Climate change and field crops, pastures and rangelands

Field crops, pastures and rangelands cover around 81% of the total land area¹ and contribute significantly to the gross agricultural production in NSW estimated to be worth $7.7 billion in 2006/07.²

Field crops

Field crops grown in NSW include:

• canola, sunflower and other oilseeds
• cotton and other fibre crops
• forage and fodder crops
• lupin, chickpea and other pulses
• grains like rice and sorghum
• wheat and barley.

Pastures

Pastures are the grasses, shrubs, legumes or herbaceous flowering plants which animals graze on in paddocks.

Pastures support cattle and other livestock production.

The best pasture growth is determined by the soils in the area, sun exposure, climate and the type of livestock grazing the pasture.

Rangelands

Rangelands are areas unsuitable for regular crop production either because they are too dry (these are called semi-arid and arid rangelands), or for other reasons such as steep country or hollow soils. In NSW the dry rangelands lie to the west of the 500 mm average rainfall limit (see map below). While the areas have low and variable rainfall there are some plants which survive under these conditions, and these rangelands support extensive grazing by cattle on native grasslands and shrubs.

Map of NSW showing rangelands, areas of higher rainfall, and irrigation districts.
Source: R Hacker et al., Best management practices for extensive grazing enterprises, NSW Department of Primary Industries, April 2005.

Four broad ecosystem categories which exist within Australian rangelands can be described by their dominant type of vegetation. These are:

1. grasslands
2. shrublands
3. woodlands
4. savanna.

Read more about native vegetation types in NSW at http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/home_vegetation.aspx

Read more about ...

• Field crops, pastures and rangelands and their contributions to climate change
• The impacts of climate change on field crops, pastures and rangelands
• Adaptations of field crops, pastures and rangelands to climate change

Return to Climate change and agriculture

¹Australian Natural Resources Atlas; Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts: http://www.anra.gov.au/

²Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008) Agricultural state profile, New South Wales, 2006-2007. Issued 8/8/2008