Agricultural modification of Eastern Australia has resulted in extensive areas of dense White Cypress Pine (Callitris glaucophylla) regrowth. There are various competing land management concerns with respect to dense regrowth, especially in North West NSW. From an agricultural perspective, White Cypress Pine is considered to be invasive and thought to suppress groundcover, impede stock access deplete soil nutrient and water reserves and cause soil erosion. Conservation of woodland remnants is of high priority in NSW, although there is debate about the ecological value of White Cypress Pine stands, for example, due to a lack of shrub and tree species that may provide shelter and resources to wildlife. Despite numerous field observations and opinions, there is little published work describing the effects of White Cypress Pine on 'site health' indicators such as soil nutrient status or ground-storey vegetation.

We present the results of preliminary studies of soil nutrients and vegetation under White Cypress Pine regrowth in North-West NSW. We found that even the retention of solitary trees in farming landscapes was associated with enhanced soil nutrition and ground-storey diversity, although dense regrowth was associated with increased soil acidity and decreased ground-cover. Thinning dense stands ameliorated acidic soil pH and resulted in increased groundcover, and retained increased soil nutrient values over adjacent pasture. These results form the basis of a long-term study into the optimum management of White Cypress Pine regrowth on farms, which will also consider a wider range of factors such as rainfall, grazing regimes, the degree of seedling regeneration and include landholder participation.