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Pastoral Land Degradation: The Fitzroy As A Case Study, Alan L. Payne, Ronald B. Hacker

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

When large numbers of domestic livestock are superimposed on native vegetation in semi-arid and arid areas of the world, the ecological balance inevitably changes. In extreme cases these changes include such degradation as drastic losses of vegetation and active soil erosion. Areas affected in this way are unproductive for most purposes.

Western Australia's Fitzroy River valley has deteriorated in this way. Today, this once-­productive grazing country is so degraded that it has become a matter of concern to Governments, the pastoral industry and others.

This article gives a brief history of land degradation in parts of the Fitzroy River valley, …