MANAGEMENT OF SAVANNAS FOR LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION IN NORTH-EAST AUSTRALIA - CONTRASTS ACROSS THE TREE GRASS CONTINUUM

Three distinctive savannas of NE Australia, originally dominated by unpalatable Eucalyptus spp., the valuable fodder Acacia aneura and Astrebla spp. grasslands, are described. In each case an imbalance of woody and herbaceous plants now poses a threat to successful pastoralism. Tree/shrub-grass relationships and the impact of fire are examined for each community. Utilization of these areas for beef and wool production is discussed and some approaches to predictive modelling of the systems are outlined. -Authors