The use of fire to establish Townsville lucerne in the Northern Territory

1966 ◽  
Vol 6 (22) ◽  
pp. 277 ◽  
Author(s):  
GC Stocker ◽  
JD Sturtz
Keyword(s):  
Northern Territory ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Seeding Rate ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Grass Growth ◽  
Rainfall Region

During the wet season of 1964-65 two trials were established near Darwin to determine if Townsville lucerne (Stylosanthes humilis H.B.K.) could be established in undisturbed annual sorghum (Sorghum intrans F. Muell. ex Benth.) pastures after wet season burning had controlled grass growth. In the first trial, plots were burnt at intervals throughout the wet season. Townsville lucerne pods were broadcast immediately after burning. Grass control and Townsville lucerne establishment were satisfactory in plots burnt after December 6. The second trial examined the effect on Townsville lucerne establishment and S. intrans control of burning, seeding rate, superphosphate, and weedicide treatments. Burning had the most important effect ; seeding rate had little significant effect and superphosphate none. The weedicide treatment was ineffective. The trials indicate that provided wet season burning is used to control S. intrans, Townsville lucerne can be established cheaply over wide areas of the higher rainfall region of the Northern Territory.

Herbicides for weed control in grain sorghum crops in the Northern Territory

1970 ◽  
Vol 10 (46) ◽  
pp. 588
Author(s):  
IMW Wood
Keyword(s):  
Good Control ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Grain Sorghum ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Townsville Stylo ◽  
Grass Weed

In experiments conducted in the 1968-69 wet season at the Katherine Research Station, Northern Territory, a number of herbicides gave good control of the grass weed Pennisetum polystachyon in grain sorghum crops. Linuron at 3 lb a.i. an acre and PCP at 20 lb a.i. an acre as pre-emergence applications effectively controlled grasses with no apparent adverse affects on the crop. With both there were significantly higher grain yields than on unweeded control plots containing an average of 1378 lb dry weight of P. polystachyon an acre. Fluometuron at 3 lb a.i. an acre late pre-emergence and early post-emergence and chlorthal at 7 lb a.i. an acre pre-emergence controlled grasses but did not increase grain yields. Further investigations are warranted with these herbicides, as banded applications to the interrow may overcome the apparent problem of crop phytotoxicity. Chlorthal at rates that gave good grass control had no adverse effect on Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis). This could be an important advantage when sorghum is sown in rotation with Townsville stylo pasture or where the crop is undersown with Townsville stylo.

Fire and survival of Stylosanthes spp. in the dry savanna woodlands of the Northern Territory

1982 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 203 ◽  
Author(s):  
JJ Mott
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
The Other ◽  
Dry Matter Yield ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Native Grass ◽  
Hard Seed ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Good Germination

A series of burns was carried out during the early and late, dry season and early wet season, in mixed native grass-legume plots containing Stylosanthes humilis, S. hamata, S, scabra and S. viscosa as the legume component. The least mortality was shown by S. scabra, but its survival was poor in any sward more than 3 years old. After burning the other species relied solely on seedling regeneration for subsequent season's growth. Fire killed a considerable quantity of seed, but its heat softened hard seed in the soil and good germination occurred with summer rains. However, the presence of a large proportion of soft seed through the winter months could lead to out-of-season germination and subsequent death of seedlings after unseasonal winter rains. Although the total dry matter yield of swards was reduced by all fires, burning could play an important part in increasing yields of S. hamata in swards overgrown by dense native grass, since it increases the amount of soft seed in the soil. If burning causes a high mortality of mature plants of the perennials S. scabra and S. viscosa, a reduction in stocking rate may be needed to ensure regeneration of a productive sward, as these species have slow seedling growth rates.

Problem crocodiles, Crocodylus porosus, at Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory: an assessment of relocation as a mangaement strategy

1993 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 127 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Walsh ◽  
PJ Whitehead
Keyword(s):  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Effective Strategy ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Rates Of Return ◽  
Saltwater Crocodile ◽  
Crocodylus Porosus ◽  
Remote Sites ◽  
Total Capture ◽  
Capture Rates

Since 1986 the Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory has operated a programme to remove 'problem' saltwater crocodiles from waters in and adjoining the township of Nhulunbuy. Over a period of five years, 52 different saltwater crocodiles (44 male) were captured. Most (48) were released at remote sites designated by the traditional Aboriginal owners of the surrounding lands. Release distances from the township varied from 17 to 282 km (by coastline). Many crocodiles (47.9%), including those released at the most distant sites, returned to, and were subsequently recaptured at, the township. Total capture rates (initial captures and recaptures pooled) varied seasonally, with fewer crocodiles being caught in the cooler dry season. During the wet season capture rates remained high, but relatively fewer 'new' crocodiles were caught. Probability of recapture could not be related to distance and direction of release from the township, nor size and sex of the released crocodile. Frequency of capture of individual crocodiles (1-8 times) was also unrelated to these variables. The high rates of return indicate that relocation is unlikely to be an effective strategy for managing humancrocodile interactions, at least in areas where potential release sites already support saltwater crocodile populations near carrying capacity.

Thinking honeyeater: nectar maps for the Northern Territory, Australia

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. Z. Woinarski ◽  
Greg Connors ◽  
Don C. Franklin
Keyword(s):  
Northern Territory ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Nectar Production ◽  
The World ◽  
Eucalypt Forests ◽  
The Times ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Nectar Availability

We create monthly maps of nectar availability for the 1.4 x 106 km2 jurisdiction of the Northern Territory, Australia. These are based on a combination of vegetation mapping and a series of indices of plant species specific nectar scoring. The maps reveal complex spatial and temporal variation in nectar availability, but most notably a greater nectar resource in the monsoon-influenced north than in the arid south, and a peak in nectar availability in the dry season. The latter is associated with the extensive tropical eucalypt forests (especially those co-dominated by Eucalyptus miniata and E. tetrodonta). In contrast, wet season nectar availability in these forests is limited, but riparian and swampland forests, typically dominated by Melaleuca species, provide rich but spatially restricted nectar resources. The extensive and rich nectar resources available in eucalypt forests in the dry season supplement the diets of many species which are not primarily nectarivorous. This resource helps shape the singularity of northern Australian eucalypt forests relative to other extensive forests elsewhere in the world. Nectarivores remain in the system through a combination of movements across a number of scales, habitat shifting, and diet shifting. The latter is aided by the peaking of invertebrate and fruit resources at the times of minimum nectar production; a shuffling in resource availability brought about by the extreme climatic seasonality.

Effect of time of cessation of wet season grazing on Townsville stylo-annual grass pasture at Katherine, N.T

1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (64) ◽  
pp. 544 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJT Norman ◽  
LJ Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Recovery Period ◽  
Dry Matter Yield ◽  
Annual Grass ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Active Growth ◽  
Heavy Grazing ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
Townsville Stylo

A Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis)-annual grass pasture at Katherine, N.T., was subjected to a series of treatments in 1969-70 and 1970-71 under which plots were grazed heavily from the beginning of the wet season for a period and then allowed to recover undefoliated for the remainder of the season. The dates at which heavy grazing ceased were spaced at 2-week intervals from November 24 to March 16. At the end of the wet season, total dry matter yield was linearly related to length of recovery period. Townsville stylo yield declined as recovery period was reduced from 18 to 8 weeks, but showed little response to a further reduction to 4 weeks. In contrast, annual grass yield showed little change as recovery period was reduced from 18 to 8 weeks, but fell with a further reduction to 4 weeks. As a result, the proportion of Townsville stylo in the pasture at the end of the season was high with long and short recovery periods but reached a minimum with an 8 - 10 week recovery period. Dry conditions prevailed in the first half of both seasons. The evidence suggests that young Townsville stylo is sensitive to heavy grazing when under water stress, and that early grazing for grass control should be imposed only during periods of active growth.

The abundance of native insects on the introduced weed Mimosa pigra in Northern Australia

1990 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Flanagan ◽  
C. G. Wilson ◽  
J. D. Gillett
Keyword(s):  
Central America ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Biocontrol Agents ◽  
Phytophagous Insect ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Insect Community ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Mimosa Pigra ◽  
Monospecific Stand ◽  
Total Community

ABSTRACTA monospecific stand of the alien shrub Mimosa pigra (Mimosaceae) was examined weekly for 14 months from March 1984. A total of 44 phytophagous insect species were found on M. pigra. The five most abundant of these made up 74% of the total community. This insect community in general showed a distinct seasonal cycle of abundance with maximum numbers during the wet season. However, a few species had a completely different pattern.Two species, Mictis profana (Hemiptera: Coreidae) and Platymopsis humeralis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), were observed to cause substantial damage to M. pigra. When compared with the fauna of M. pigra from its native region, Central America, that of the Northern Territory is low in leaf and flower-feeding insects. It is suggested that these types of insects be sought as future biocontrol agents to complement those native insects causing damage and those biocontrol agents already released.

Stand morphology of Townsville lucerne (Stylosanthes humilis) : Seasonal growth and root development

1968 ◽  
Vol 8 (34) ◽  
pp. 533 ◽  
Author(s):  
BWR Torssell ◽  
JE Begg ◽  
CW Rose ◽  
GF Byrne
Keyword(s):  
Root Length ◽  
Lateral Roots ◽  
Heavy Rain ◽  
Root Surface ◽  
Root Surface Area ◽  
General Description ◽  
Seasonal Growth ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Average Growth ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis

This paper describes the seasonal growth and morphology of a four-year-old pasture of Townsville lucerne (Stylosanthes humilis) used in a detailed microenvironmental study conducted at Katherine, N.T., during the 1966-67 wet season. Rapid germination and penetration of the tap root followed an early storm rain of 38 mm at the end of September, and most of the seedlings survived the next seven weeks without rain. A second germination followed heavy rain at the end of November, and by the end of December the main development of lateral roots commenced and the rate of shoot development increased. The highest average growth rate, 31 g/m2/day for the period March 31-April 14, was after the last rain of the season and preceded by ten weeks of above average rainfall. Growth continued for a further two weeks while the roots continued to deplete available soil water. During the main period of growth, approximately 80 per cent of root length and 70 per cent of root surface area was in the top 30 cm of soil. The density of root length varied very little below 30 cm. Growth and development are discussed in relation to grass competition and drought adaptation, and fitted to a general description of the life cycle of Townsville lucerne under northern Australian conditions.

Grazer movements: spatial and temporal responses to burning in a tall-grass African savanna

2004 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 377 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Archibald ◽  
W. J. Bond
Keyword(s):  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Distribution Data ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Tall Grass ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Time Of Year ◽  
Grass Growth ◽  
Grass Sward ◽  
Burnt Areas

The consequences of burning on grazer distributions in the landscape were investigated in a savanna system in South Africa. Distribution and extent of fires can be highly variable within and between years, but how this influences patterns of grazing is not well understood. Three years of fire and grazer distribution data from Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park, KwaZulu Natal were used to describe how animals respond to different burn situations. Animals were attracted to the burnt areas after fires and this resulted in a decrease in grazer densities in unburnt areas. This effect was more pronounced when a larger area of the park had burnt, and increased over time as area burnt increased. Thus, grazing pressure in an area will depend on the size, timing and distribution of fires in a larger spatial context. Fires also seem to promote a more uniform grazing environment: although grazer density overall is higher in areas that have burnt, the grazers are more dispersed in these areas, and grazing at any one point may be less intense than in the unburnt areas (which are grazed patchily). Therefore at the beginning of the wet season—a key time of year for grass growth—fires are acting to decrease grazing pressure at any one point in both burnt and unburnt areas. The presence of fire in grazing systems could affect grass community composition because fire alters the intensity and frequency of utilisation of the grass sward.

Variation in flowering time and in some growth characteristics of Townsville lucerne (Stylosanthes humilis)

1965 ◽  
Vol 5 (16) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
DF Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Flowering Time ◽  
Significant Variation ◽  
Growth Habit ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Growth Characteristics ◽  
Diameter Growth ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Stem Colour

Significant variation (P<0.001) in flowering time was found between collections of Townsville lucerne (Styloanthes humilisHBK.) from a number of localities in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Collections also varied in plant diameter, growth habit, stem colour, and degree of hard-seededness. Further avenues of study to elucidate the origin and significance of this variation are briefly discussed.

Feral Pig (Sus Scrofa) Rooting in a Monsoon Forest-Wetland Transition, Northern Australia.

1991 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 761 ◽  
Author(s):  
DMJS Bowman ◽  
L Mcdonough
Keyword(s):  
Sus Scrofa ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Monsoon Forest ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Seasonally Flooded ◽  
Wet And Dry Seasons

A grid of 447 cells (each 50x50 m) was set up in a wet monsoon rain forest on a gradual slope above the Adelaide River floodplain in the Australian Northern Territory. Surveys of pig (Sus scrofa) rooting were carried out at approximately 3-month intervals from November 1988 to September 1989. The pigs had only limited effects on the forest in both the wet and dry seasons. The seasonally flooded swamp communities (Melaleuca forest and sedgeland) were primarily exploited in the dry season; dryland communities ([Eucalyptus] and Lophostemon forests) were exploited during the wet season. Rainfall during the previous wet season may have influenced the pattern of rooting in the dryland forests. Rooting and ground cover were weakly positively related in 3 out of the 4 surveys.

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