Declines in vegetation patches, plant diversity, and grasshopper diversity near cattle watering-points in Victoria River District, northern Australia.

In this study, we quantify the density, cover and obstruction width of vegetation patches, the roughness of landscape surfaces, and the diversities of plants and grasshoppers with distance from cattle watering-points. We used distance from water as a surrogate for a gradient in grazing pressure. Fourteen study sites were located in the Victoria River District of northern Australia, seven from a water point on Kidman Springs Station on calcareous red loam soils and seven from a water point at Mount Sanford Station on cracking-clay black soils. At each study site transect lines were oriented within the landscape to run downslope (i.e. in the direction of flows of run-off). We measured the intercept length and obstruction width of perennial vegetation patches along these lines. Plant diversity was measured in quadrats positioned along each line and grasshopper diversity was determined by species counts on each site. We also surveyed the roughness of the landscape surface along each line. A rough surface will tend to slow run-off, hence increase time for water infiltration and soil-water storage. Surface roughness declined near water, as did the density, cover and obstruction width of perennial vegetation patches. Grasshopper and plant species richness also declined near water. These declines suggest strong linkages between landscape function, biodiversity and impacts of cattle grazing and trampling. Cattle will always create 'sacrifice zones: around watering-points. However, the area of this impact on function and diversity can be minimised by managing the timing and intensity of paddock use.