Summary
The Australian Rangeland Society is an independent and nonaligned association formed in 1974 and has about 300 members. The Society provides a national forum where land managers, scientists, policy makers and other stakeholders can discuss natural resource management and associated issues affecting rangelands. Rangelands are areas essentially in their natural state where native vegetation forms the basis of land use. Australia's rangelands comprise almost 80% of the continent and have unique natural resources management issues framed by their immense scale, relatively intact ecosystems, unforgiving climate and sparse social capital. Pastoral, Aboriginal, conservation and other land managers in these environments confront special challenges.