Australia's Arid Environments

This article looks at many different aspects of arid environments from its sustainable management to its ecology systems, which is why it fits so nicely with the course, I have shown below two key extracts.

Sustainable land use

Despite the challenges of climate and terrain, there is a diversity of land uses. The balance among them is changing with global market forces and community values.

The pastoral industry is the major land user, producing mostly cattle in the north and sheep in the south, but profitability is difficult to maintain in some areas.

Other land uses currently include:

• Indigenous cultural and subsistence activities
• conservation
• tourism
• mining
• harvesting of wild animals and plant products
• small-area intensive industries such as horticulture.

Ecological challenges

When Europeans brought livestock and exotic plants and animals to the inland, they had little idea of what the effects of these might be. Some types of country like river frontages and grassy plains were heavily grazed, while spinifex grasslands were left largely alone. It took time to learn how much stock could be carried without damaging the country. Feral grazers such as rabbits spread into the interior, consuming vegetation and competing with other burrowing animals for home sites. Some land types lost their trees to drought or fire and never regained them as the seedlings were eaten by rabbits.

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Australia

B.Thrasher