Some characteristics of the trees used by sheep for diurnal camping and differences between the shade and nocturnal camps in a paddock on the northern tablelands of New South Wales.

Abstract

This paper examines some of the characteristics of trees under which sheep camped during the day and the differences between the shade and the nocturnal camps in a large paddock. Of the five tree species present, Merinos preferred to camp under Augophora floribunda and Brachychiton populneum during the day. The selected trees had a high canopy/bole ratio and either an elevated convex or a convex shaped canopy. Nocturnal camps occurred in an upperslope position and were much larger, better developed and had more sheep faeces per unit area than the shade camps in the paddock. Shade camps occurred downslope of the nocturnal camps and were within the area of the paddock used primarily for grazing.