Optimising the control of rangeland woody weeds.

TL;DRAbstract

There are very few studies that combine ecological population and economic optimisation models to establish integrated weed management (IWM) policies for woody weeds within rangeland grazing systems. This case study attempts to do so and uses a stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) model to determine the optimal weed management decisions for chinee apple (Ziziphus mauritiana) in northern Australian rangelands in order to maximise grazing profits. Model simulations were used to generate a weed management threshold frontier and decision rules, based on weed-free grazing gross margins and the cost of different control methods. The ecologicaleconomic optimising framework presented here can be used for many other long-lived plant species.

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