Identify areas for biodiversity management on my farm
The wheat–sheep belt of NSW is a productive agricultural region. However, it is also a region in which native vegetation has been fragmented, degraded or lost. Appropriate management of the remaining native vegetation on farms, while still maintaining the most productive areas for driving profitability, is vital for the conservation of biodiversity in these landscapes. The challenge is to assist producers to identify on-farm areas that may be suitable for conservation.
Research conducted as part of the Tamworth EverGraze Proof Site demonstrated that conservation of Box Gum Grassy Woodlands on the North West Slopes of NSW is best achieved through on-farm management of high quality remnant patches. Findings and recommendations from this study were developed into:
- A practical guide for farmers: Assessing conservation value of native vegetation on farm in northern NSW,
- A more detailed booklet for conservationists: A guide for assessing the conservation value of box gum grassy woodlands on the North West Slopes of NSW, and
- A key message detailing the study conducted and its findings: Conservation of Box-Gum Grassy Woodlands on the North West Slopes of NSW is best achieved through on-farm management of high quality remnant patches.
Further Information
- Tamworth EverGraze key message – : Conservation of Box-Gum Grassy Woodlands on the North West Slopes of NSW is best achieved through on-farm management of high quality remnant patches.
- EverGraze Action – Assessing conservation value of native vegetation on farm in northern NSW (tool for land holders)
- EverGraze Booklet – Assessing conservation value of native vegetation on farm in northern NSW – A guide for assessing the conservation value of box gum grassy woodlands on the Northwest Slopes of NSW
- Schultz NL, Reid NC, Lodge GM and Hunter JT (2010) Conservation of plant diversity in native pastures on the North-West Slopes of NSW. In: Proceedings of the 25th annual conference of the Grasslands Society of NSW (eds C Waters and D Garden) pp. 114-5. The Grasslands Society of NSW Inc., Orange NSW.
- Schultz NL, Reid N & Lodge GM (2008) Studies of plant biodiversity on properties grazing sheep on the North-West Slopes of New South Wales. In: Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Conference of the Grassland Society of NSW Inc. (eds SP Boschma, LM Serafin and JF Ayres) pp. 135-6. The Grassland Society of NSW, Orange NSW.
- Schultz NL, Reid N, Lodge GM (2009) Conservation significance of plant biodiversity in native pastures on the North-West Slopes of NSW, Ecology in a Changing Climate: The 10th International Congress of Ecology. Ecological Society of Australia
- Schultz NL, Reid N, Lodge GM (2010) Plant biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: the ecological consequences of land sparing vs wildlife friendly farming in temperate Australia, Changing Gradients in Vegetation and the Environment: the 53rd International Association of Vegetation Science Symposium. Universidad Aut
