Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

How Much Do Kangaroos Of Differing Age And Size Eat Relative To Domestic Stock?: Implications For The Arid Rangelands, Terence Dawson, Adam Munn

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Over more than a century there has been debate about the interactions of kangaroos and introduced domestic stock, especially sheep, in the semi-arid and arid rangelands. The potential for competition between the species is still controversial, with pastoralists generally assuming that exploitative competition is a continuing feature of the rangelands, with competition by kangaroos leading to reduced stock production and carrying capacity. The current scientific consensus is that in the arid rangelands such competition is not common and occurs largely during dry periods when pasture is sparse. Competition is probably most persistent in more degraded environments. There is still debate …