ANIMALS

Combined with a unique adaptation of plants in an ancient landscape is a distinctive coupling of native animals. Some habitats of native species within Western Australia’s rangelands have been altered as a result of human activity – grazing, mining etc. but not as intensively as the concentrated agricultural and urban areas of the world. So, it could be said that our rangelands still hold the key to understanding how many of the relationships our arid land animals have with the highly variable climates and adaptable habitats.

Many of the small marsupials (such as woylies, bettongs, bilbies) all with important roles within the ecosystem and food chain have been out competed and replaced by introduced equivalents (foxes, cats, rabbits). But of those native critters that do remain, we can learn from and hopefully manage to maintain their presence for healthier rangelands.

Grazing was opened up in Western Australia’s Rangelands from the 1860’s onward, initially merino sheep dominated; however cattle are becoming a more common feature in our rangelands today, especially from the mid 1990’s and by 2004, cattle began to dominate. Low wool prices, higher costs (both labour and infrastructure), less tolerance to predation by wild dogs and droughts contributed to the decline in sheep numbers. Cattle numbers have risen due to good prices and demand from new markets. Goats are increasingly used by pastoralists as an alternative source of income.

Historical pastoral policies and practices have inadvertently resulted in some regions of the Western Australian Rangelands losing biodiversity. There is now an awareness of the importance of biodiversity and with modern management practices, and advances in technology, it is hoped to reverse the trend.