Vegetation establishment in arid areas: Grass expands its presence
Buffel grass, a species native to parts of Africa and Asia, has become one of the dominant grasses in Australia's arid and semi-arid zones. This invasive grass, scientifically known as cenchrus ciliaris, was deliberately introduced and seeded in the country from the 1960s onwards, primarily for cattle fodder, dust suppression, and erosion control.
The grass is particularly widespread in large inland areas of Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland. In inland Queensland alone, it was estimated to cover about 30 million hectares in 2001 [1]. Despite its pervasiveness, precise mapping of buffel grass distribution is limited due to its widespread nature and often lack of systematic recording.
Buffel grass's invasiveness and ecological impact are significant concerns. It displaces native species, reduces biodiversity, disrupts Indigenous cultural practices, and increases wildfire risks. These concerns have been raised by conservationists and ecologists [1].
In the Northern Territory, buffel grass was declared a weed in July of 2025, following years of lobbying by conservationists and complaints from pastoralists and the NT Cattleman's Association. The NT Government has allocated $750K annually to tackle the buffel grass issue, allowing for the employment of a technical officer and another due to start work this month.
The spread of buffel grass in Australia can be traced back to the first camel delivered to Port Adelaide in 1840. Seeds were distributed through camel ships, wharves, and during camels' transportation of goods and produce across inland areas. Cameleers carried small cloth parcels of buffel seeds and broadcast them at favoured localities such as good soil at watering points. Explorers like Gosse, Warburton, and Giles likely aided the spread of buffel grass during their expeditions in the 1870s.
In May 2022, conservation groups proposed that buffel grass be listed as a Weed of National Significance (WoNS) by the federal government. This proposal is currently being considered, with ecologist Dr Margaret Friedel, from Charles Darwin University, playing a significant role in the discussions. Dr Friedel's 2020 paper, 'Unwelcome guests: a selective history of weed introductions to arid and semi-arid Australia', details how buffel grass came to Australia and spread through the red Centre.
Workshops conducted by Dr Friedel found that there was more agreement among pastoralists and conservationists once they were given a framework to operate in and could consider what the problem was and where it was. Participants in these workshops eventually came to acknowledge the other side's point of view, understand why they didn't like buffel grass, and agree on what management was acceptable and where management would be most effective.
As of mid-2025, current knowledge suggests that buffel grass remains widespread and abundant across central and northern arid zones. While no more recent total coverage estimates were found, it is clear that managing the spread and impact of buffel grass remains a significant challenge for Australia's conservation and agricultural sectors.
References:
[1] Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. (2020). Buffel grass factsheet. https://www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/resource-management/weeds/weed-identification/buffel-grass
- The pervasive spread of buffel grass in large inland areas across Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland warrants attention within the field of environmental science, given its ecological impact on native species, biodiversity, and Indigenous cultural practices.
- Tackling the issue of buffel grass infestation in the Northern Territory requires an interdisciplinary approach combining the efforts of both environmental science and technology, as evidenced by the NT Government's allocation of $750K annually to address the problem with the employment of technical officers.
