Introduced pasture species on the Central Plateau

Parts of the Central Plateau have been used for pastoral purposes for over 100 years, but little attention has been given to introduced pasture species because of the rigours of the environment, the lack of suitable species and of experience relevant to the area, and the absence of any incentive to change the traditional system of openrange summer grazing of the natural vegetation. (Some background on the use of the Central Plateau by pastoralists is contained in a paper by Rayner and Smith (1970), as well as in the contribution by Shepherd (1973) in the present volume). With increasing awareness of the problems on the Plateau, however, and controversy over its future use, coupled with the improved technical background of landholders, more interest is now being shown in the possible role of introduced herbaceous species as well as in various aspects of general management.