DISTRIBUTION OF GRASS SPECIES AND ATTRIBUTES OF GRASSES NEAR A BORE DRAIN IN A GRAZED SEMIARID SUBTROPICAL GRASSLAND

The distribution of grass species and a selection of attributes of tho se species were related to distance from water in an otherwise natural , sheep-grazed, semi-arid, subtropical grassland at Glencoban Station near Cunnamulla in south-western Queensland, Australia. Twenty common species could be classified as decreaser, increaser or neutral with re spect to stocking pressure based on distribution patterns with respect to distance from water. No species known to be introduced to Australi a were present. The occurrence of a diversity of vegetative and diaspo re attributes and carbon assimilation pathways were also shown to be r elated to stocking pressure. The attributes studied showed autocorrela tion in two groups, which related to the higher level taxonomy of the grasses and to response to stocking. Chloridoid grasses increase and a ndropogonoid grasses decrease under high stocking pressure. In this gr assland, which has no introduced species, a syndrome of stocking-relat ed attributes can be discerned.