I agree with Andrew that camels are the problem in our deserts. Cattle don’t survive very well in most areas, certainly in the centre and north. Cattle are interesting.
Anna Plains Station is an IBA (Important Bird Area). It is recognised that cattle play an important part in making it such a suitable site for the large numbers of Oriental Plover, Little Curlew and in some seasons Oriental Pratincole for which it has been nominated. What happened before cattle? My understanding is that buffle grass (and possibly other grasses) were introduced which took over large areas of what was presumably suitable native grasses and other low vegetation. Nobody has found a way to control buffle grass, and in any case it would never happen on pastoral leases in the Kimberley.
Lake McLarty south of Perth is also an IBA. DEC released a management plan a few years ago for this reserve. There has been considerable debate over whether there should continue to be some cattle there each year, as they keep down the areas of typha that have been encroaching and maintain the habitat for the large numbers of shorebirds for which the lake has been nominated as an IBA.
I believe that cattle are also part of the management plan for one of the wetland IBAs in NSW. Can’t remember the name at the moment.
We need to recognise that the environment in some areas has been irreversibly changed, and that cattle may need to be part of the management of these areas. However in my opinion, the northern and central deserts have not been irreversibly changed at this stage, and I believe that camels are a major threat and they should be removed.
_________________________________________________________________ Frank O’Connor Birding WA http://birdingwa.iinet.net.au Phone : (08) 9386 5694 Email : foconnor@iinet.net.au
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