October 2025: Rainout shelters removed as TipEx enters rangeland recovery phase

This October marked a major milestone for the TipEx experiment on Hamakari Farm. After years of simulating drought and grazing pressures to explore how rangelands approach a desertification tipping point, the team (lead by Dr. Mark Bilton) has now cleared the site to make way for the next phase: monitoring natural recovery.

Fieldwork began with the annual ecological surveys to record perennial grass species across the experimental plots. These data provide the final snapshot of vegetation state after five years of simulated grazing pressure and four years of 66% rainfall exclusion. The combined stresses have visibly shaped plant communities and produced strong contrasts between treatments.

With this phase complete, the team undertook the major task of dismantling all 24 rainout shelters, removing most of the infrastructure that has defined the site during the drought-simulation years (Fig. 1). The raw materials were donated to local farmers in appreciation of their support for the project.

While the shelters are gone, the plot fences remain (Fig. 2). Over the coming years, TipEx will move into its critical recovery phase, observing whether - and how quickly - vegetation can rebound when fully rested from the imposed stresses. This stage will provide essential insights into whether these degraded rangelands can still recover or whether they have already crossed an irreversible ecological threshold.