ABSTRACT
Mostly, though, the grasslands are intended for multiple uses and in theory they are there for recreation and amenity. As with any other animal, in practice the extent and patterns of human activity on these sites depend on aspects such as shelter, accessibility, location including proximity to homes or workplaces, exposure, height of grass, and drainage, and the density of large dogs as well as territoriality and aggression in human social groups. In some countries the grasslands may contain other species that are threatening, such as the snakes or harmful spiders that can be found in Australia. As a consequence of these factors some grasslands receive high density and regular use in good weather, especially for children’s games or sport or for lunchtime relaxation for office workers. Some are dominated by use types that are not entirely compatible with other people – team sports, golf practice, dog exercising. Other sites are rarely visited by anyone (although if they are not too overlooked this may give them a higher value for activities that need a degree of privacy, not all of which are criminal). One of the groups least likely to be found on these grasslands is ecologists and naturalists, most of whom are put off by apparent ‘sterility’ of these grasslands reinforced by the uniformity of the management applied, especially mowing. But for those who are interested to look closer, what will be found is a dynamic mosaic of different species responding to different environmental conditions, with the dance of competition and collaboration between them. These rangelands remind us that many ecological processes and relationships are constant and manifest in a thousand different ways all around us. These habitats also give us a lesson in observation. The most common and accessible landscapes for most of us who live in towns and cities have much to show us if we only bother to look. Maybe the ‘sterility and lack of interest’ lies more in our minds than in reality?
