Recovery of Native Grasslands of the Mid North

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Spiny Daisy

With widespread clearance for cropping and modification through stock grazing, native grasslands are considered to be Australia's most threatened ecological community. Only 2% of South Australia's native temperate grasslands remain and this ecological community has been nominated for listing as "critically endangered" under the Commonwealth EPBC Act (1999). The management of healthy grassy ecosystems requires periodic disturbance to maintain both species diversity and an open structure. Open spaces between the grassy tussocks provide essential habitat for ephemeral and annual native wildflowers and for the myriad of wildlife that inhabit grasslands. In the past, such disturbance resulted from wildfires and Aboriginal burning practices. However, if managed correctly, livestock grazing can achieve similar results.

The Northern and Yorke Region is responsible for the management of South Australia's only grassland conservation reserve, Mokota Conservation Park. A scientific research program is currently underway to assess the effectiveness of prescribed burning and stock grazing as management tools. Research is also underway into the use of fire to control infestations of the Horehound weed Marrubium vulgare.

Horehound weed

The majority of the remnant grasslands occur on private lands. The Department for Environment and Heritage works closely with the Mid North Grasslands Working Group, providing technical support for their rotational grazing trials. The results of these trials suggest that rotational grazing can increase the abundance of native perennial grasses and annual native forbs, while increasing the profitability of pastoral production.

There are several threatened grassland species that are the focus of targeted conservation programs, including:

• Spiny Daisy Acanthocladium dockeri (400Kb PDF)
• Spalding Blown Grass Lachnagrostis limitanea formerly Agrostis limitanea (150Kb PDF)
• Pygmy Bluetongue Lizard Tiliqua adelaidensis (200Kb PDF)