University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2004 The effect of fire and grazing on the Cumberland Plain Woodlands Samantha Clarke University of Wollongong Recommended Citation Clarke, Samantha, The effect of fire and grazing on the Cumberland Plain Woodlands, Master of Science - Research thesis, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, 2004. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/2700 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library:
[email protected] The Effect of Fire and Grazing on the Cumberland Plain Woodlands A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree Master of Science (Research) from THE UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG By SAMANTHA CLARKE Bachelor of Science (Biology) DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2004 CERTIFICATION I, Samantha Clarke, declare that this thesis, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Master of Science (Research), in the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. Samantha Clarke 20 June 2004 ABSTRACT Temperate grassy woodlands throughout the world have suffered the effects of changed disturbance regimes, in particular, fire and grazing, due to human activities. Since European settlement fire and tree clearing has been used to modify grassy woodland vegetation for livestock grazing and agriculture. As a consequence some species, particularly shrubs and trees, have been reduced or eliminated and both native and introduced grasses have become more dominant.