How good is that, Night Parrot? Spasmodic rain events have always been part of the outback ecology so the critical factor in the explosion in bird numbers must surely be the removal of stock from the area. If we get rid of the disturbances to the environment we're in a much better position to restore it.
That's great to hear, I always like to hear good news about birds.
I'd be really interested to see if they can/have split the effects of rain vs. grazing pressure. The only figures quoted are changes between 2006 and 2011, which just says there's been a boom in that period. As you state, Woko, rapid boom and bust cycles are particularly typical of our arid environments, so it would nice to know if this is more than that.
In contrast to your comment, Woko, I don't actually see much evidence presented in that article that this is more than a cyclical event - other than the anecdotal comment by Peter that "We were already seeing increases because of the release in grazing pressure".
Comparison with neighbouring pastoral properties, or the change in the period 2006 - 2009 would give better evidence of the impact of grazing pressure changes.
I'm not suggesting that there isn't evidence of this or that they haven't done their job properly, just that the article doesn't present it.
Edit: I just realised that all sounds a bit negative, but I guess what we'd all really like to see is that something we can do or are doing (such as creating large private conservation reserves through Bush Heritage, AWC and others) is actually having an effect, rather than just being at the mercy of climate.
Hi Timmo. The point was trying to make, but probably didn't make very well, is that while booms & busts in bird (& other wildlife) numbers in the outback (& probably elsewhere in Australia) are closely related to rainfall events we don't have much, if any, control over these. What we can control is human disturbances such as stocking rates, rabbits, foxes & cats & this is where we can have a big effect I would think. But as you say, it's difficult to separate the effect of rainfall events from human disturbances in their effects on bird populations.
I like your idea of comparing bird populations on a de-stocked area with bird populations on a neighbouring, stocked area, both areas having been subjected to similar rainfall events. I predict the results would potentially have a big impact on arid land management.
How good is that, Night Parrot? Spasmodic rain events have always been part of the outback ecology so the critical factor in the explosion in bird numbers must surely be the removal of stock from the area. If we get rid of the disturbances to the environment we're in a much better position to restore it.
That's great to hear, I always like to hear good news about birds.
I'd be really interested to see if they can/have split the effects of rain vs. grazing pressure. The only figures quoted are changes between 2006 and 2011, which just says there's been a boom in that period. As you state, Woko, rapid boom and bust cycles are particularly typical of our arid environments, so it would nice to know if this is more than that.
In contrast to your comment, Woko, I don't actually see much evidence presented in that article that this is more than a cyclical event - other than the anecdotal comment by Peter that "We were already seeing increases because of the release in grazing pressure".
Comparison with neighbouring pastoral properties, or the change in the period 2006 - 2009 would give better evidence of the impact of grazing pressure changes.
I'm not suggesting that there isn't evidence of this or that they haven't done their job properly, just that the article doesn't present it.
Edit: I just realised that all sounds a bit negative, but I guess what we'd all really like to see is that something we can do or are doing (such as creating large private conservation reserves through Bush Heritage, AWC and others) is actually having an effect, rather than just being at the mercy of climate.
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
Hi Timmo. The point was trying to make, but probably didn't make very well, is that while booms & busts in bird (& other wildlife) numbers in the outback (& probably elsewhere in Australia) are closely related to rainfall events we don't have much, if any, control over these. What we can control is human disturbances such as stocking rates, rabbits, foxes & cats & this is where we can have a big effect I would think. But as you say, it's difficult to separate the effect of rainfall events from human disturbances in their effects on bird populations.
I like your idea of comparing bird populations on a de-stocked area with bird populations on a neighbouring, stocked area, both areas having been subjected to similar rainfall events. I predict the results would potentially have a big impact on arid land management.