Combining Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Knowledge to Assess and Manage Feral Water Buffalo Impacts on Perennial Freshwater Springs of the Aboriginal-Owned Arnhem Plateau, Australia |
| |
Authors: | Emilie-Jane Ens Peter Cooke Ray Nadjamerrek Seraine Namundja Victor Garlngarr Dean Yibarbuk |
| |
Institution: | (1) Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, The Australian National University, Hanna Neumann Building 21, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia;(2) Warddeken Land Management Limited, PO Box 785, Nightcliff, NT, 0814, Australia |
| |
Abstract: | Aboriginal land managers have observed that feral Asian water buffalo (Bubalis bubalis Lydekker) are threatening the ecological and cultural integrity of perennial freshwater sources in Arnhem Land, Australia.
Here we present collaborative research between the Aboriginal Rangers from Warddeken Land Management Limited and Western scientists
which quantified the ground-level impacts of buffalo on seven perennial freshwater springs of the Arnhem Plateau. A secondary
aim was to build the capacity of Aboriginal Rangers to self-monitor and evaluate the ecological outcomes of their land management
activities. Sites with high buffalo abundance had significantly different ground, ground cover, and water quality attributes
compared to sites with low buffalo abundance. The low buffalo abundance sites were characterized by tall herbaceous vegetation
and flat ground, whereas wallows, bare ground, and short ungrazed grasses were indicators of sites with high buffalo abundance.
Water turbidity was greater when buffalo abundance was high. The newly acquired monitoring skills and derived indicators of
buffalo damage will be used by Aboriginal Rangers to assess the ecological outcomes of their future buffalo control efforts
on the Arnhem Plateau. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|