Academic literature on the topic 'Central Tablelands'

Two monitoring projects were conducted to investigate weaner mortality in commercial Merino flocks in the Yass and the Central Tablelands Rural Lands Protection Boards located in the Southern Tablelands agricultural region of New South Wales. The projects were conducted in Yass in 2005 and in the Central Tablelands in 2006. A random sample of weaners from four flocks in the Yass board and 11 flocks in the Central Tablelands board were regularly weighed, growth rates were calculated after weaning and survival was determined by the continuing presence of an individual weaner at subsequent weighing activities. Weaning weight was the most important factor in determining postweaning liveweight, growth rates and survival with the significant impact of weaning weight on liveweight persisting for up to 6 months after weaning. Despite the lightest weaners being capable of considerable compensatory growth given sufficient postweaning nutrition, the lightest 25% of weaners were more than twice as likely to die as heavier weaners. A focus on ewe nutrition and parasite control during late pregnancy and lactation will allow Merino producers to achieve higher weaning weights that will set their weaners up for strong postweaning growth with a decreased likelihood of mortality.

We analysed monthly records of the presence or absence of myxomatosis in the 59 Pasture Protection Board Districts of New South Wales for 1959-64 and 1980-86. These periods respectively precede and follow the introduction of the European rabbit flea, Spilopsyllus cuniculi (Dale), into New South Wales. Throughout New South Wales during the two periods, myxomatosis was reported more frequently in summer than in winter. The seasonal trend was more pronounced on the western and central plains than on the slopes, tablelands or coastal regions. The incidence of myxomatosis was positively related to rainfall on the western and central plains and slopes, but not on the tablelands and coast. After the introduction of the rabbit flea, the reported incidence of myxomatosis increased more on the tablelands than in the other regions.

Results are presented of a survey of pastoral properties on the Central, Southern and Monaro Tablelands of New South Wales carried out during 1991—92. Landholders were interviewed to obtain information on property size, enterprise types, grazing management, tree clearing, fertiliser history and carrying capacity. In addition, familiarity with native grass species, and knowledge of their value were determined. The main grazing enterprises were wool and beef. The most common form of livestock management was continuous grazing. Most properties had been extensively cleared of trees (average cleared area 80%), and there had been a significant amount of disturbance of the original pastures. This varied from 40% of total property area for the Central and Monaro Tablelands to 60% for the Southern Tablelands. The main form of disturbance was cultivation for pasture sowing or fodder cropping. Landholders had used 80% more fertiliser on disturbed areas than on undisturbed areas, with most fertiliser applied on the Southern Tablelands and least on the Monaro Tablelands. The average carrying capacities of undisturbed and disturbed pastures over the tablelands were 4.3 and 7.7 dry sheep equivalents per hectare, respectively. While most landholders were satisfied with the performance of their sown pastures, there was a lack of knowledge of the contribution of native perennial grasses to pasture production. Using survey data, it was estimated that pastures with native grasses as the major components covered a minimum of 1.38 million hectares or 40% of the surveyed area. With such a large contribution to production, there is a need to assist landholders to identify native perennial grasses so that their potential value can be more fully realised.

Pasture legumes must be adequately and effectively nodulated in order to reach nitrogen-fixation targets. Of 225 pasture paddocks sampled across the Central Tablelands, Central West, Monaro and Riverina regions of New South Wales, 93% had inadequate legume nodulation. Legume content was significantly higher in the mixed faming zone (>50%, Central West and Riverina) than the permanent pasture zone (26%, Central Tablelands; 28% Monaro). Available phosphorus (P) was below critical levels in 40% of paddocks sampled and sulfur (S) in 73% of paddocks; >35% of all paddocks had soil pHCa <5.0. Deficiency of P was more prevalent in the Central Tablelands (63% of paddocks), whereas S deficiency occurred more frequently in the Central West (95% of paddocks). Legume nodule scores were associated with host legume species, soil pH, available P and/or S, and cation exchange capacity, which collectively accounted for 73% of variation. For Trifolium spp., at soil pHCa >5.55, nodulation was predicted to be near adequate (score 3.95, where adequate = 4). At pHCa <5.55, higher available S resulted in a higher nodulation score (2.42) than in paddocks where S was deficient (score 0–1.97). These results suggest that improving the capacity of legumes to supply nitrogen should focus on addressing soil acidity and plant nutrition, specifically P and S.

Pasture degradation is a major issue in the high rainfall zone (>600 mm) of temperate Australia. Characterised by a decline in the perennial grass component, this degradation is responsible for reduced livestock production and implicated in environmental problems, such as dryland salinity, through changed water-use patterns. This paper reports on a multi-disciplinary research program conducted at Carcoar in central New South Wales, one of 6 sites that comprised the Sustainable Grazing Systems National Experiment. The aim of the experiment was to develop more profitable and sustainable pasture systems by evaluating the impact of changes in the perennial grass component on animal production and water-use patterns. Tactical management strategies were evaluated on naturalised and sown perennial grass pastures and on chicory (Cichorium intybus), using a Merino ewe-based first cross lamb enterprise. Data presented showed that grazing deferment over summer, combined with reduced stocking rate, increased perenniality and reduced annual grass weeds compared with continuous grazing. Livestock performance, however, did not always follow trends in available perennial herbage mass. Naturalised and sown pastures were suitable for raising prime lambs, but only chicory had the capacity to finish lambs to market specification without supplementation. With respect to water-use patterns, sown perennial pastures were more successful than naturalised pastures in reducing leakage of water from the root zone, although this seemed to be related mostly to the abundance of the perennial grass in the pasture. From a sustainability perspective, continuously grazed pastures generated higher net cash flows, but had negative environmental impacts, whereas tactically grazed pastures had positive on- and off-farm impacts but lower net cash flows. The implications of these findings for incorporation into future management strategies for sustainable production in high rainfall environments are discussed.

Little research has been carried out in Australia to determine the riparian and environmental flows needed to maintain riverine ecosystem integrity. Given the range of organisms present in the Australian freshwater biota, each with its own optimal requirements, it is probable that management flow conditions arrived at from species-specific studies, may not necessarily benefit all organisms. We also have inadequate understanding of how freshwater organisms interact with dynamic changes that occur in river systems (drought and flood), and the generally degraded nature of these streams. Hence formulating management outcomes in regard to flow conditions must be viewed as a particularly complex issue. In this paper a case history study is described for a tableland stream in the central west of New South Wales, where a major dam is being built on a first order stream. Comparisons are made with three other creek/river systems in the central tablelands and some implications for platypus conservation are identified.

Pastures on 126 properties on the central, southern, and Monaro tablelands were surveyed to determine their botanical composition. Data on climate, soils, pasture sowing, fertiliser history, and stock management were collected to relate current composition to environmental factors and previous management. Native grass-based pastures were found to be widespread, and in many cases, pastures were dominated by native grasses, despite many decades of pasture improvement. Seventeen genera of native perennial grasses comprising over 35 species were identified. The most common species on the central tablelands were Austrodanthonia spp., Bothriochloa macra, and Microlaena stipoides; on the southern tablelands, Austrodanthoniaspp. and M. stipoides; and on the Monaro, Poa spp., Austrodanthonia spp., Themeda australis, and Austrostipa spp. Soil type was the most important factor affecting species distribution, and other soil attributes such as texture, pH, P, and N were also important. Environmental (rainfall) and management (superphosphate application, stock type, stocking rate) factors also influenced distribution. The significant areas of native grass pastures that were found suggest a decline in sown species and a recolonisation of sown pastures with native grasses. The potential for manipulation of botanical composition of these grasslands is discussed, together with their value for production and sustainability.

Basal optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of more than 50 000 years in loessic (parna) mantles on the Central Tablelands of New South Wales indicate significant aeolian silt (c. 30 μm mode) deposition commenced well before the onset of the last glacial maximum. Each mantle consists of >1 m of reddish silty clay loam–silty clay with an earthy fabric which sits atop manganese and iron pans and saprolite. Mixing of saprolite-derived material into the pans and also into the silty layer indicates a site history of steady accumulation of aeolian loess and continual pedogenesis. No palaeosols are found. The OSL chronology of both sites, while low resolution, indicates an almost constant mass accumulation rate from 50 000 years ago through the last glacial maximum and into the Holocene. Local factors affecting retention of deposited dust may be responsible for the apparent passivity of the sites.

Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo Dendrolagus lumholtzi is endemic to the rainforests of north Queensland, Australia. Most records of D. lumholtzi are from upland forests on the Atherton Tablelands, an area extensively cleared for agriculture. In 1997, residents of the Tablelands formed the Tree Kangaroo and Mammal Group Inc. (TKMG) with the aim of promoting the conservation of the species. The first project of TKMG was an intensive community-based survey of the distribution of D. lumholtzi. Residents of all postal districts encompassing areas of upland rainforest within the range of D. lumholtzi were sent a written questionnaire seeking details of tree-kangaroo sightings. The Malanda postal district was surveyed in 1998 while all other postal districts were surveyed in 1999. In total, 10 122 questionairres were distributed in the survey. "Nearly 800 responses were received to the survey, providing 2 368 sighting records of D. lumholtzi. Of these, 367 records were of dead tree-kangaroos, mostly road-kills." The survey has provided a much more comprehensive account of the distribution of the species than was previously available. Most records of D. lumholtzi obtained in the survey were from upland forests between Atherton and Ravenshoe, particularly remnant forests in the central and western Tablelands. Although the survey methodology is biased towards areas frequented by humans, these patterns are consistent with independent surveys. The conservation of D. lumholtzi on the Tablelands would benefit from the protection of remnant forests, the restoration of habitat and a reduction in the incidence of road-kills and dog attacks on tree-kangaroos.

Acacia meiantha Tindale & Herscovitch, a rare new species of Acacia sect. Phyllodineae, locally common at Clarence, Blue Mountains and in Mullions Range State Forest, on the Central Tablelands, New South Wales, is described and illustrated together with a distribution map. Its putative relationships to the polymorphic Acacia linifolia (Vent.) Willd. as well as to A. boormanii Maiden are discussed in detail. A key is also provided to A. meiantha and its allies.

Doctor of Philosophy(PhD)
The European red fox (Vulpes vulpes L.) is a well known predator of native species and domestic stock, and is recognised as one of Australia’s most devastating vertebrate pests. Current fox management relies heavily on poisoning using baits impregnated with sodium monofluoroacetate (1080). This reliance on 1080 is likely to continue given the lack of viable alternatives for controlling foxes, so that, in the meanwhile, it is important to improve the efficiency of the current techniques. Factors affecting the susceptibility of individual foxes to bait include their ability to locate it, as well as the bait’s palatability and toxicity. The economic costs associated with using different bait types, the pattern and density of their distribution will also affect the efficiency of control programs. It is essential to examine and refine all such issues to ensure efficient use of the 1080 baiting technique. This thesis focuses generally on problems associated with management of the fox in eastern Australia. More specifically, I investigate the factors affecting the efficiency of fox baiting practices on the central tablelands of New South Wales. The study was conducted largely on agricultural lands near the town of Molong (33010’ 37”S, 148087’15”E) on the central tablelands of New South Wales. This area was chosen as it is broadly representative, in terms of land use, of a large region of eastern Australia. The highly modified, predominantly agricultural landscapes near Molong are well suited to foxes, and conflict with the predominantly pastoral community means that fox management is widely undertaken. I determined the persistence of 1080 in two commonly used bait types, Foxoff® and chicken wingettes, under different climatic and rainfall conditions. The rate of 1080 degradation did not change significantly between the central tablelands and the relatively hotter and drier western slopes. Foxoff® baits remained lethal for longer than wingettes under all conditions, although their rate of degradation generally increased with increasing rainfall. I confirmed the presence of defluorinating micro-organisms in thesoils of eastern Australia for the first time, and suggest that, following removal from the bait, 1080 would not persist in the environment for long. Bait should be attractive and highly palatable to ensure that the target species will find and consume it upon discovery. Caching, where discovered food is removed but not immediately consumed, may potentially reduce the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of baiting campaigns. I quantified the caching of chicken wingette, day-old chick and Foxoff® baits by inserting transmitters into bait material and assessing whether it was eaten or cached following removal. The intensity of caching did not change significantly between seasons. Type of bait had the largest influence on caching intensity, with a greater percentage of non-toxic Foxoff® baits (66.9%) being cached than either wingettes (5.7%) or day-old chicks (4.5%). The percentage of toxic (1080) baits cached was even greater, suggesting that 1080 bait may be less palatable, and detectable to foxes. I also investigated the use of conditioned taste aversion to reduce multiple bait uptake by foxes. Levamisole, an illness-inducing chemical, was added to bait and the fate of removed bait was again monitored via radio-telemetry. Following consumption of a levamisole-treated bait, foxes avoided eating treated baits but consumed untreated baits. I concluded that a reduction in bait consumption was achieved through learned aversion to levamisole rather than via conditioned taste aversion to baits. Adding levamisole to baits, especially non-toxic bait such as rabies vaccines, could potentially be used to reduce bait monopolisation by individual foxes. Fox density and den site preferences were assessed by investigating the distribution and density of fox natal dens on one property (9.6 km2) over three consecutive years. A total of 9 natal dens were located in 2000 and 2001, declining to 6 in 2002. No preference was shown for den sites on the basis of habitat, slope or aspect, but more dens were located under, or adjacent to cover. Assuming that each natal den represents a breeding pair and that the population sex ratio did not differ from parity (1:1), the site contained a prebreeding density of 1.9 foxes/km2 in 2000 and 2001, and 1.25 foxes/km2 in 2002. Given that the mean number of cubs is 4.0, the post-breeding density was estimated at 5.6 and 3.75 foxes/km2 in 2000/2001 and 2002, respectively. The results demonstrated that high densities of foxes occur on agricultural lands. The success and likely accuracy of the technique to monitor fox density suggests that it may be used to calibrate more efficient abundance estimates that will be essential for the strategic management of foxes in future. Pest animal management strategies are traditionally assessed for their effectiveness, with less consideration being given to the efficiency or cost of achieving the desired effect. I used cost-effectiveness analyses to compare between different baiting strategies based on the longevity, palatability and handling/replacement costs associated with each bait type. The results indicated that, when measured on a total cost-per-bait-consumed basis, wingettes and day-old chicks were the most cost-effective baits for campaigns of up to 4 weeks duration. This demonstrates the importance of including the longevity, and particularly the palatability of bait, when assessing cost-effectiveness. However, it is recognised that other factors, including the consistency of dosage and uptake by nontarget species, may be equally or more important in deciding the appropriate baiting strategy. The spatial and temporal application of fox baiting in the region overseen by the Molong Rural Lands Protection Board was examined between January 1998 and December 2002 as a case study to evaluate the apparent effectiveness of cooperative management practices. Most landholders (78.8%) did not bait for foxes during this period. Based on known dispersal distances, the effect of fox immigration into baited areas was determined. The results indicated that no areas baited for foxes were separated by a sufficient buffer distance (>9.58 km) from unbaited areas to be protected from fox immigration. This suggests that, at current levels of coordination, the effectiveness of most baiting operations in eastern Australia is compromised over the long term by fox immigration. However, it is recognised that short-term reductions in fox density may sometimes be all that are required to reduce predation to acceptable levels, especially for seasonally-susceptible prey. Ultimately, the cost-effectiveness of control should be evaluated in terms of the response of the prey rather than that of the predator. This study has highlighted deficiencies in current ‘best-practice’ baiting techniques. Specific recommendations for current baiting practices, in addition to future research, are also given. In brief, these include minimising free-feed baiting, increasing the minimum distance between bait stations, and, where possible, presenting the most palatable bait. Continued research into conditioned taste aversion, aerial baiting, and techniques to reduce caching are recommended as potential techniques to improve the efficiency of baiting practices.

The red fox occurs across a very broad range of habitats, and displays great behavioural flexibility under different environmental conditions. In Australia, mounting concern over the impacts of foxes on livestock and native fauna has highlighted a need for more information on fox ecology under Australian conditions as a fundamental step towards developing more strategic means of managing foxes. This study explores ranging behaviour, dispersal, use of dens, activity rhythms, population dynamics and diet in the absence of management in productive agricultural land in the central tablelands of New South Wales. The study was conducted from June 1994 to June 1997 on private property near Murringo, NSW Australia (34°15� S, 148°30� E). The site was primarily sheep and cattle grazing land and had a history of no fox management. Rainfall was considerably below average for much of the study. A total of 83 foxes were trapped over 3931 trapnights, of which 50 were fitted with radio-collars (23 adult and 6 juvenile females, 12 adult and 9 juvenile males) and 26 released with eartags only (all juveniles: 10 females, 16 males). Thirty-three foxes were radio-tracked using fixed towers between March 1995 and December 1996, with between 11 and 28 foxes tracked at any time. Mean home range size was 446.1 ha ± 69.8 se using 95% Minimum Convex Polygons (MCP), and 276.4 ha ± 36.3 se using 95% kernel utilisation distributions. Male home ranges defined by MCP were significantly larger than female ranges, but no significant difference was found using 95% kernels. Core ranges were estimated to be 133.4 ha ± 23.7 se using 50% MCP and 59.8 ha ± 6.1 se using 95% kernels, with no significant difference between sexes. No significant differences were found between range sizes of adults and juveniles or between years or seasons. While most home ranges were steady for the duration of the study, some foxes were observed to shift range location and 4 foxes displayed nomadic behaviour for at least some of the study. There was a high incidence of overlapping home ranges, most commonly between females or males and females but occasionally between males, but core areas were usually separate. Fully overlapping core areas were observed in 1995 but not in 1996. Juvenile foxes were significantly more likely to disperse than adults, and usually travelled further (juveniles 61.1 km 31.6 ± se; adults 5.9 km 1.1 ± se). Males and females were equally likely to disperse, and there was no significant difference in the distance travelled. The furthest distances were 285 km and 140 km, but mean distance of dispersal excluding these animals was 12.3 km ± 4.3 se (n = 13). Thorough surveys across a 16.4 km² area located 200 dens, with 68 of these active in 1995 and 96 active in 1996. Density of breeding foxes was estimated to be 0.55 and 0.52 adult foxes/km² in 1995 and 1996 respectively based on natal den counts. Density estimates based on active den counts, which include non-breeding foxes, were 0.91and 1.30 foxes/km² in 1995 and 1996 respectively. These estimates appear lower than other studies in similar habitats but this is likely due to using a half home range boundary strip around the surveyed area in the present study. Application of mark-recapture analysis found very high �recapture� rates of dens and gave a similar estimate of the total number of dens to that observed directly. Natal dens were regularly distributed across the study area, whereas active dens tended to be in clusters. There was a high turnover of which dens were used each year, but the total number of natal dens was similar across years (16 in 1995 and 17 in 1996). Natal dens were more likely to be used on repeat occasions than other dens, but not necessarily by the same vixen. Litter size based on sightings of emergent cubs was 2.8. Foxes were predominantly nocturnal, with a major peak in activity about an hour after sunset. A new method of analysing activity rhythm data using Fourier series to mathematically describe animal movements was developed, that allowed systematic identification of the cyclical components underlying overall movement patterns. General fox behaviour could be clearly described by a 24-hour and a 12-hour cyclical component when corrected for variation in daylength. The rising and setting of the sun appeared to be a major trigger underlying movement patterns. Seasonal and sex differences were observed in patterns of activity. The annual rate of increase of the fox population was found to vary around a mean of zero between June 1994 and June 1997. A major drop in fox numbers as estimated by spotlight counts occurred in the second half of 1995, but numbers recovered by the end of 1996. Kaplan-Meier analysis of radio-tagged foxes found annual adult survival was generally very high (0.56-0.96) with lowest survival between July and October. Causes of mortality were human-related outside the site and apparently of natural causes within the site. However foxes dying of natural causes outside the site were unlikely to be found. There was no overall movement of foxes into or out of the site. Immigration was detected following the drop in fox numbers in late 1995, but there was no evidence of immigration prior to this period although emigration occurred. A sensitivity analysis was conducted on the effects of a small change in life history parameters on finite rate of increase using published data as well as adult mortality data from the present study. The two most influential life-history parameters were adult and juvenile survival, while changes in fecundity and age at first reproduction had much less impact on finite rate of increase. In terms of management, in which fertility control is being considered as an alternative to lethal control, this implies that a small change in fecundity may cause less change in the rate of increase of foxes than lethal control. Foxes were culled in June 1997 on completion of the study. Estimated density using a Petersen estimate was 2.4-5.3 foxes/km² and index-manipulation-index was 1.4-3.2 foxes/km². The different methods used to cull foxes appeared to target different age groups within the population, and were generally biased in favour of younger foxes. Success at killing animals was low, leading to large standard errors in the population estimates. Stomachs of foxes shot in the Orange district were found to contain predominantly rabbit and carrion, with invertebrates present when abundant. These findings were not strictly representative of the diet of foxes in the study area, where rabbits were scarce. Foxes scavenged heavily on lamb carcasses within the study site. The quantity of fresh lamb carrion removed from a lambing paddock in winter 1996 was estimated to support 13-24 foxes, with available fresh lamb theoretically able to support 240-440 foxes. Density based on removal of fresh carcasses was estimated to be 0.83-1.5 foxes/km².

碩士
國立臺灣大學
森林環境暨資源學研究所
100
Soil property is one of the factor in maintaining forest sustainability. However, forest soil properties are strongly affected under the disturbance of forest fire and haman cultivated. Previous research works seldom consider these two factors in the same time. This research is conduceted in Datu tableland. We compare the disturbances of long-term repeated fire and long-term human cultivated on basic soil properties between nearby Acacia forest. Our results showed that soil pH is affected by the adding of ash after forestfire and fertilizer practice. Soil pH in grassland (GR) and cultivated land (Farm) in surface soil are 5.6 and 5.3, respectively. The soil pH values in disturbed lands are higher than unburned Acacia forest (pH = 4.5). Soil physical properties are also affected by forestfire and human cultivation. Soil bulk density is increased disturbance. Frequent fire events decrease soil organic C stock. Long-term human cultivation has more severe impact on soil N stock. The decrease of soil N stock is higher in Farm than fire-affected GR. Forestfire and cultivation both change SOM both quantitively and qualitively in the same time. We also use soil incubation method and particle-size fractionatino method to further investigate SOM, source, its composition, and decomposing rate. Soil properties were changed after disturbance both physically and chemically, which results in the depletion of SOM and fertility. More research works should be applied to further understand the mysterious role soil plays in earth ecological biogeochemical function.

碩士
國立臺灣大學
森林環境暨資源學研究所
101
Repeated fire, caused by invasive plant - fire regime positive feedback cycle, has become an ecological issue in recent years. In addition to the obvious vegetation conversion, repeated fire may also affect soil available nutrients and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and subsequently alter soil function and plant competition. Studies have shown the effects of invasive plant – fire regime on plant community composition. However, few studies aimed to investigate the repeated fire effects on soil available nutrients and AMF, and even fewer studies tried to unravel the underlying mechanism and their roles in plant competition. We took the Acacia protected forest (Acacia confusa) which underwent repeated fire initiated by Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) invasion at Dadu tableland as example, and aimed to investigate the repeated fire effects on soil nutrients, AMF and invasive plant growth. Our study aimed (1) to understand how repeated fire affected soil nutrients, and AMF spore abundance, community composition and percentage of root length colonized (RLC); (2) to unravel the mechanism underlying repeated fire to affect AMF; (3) to compare the growth performance of Guinea grass and Taiwanese Acacia at different fire sequential stages, and to understand the influence of soil nutrients and AMF on Guinea grass growth performance. Results indicated repeated fire significantly altered soil nutrients. Under long-term repeated fire, soil available K, Ca, Mg and pH elevated significantly, but in contrast, exchangeable inorganic N and available P decrease significantly at Guinea grassland. Repeated fire also decreased AMF spore abundance, and altered AMF community composition significantly. Along with repeated fire fire, AMF community has shifted from Glomus dominated composition to Glomus and Acaulsopora coexistence. We suggested that fire adaption ability, erosion, soil pH and N availability were the underlying mechanisms to decrease AMF spore abundance, and the changes in AMF community were related to times of fire and N availability. Pot experiment demonstrated, Guinea grass growth performance at long-term repeated burnt soil, was significantly lower than at short-term repeated burnt soil or unburnt forest soil. Nitrogen fertilization could significantly improve Guinea grass growth performance, but its effect on Guinea grass grown in all sequential soil had no difference. The low RLC and mycorrhiza inhibition experiment (benomyl addition) implied the AMF is less important for Guinea grass growth than soil nutrients. Acacia pot experiment, which indicated Taiwanese Acacia seedlings growth was similar at all fire sequential stage soil, implied Taiwanese Acacia weren’t affected by changes in soil nutrients and AMF. To sum up, long-term repeated fire has dramatically changed soil nutrients, AMF spore abundance, community composition and RLC at Dadu tableland. Furthermore, the depletion in soil N and P may reduce the invasive plant - fire regime positive feedback cycle, and in turn reduce the dominance of Guinea grass.