Rangelands monitoring

Rangelands monitoring is the process of periodically recording the condition of the natural resource including vegetation, water, and soil. Over time, change in the pasture composition and consequently general land condition can be assessed. This information can assist land management decisions to ensure sustainability of the pastoral enterprise without any long term deterioration in pastoral land condition.

The monitoring program in the NT was implemented in 1993 with the introduction of the Pastoral Land Act and through recommendations from the Pastoral Land Board.

The key elements of the Pastoral Land Monitoring Program include:

• to provide for the monitoring of pastoral land so as to detect and assess any change in its condition
• to gain an understanding of landscape processes and the impact the Pastoral industry has on the land resources
• periodic documentation and recording using photography, data on plant composition, species present, domestic stocking rates, current  and historical total grazing pressure (including feral/native herbivores), rainfall, seasonal conditions and pasture conditions
• interpretation of reasons for change such as seasonal conditions, fire, grazing management, stock numbers, presence of feral animals
• consideration of paddock management strategies used in the past and adjustment of management as required
• using remote sensing techniques to assess broadscale and site specific change.

The Pastoral Land Board is also responsible for approving the clearing of native vegetation on pastoral properties.

The Pastoral Land Board has published revised Guidelines for Clearing Pastoral Land that are consistent with the native vegetation clearing controls introduced under the Planning Act.

The current guidelines outline changes to the procedures for assessing and approving clearing applications on pastoral land. This includes a requirement for preparation of a property management plan for land clearing development, public notification processes inviting submissions on pastoral land clearing applications and a register of determinations to be available for public viewing.

Why pastoral land is monitored

Pastoral land requires monitoring to:

• assess the response to management decisions and improve future decision making
• demonstrate that ecologically sustainable land care and management practices are in place
• show changes in pasture composition, determine pasture condition and trend
• improve prospects to obtain sustainable production
• improve knowledge of plant species and plant communities eg, desirable and less desirable plants and increaser and decreaser species
• provide knowledge of plant ecology under grazing
• record photographically the condition of the land over time
• produce records of seasonal conditions and paddock management
• as a management tool providing a basis to assist with decisions such as:
  • placement of new watering points, use of pipelines
  • location of new fences and relocation of old fences
  • locating roads and tracks
  • increasing or decreasing stocking rates
  • introducing rotational grazing
  • spelling paddocks to allow seed set
  • burning to control juvenile woody weeds
  • reclamation, reseeding, remedial works
  • responsible land clearing.

The Northern Territory cattle industry relies heavily on rain‑fed native pastures, which can vary significantly across regions and between seasons. Read about Sustainable rangeland management.