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Preventing weed spread: a survey of lifestyle and commercial landholders about Nassella trichotoma in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia

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Ruttledge, A., Whalley, R. D. B., Reeve, I., Backhouse, D. A. and Sindel, B. M. (2015) Preventing weed spread: a survey of lifestyle and commercial landholders about Nassella trichotoma in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. The Rangeland Journal, 37 (4). pp. 409-423.

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Article Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/RJ15010

Publisher URL: http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/RJ15010

Abstract

Nassella trichotoma (Nees) Hack. ex Arechav. (common name, serrated tussock) occupies large areas of south-eastern Australia and has considerable scope for expansion in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. This highly invasive grass reduces pasture productivity and has the potential to severely affect the region’s economy by decreasing the livestock carrying capacity of grazing land. Other potential consequences of this invasion include increased fuel loads and displacement of native plants, thereby threatening biodiversity. Rural property owners in the Northern Tablelands were sent a mail questionnaire that examined use of measures to prevent new outbreaks of the weed. The questionnaire was sent to professional farmers as well as lifestyle farmers (owners of rural residential blocks and hobby farms) and 271 responses were obtained (a response rate of 18%). Key findings were respondents’ limited capacity to detect N. trichotoma, and low adoption of precautions to control seed spread by livestock, vehicles and machinery. This was particularly the case among lifestyle farmers. There have been considerable recent changes to biosecurity governance arrangements in New South Wales, and now is an ideal time for regulators and information providers to consider how to foster regional communities’ engagement in biosecurity, including the adoption of measures that have the capacity to curtail the spread of N. trichotoma.

Item Type:Article
Business groups:Crop and Food Science
Keywords:exotic species, governance, invasive plant controls, land management, pastoral industry, socio-ecological systems.
Subjects:Science > Invasive Species > Plants
Science > Invasive Species > Plants > Impact assessment
Plant pests and diseases > Weeds, parasitic plants etc
Live Archive:12 Aug 2016 01:25
Last Modified:03 Sep 2021 16:44

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