Impact of kangaroos on temperate grasslands

Synopsis

Fenced and unfenced populations of kangaroos have been monitored for the last decade in grassy woodlands in Western Sydney. Regular monitoring has also been undertaken in many enclosures and detailed assessments of plant community composition have been made.

There have been few studies of kangaroo impacts on vegetation and community composition in temperate grasslands. There have also been no effects of how kangaroo densities might impact soil function.

The project: “Impact of Kangaroos on Temperate Grasslands” will be based on field assessment of plants and soil function, laboratory assessment and statistical analyses of plant community composition over the last decade. Since 2005, data has been continuously collected.

Aims

The aims of this project are to:

• Determine the impacts of kangaroo grazing on temperate grassland richness and composition.
  
• Examine the effects of kangaroo activity on soil function.
• Link changes in kangaroo numbers with vegetation changes over the past decade.

Student benefits

This is a multi-disciplinary project that will expose you to a diverse range of skills. During this project, you’ll have the chance to:

• Work on a high priority conservation project.
  
• Experience the problems associated with managing native animals in a periurban environment.
• Access a large temporal database.
• Experience a mixture of fieldwork and data analyses.
• Learn how to assess soil and vegetation health.
• Gain skills in laboratory techniques.
• Gain exposure to the activities of the National Parks and Wildlife Service.