariensis to be the only problem weed from agricultural areas to be grown from sampled cattle faeces. This was compared with a much larger range of significant weeds in and around ski developments.
The weed broombush was introduced to the area around Mt. Nelse by the early miners. Since that time its spread has been checked by cattle grazing.
One of the most serious threats to all public land is the spread of the blackberry which has the potential to render useless vast areas of grassland.
6. 5 Feral Animals
Wild horses, dogs, pigs and cats do considerable damage in many areas of the high country and cattlemen on the High Plains have assisted in their control.
Severe damage can be caused by horses which graze the area for a longer period than cattle and graze closer to the ground.
Wild dogs live on the carcasses of foals and old horses as well as small native animals and birds.
Cattlemen have assisted in controlling horses and dogs through the use of trapyards and shooting.
Three colonies of wild pigs and numbers of wild cats have been killed in areas immediately surrounding the Bogong High Plains.
All of these animals are causing damage to flora and fauna and while cattle are grazed on the High Plains the cattlemen will be actively involved in controlling their numbers.
6.6 Woody Shrubs
There is a general consensus of concern amongst the botanists and cattlemen about the encroachment of woody shrubs onto the grassy plains. The botanists have predicted that the shrubs would reach a climax and then gradually die out leaving fields of alpine grasses, herbs and flowers.
Shrubs have been in existence for hundreds of years. They have been kept in check, initially by the fires lit by aborigines and lightning, and then by the combined effect of fires lit by cattlemen and the grazing of cattle.
Since the numbers of cattle have been reduced, the country is no longer burnt in a controlled manner and the climate has become warmer, the shrubs have encroached upon large areas of formerly grassy plains.
Van Rees, Papst and McDougall (1984) found the shrubs to be small in grazed grassland and larger in size and cover in areas protected from grazing.
6.7 Mossbeds
On the effect on mossbeds, Van Rees (1984) found it to be a "controversial issue on which there are few data" but did find regenerating mossbeds on the grazed areas of the Bogong High Plains. He also noted that mossbeds are not preferred by grazing cattle.
One must be extremely careful about drawing conclusions from apparently obvious signs on the ground. For example, on the Bogong High Plains, there is a totally degraded mossbed around which there are signs of significant cattle activity. In this particular case however, the mossbed died off immediately after the source of water was shifted, probably by an earth tremor. It is now clearly evident that the mossbed is now growing and expanding along the new water course. There is little doubt that a new mossbed is in the process of being formed.
Despite the occurrence of fire (wildfire and prescribed fire) mossbeds have survived. There needs to be further research into the hydrology of the High Plains before any firm conclusions can be drawn.
6.8 Bare Ground
There are areas throughout the High Plains that suffer the effects of seasonal conditions that are even more severe than the surrounding area. Snowdrift patches on the shaded southern slopes are particularly severe on vegetation especially early in the thaw when they tend to have a glacial action. Other factors such as wind blast, cool hollows, frost heave and ice can result in localised sites that can appear to be badly eroded or degraded. These are naturally occurring phenomena and have nothing to do with the grazing of cattle.
It is also important to recognise that Australian native pasture has never been recorded, even in its most healthy state, as covering 100% of the ground.
6.9 The Effect of the Removal of Cattle from the Bogong High Plains.
6.9.1 Woody Shrubs
The population of woody shrubs would increase. The reduced cattle numbers have already lessened the effect cattle have on these woody species. After the removal of cattle the numbers of woody shrubs would increase.
6.9.2 Fire Hazard
The Plains would be much more susceptible to disastrous wildfire. The increased number of woody shrubs with a high oil content would add significantly to this hazard. Disastrous fires on Mt Buffalo and in the Kosciusko National Park where cattle have been excluded provides ample evidence of this inevitable consequence.
In very dry years, when the surrounding landscape is very dry and highly inflammable, the mossbeds often dry out. Mossbeds can burn like peat and the remaining ashes washed downstream in any heavy Autumn rains. The trimmed grass alongside the creeks and mossbeds actively protects the mossbeds from fire. The alternative of fuel reduction burning is very difficult at these altitudes.
6.9.3 Deterioration of Water Catchment Values
The increase in fibrous and woody shrubs, as well as dead and senescent grass, would increase the temperature of the ground and this would increase the amount of water lost to evaporation, and restrict the flow of water into streams.
It is understood that the harvest of water from the Snowy Mountains has diminished due to the removal of grazing. Similar conditions are now emerging on the Bogong High Plains.
6.9.4 Increase Case and Swift Moth
If the grasses are not trimmed by the action of cattle grazing, the build up of grasses would provide perfect conditions for the case and swift moth lava to breed. This subsequently kills the grass.
6.10 Conclusion
The High Plains have been grazed for over 150 years. Why is it that only now the cattle must be removed? What is the damage that they might cause in the future that they have not had the opportunity of causing over the past 150 years.
Sources:
Van Rees, Papst and McDougall (1984) Monitoring of the grassland community on the Bogong High Plains, Soil Conservation Authority.
Van Rees, H. (1982) The diet of free- ranging cattle on the Bogong High Plains.
Van Rees, H. (1984) Behaviour and diet of free-ranging cattle on the Bogong High Plains. Department of Conservation Forests and Lands.
7. ACTIVE LAND MANAGEMENT VS. LINES, STATUS, TITLES AND LISTS
Mountain cattlemen have an active interest and involvement in the day-to-day management and conservation of the Alpine Area. This active land management is much more important for the conservation of the area than arguments about lines on maps, titles of land and World Heritage lists that took up so much time of the former Cain/Kirner Labor Government.
The obsession with land titles and land status has provided no tangible improvement to the conservation and condition of the land. Unless there is a change in management, it makes no difference whatsoever to the condition of the land whether it is called "National Park", "reserved forest", or "Government or Public Land".
Even more irrelevant to the actual management on the ground is the possibility of the Alpine Area being inscribed on a UNESCO World Heritage list.
The actual day-to-day management of the land is far more important than arbitrary lines drawn on maps, land titles and status and the inscriptions on lists in Paris.
The management of land by Government is not universally and unequivocally the best available land management regime. Ample evidence of this is the situation in the weed infested Hattah-Kulkyne National Park which has also become over-run with kangaroos since the conservationists prevented the Government from implementing a much needed culling program.
The MCAV considers that the Department of Natural Resources and Environment should develop active management strategies with each licence holder so that the cattlemen can provide even more positive assistance in the management of the area, the conservation of natural values and the protection of native flora and fauna.
8. THE DEGRADATION OF KOSCIUSKO NATIONAL PARK SINCE THE REMOVAL OF GRAZING.
The manner in which the Kosciusko National Park has degraded since the removal of grazing provides stark evidence of what can be expected if grazing is removed from National Parks in Victoria.
On the plains and in the open woodland of the KNP snowgrass has virtually pushed out all other species of plants and it itself is mostly dead or dying. Much of the area is covered with old half dead and long dead snowgrass. It is almost totally devoid of herbs.
Protection from fire and grazing has hastened the disappearance of the lesser species in the community, particularly the wildflower species.
The encroachment of heath species onto grassland plains also appears to be a consequence of a lack of grazing and the associated practice of mild burning.
These shrubs are generally highly flammable and in the increase their numbers and size has created problems for the management of the area. Cattlemen have argued that grazing controls the spread of shrubs, promotes fresh growth of snowgrass and that this reduces the general fire hazard.
In the absence of grazing, the risk of all-destroying wildfire will be greatly increased, ignition from lightning strikes made easier, and the intensity of any fire greatly increased because of increased fuel loads and increasing flammability.
In the 1965 fires in KNP, the intense heat generated by a dense mat of senescent snowgrass burnt the plant material down to mineral soil. If the fires had been followed by heavy storm rains or even moderate rains there would have been widespread erosion.
If nothing is done, the next extensive wildfire will cause far greater destruction, and leave the landscape open to horrific erosion if the fires are closely followed by storm rains.
There are some feral animal and noxious weed problems which have developed since the removal of cattle.
If cattle grazing were to be re-introduced into KNP, and delayed until January each year, in conjunction with additional fencing on each plot, the result would be much superior in terms of the integrity of the natural environment, the diversity of species and in terms of wildflower population.
The Kosciusko National Park has, since the removal of grazing, been a
major fire hazard, and this must not be allowed to become the case in Victoria. In the KNP, a massive increase in the population of ants is having a dramatic adverse effect on the ecosystem. The untrimmed and unburnt snowgrass is providing an unnatural haven for ants and this is causing the increase in their population. In some areas, such as Happy Jack's Plain, nests can be found in every square metre.
Local observers of these areas for the past 50 years report that the changing flora growth pattern coupled with the increased nests of ants have decimated the quail and lark population. They reported that emus are disappearing as are trout from the streams.
They strongly believe that this has been caused by the dramatic change in management of the country since the cessation of mild burning by Aborigines and cattle grazing.
We do not want this to happen to the Victorian high country.
Email : barker@vicnet.net.au
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