Valuation of ecosystem services in the rangelands of western New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

The project is estimating the contribution of ecosystem services to the production of wool from a wether flock from a land system in Western New South Wales. The focus is upon the role of vegetation in maintaining landscape function. This is the ability to retain water, nutrients, seeds and mineral soils despite wind and water erosion. The model SEESAW is being adapted for the purpose to simulate the loss of landscape function during the 1890s drought; and under exploitative and conservative management regimes, the differences in landscape function and the differences in profit.