<br>The aim of this project is to compile land use and management practices and their observed and measured impacts and effects on vegetation condition. The results provide land managers and researchers with a tool for reporting and monitoring spatial and temporal transformations of Australia’s native vegetated landscapes due to changes in land use and management practices. Following are the details about Blundells Flat, ex-coupe 427A, ACT. </br><br> Pre-European benchmark-analogue vegetation: the site vegetation was originally brown barrel (<em>Eucalyptus fastigata</em>), growing in association with ribbon gum (<em>E. viminalis</em>). </br><br> Brief chronology of changes in land use and management:<ul style="list-style-type: disc;"> <li>1788: Unmodified and intact tall open eucalypt forest; forest unaffected</li> <li>1860: Area burnt by severe wildfire</li> <li>1915: Water catchment area declared for Canberra –forest unaffected</li> <li>1939: Area burnt by severe wildfire</li> <li>1915-1954: Area managed as water catchment area – frequent forest fires to control fuel loads</li> <li>1955: Commenced selective logging of mainly brown barrel (<em>E. fastigata</em>)</li> <li>1956: Clear-felled remaining wet sclerophyll forest and pushed timber into windrows with a bulldozer</li> <li>1958: Felled timber burnt in February</li> <li>1958: 1^st rotation radiata (Monterey) pine (<em>P. radiata</em>) planted by hand</li> <li>1960: Controlled competing regrowth native vegetation, manually with axes, slashers, or hoes</li> <li>1986: 1^st rotation trees logged and crawler tractor used to snig timber off site</li> <li>1987: Slash left on the ground to decompose - no ripping - too steep</li> <li>1988: Roundup sprayed to kill regrowth. 2^nd rotation <em>P. radiata</em> planted. NPK fertiliser spread around every seedling by hand</li> <li>1990: Site hand cut the regrowth using brush hooks e.g. eucalypts, acacia and 1^st rotation pine seedlings</li> <li>1999: 2^nd rotation pines thinned and pruned. Thinnings were left on the ground to decay</li> <li>2003: Area burnt by severe wildfire killed all pines</li> <li>2003: Sterile rye corn grass seed was sown across the coupe using light aircraft to stabilise erodible soils</li> <li>2003: Killed pines and native regrowth pushed over and windrowed with a bulldozer</li> <li>2004: Site declared minimal use - rehabilitation</li> <li>2005: Contractors were engaged to manually remove pine seedlings - pines were defined as a weed. Other weeds not controlled</li> <li>2005-2012: Site left to rehabilitate.</li></ul></br>

<br>The aim of this project is to compile land use and management practices and their observed and measured impacts and effects on vegetation condition. The results provide land managers and researchers with a tool for reporting and monitoring spatial and temporal transformations of Australia’s native vegetated landscapes due to changes in land use and management practices. Following are the details about the Taroom Shire site in Queensland, Australia. </br><br> Pre-European benchmark-analogue vegetation: the site was originally a brigalow, <em>Acacia harpophylla</em>, mixed community associated with several overstorey species, including <em>Eucalyptus coolabah</em>, <em>E. cambageana</em>, <em>Casuarina cristata</em>, a range of understorey species, grassy woodlands and open forests. </br><br> Brief chronology of changes in land use and management:<ul style="list-style-type: disc;"> <li>1860: Area used for sheep grazing by shepherds</li> <li>1870: Permanent fences established</li> <li>1875: Start of continuous or set stocking with sheep</li> <li>1880: Incursion of prickly pear started</li> <li>1935: Prickly pear had been destroyed</li> <li>1929-1932: Land clearance through ringbarking</li> <li>1929-1932: Gradual increase in cattle numbers decline in sheep</li> <li>1940-1955: Manual clearing of brigalow with axes issues with regrowth</li> <li>1960-62: Brigalow pulled mechanically and soil ploughed</li> <li>1962: Soil ploughed and sown to buffel grass pasture</li> <li>1962-65: Continuous grazing with cattle on buffel grass pasture</li> <li>1966-75: Soil ploughed and sown to wheat annually – cattle graze stubble</li> <li>1976: Soil ploughed and sown to buffel grass pasture</li> <li>1976-2000: Continuous grazing with cattle on buffel grass pasture</li> <li>2001-10: Soil ploughed and sown to wheat annually – cattle graze stubble.</li></ul></br>