Journal
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
Volume 171, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112704
Keywords
Beef cattle; Brigalow Catchment Study; Ground cover; Land clearing; Land use change; VegMachine
Funding
- Queensland Department of Resources
- Australian and Queensland governments Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting program
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Extensive grazing practices in the Fitzroy Basin lead to loss of sediment and nutrients in runoff, contributing to the deteriorating health of the Great Barrier Reef. Heavy grazing of rundown grass pastures results in significantly more bare ground, lower pasture biomass, higher runoff volumes, and greater nutrient loads in runoff compared to conservative grazing practices.
Loss of sediment and particulate nutrients in runoff from the extensive grazing lands of the Fitzroy Basin, central Queensland, continue to contribute to the declining health of the Great Barrier Reef. This study measured differences in hydrology and water quality from conservative and heavy grazing pressures on rundown improved grass pastures in the Fitzroy Basin. Conservative grazing pressure was defined as the safe long-term carrying capacity for rundown buffel grass pasture, whereas heavy grazing pressure was defined as the recommended stocking rate for newly established buffel grass pasture. Heavy grazing of rundown pasture resulted in 2.5 times more bare ground and only 8% of the pasture biomass compared to conservative grazing. Heavy grazing also resulted in 3.6 times more total runoff and 3.3 times the peak runoff rate compared to conservative grazing. Loads of total suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus in runoff were also greater from heavy than conservative grazing.
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