Charters Towers Metamorphics

Transcription

1 Land system name: Land unit: Charters Towers Metamorphics CM4 General description This land unit represents the lower gentle slopes within the Charters Towers Metamorphics (CM) land system. Red Kandosols (gradational-textured profiles) are predominant with a common occurrence of Brown Chromosols (texturecontrast profiles). Differences in the subsoils include the presence of ironstone gravel or distinctive mottling, which may explain differences in the proportions of Eucalyptus crebra (narrow-leaved ironbark) and E. brownii (Reid River box) with lesser proportions of C. dallachiana (ghost gum) and Lysiphyllum carronii (bauhinia). Small areas of brown or grey Sodosols (texture-contrast profiles with sodic subsoils) are usually identified by mid-high woodlands and open forests of Acacia harpophylla (brigalow), A. cambagei (gidgee) or A. argyrodendron (blackwood). Regional ecosystem is predominant, but areas of are common. Site characteristics Landform element Hillslope Site drainage Well drained Flooding risk Nil Potential recharge to groundwater Present land use Grazing Average slope 1-3% Soil permeability Slowly permeable Inundation risk Nil Soil depth Deep; m Susceptibility to land degradation processes Sheet erosion Gully erosion low Wind erosion Salting Land Unit CM4 - page 1

2 Representative site number: 5377 Soil classification Australian Soil Classification SO AB ES CQ - B F M O X Principle Profile Form Db1.23-4/2/015 General soil description A texture contrast profile with a sandy loam topsoil over a brown sodic clay. Soil profile morphology Horizon Horizon no Depth Description A Very dark grey (10YR3/1-Moist); Fine sandy clay loam; Moderate grade of structure, mm, Subangular blocky; Moderate grade of structure, mm, Subangular blocky; Smooth-ped fabric; Dry; Firm consistence; Field ph 6 (Raupach, 0.05); Common, very fine (0-1mm) roots; Clear, Wavy A2j Brown (10YR5/3-Moist); Fine sandy clay loam; Weak grade of structure, 5-10 mm, Subangular blocky; Earthy fabric; Dry; Very weak consistence; 10-20%, fine gravelly, 2-6mm, rounded, dispersed, Quartz, coarse fragments; Field ph 8 (Raupach, 0.1); Few, very fine (0-1mm) roots; Abrupt, Wavy B Dark yellowish brown (10YR4/4-Moist); Medium clay; Moderate grade of structure, mm, Columnar; Strong grade of structure, mm, Subangular blocky; Smooth-ped fabric; Dry; Very strong consistence; 10-20%, fine gravelly, 2-6mm, rounded, dispersed, Quartz, coarse fragments; Common (10-20 %), Manganiferous, Nodules, Medium (2-6 mm) segregations; Field ph 8.5 (Raupach, 0.25); Few, very fine (0-1mm) roots; Gradual, Wavy B Dark yellowish brown (10YR4/6-Moist); Light medium clay; Strong grade of structure, mm, Angular blocky; Strong grade of structure, 5-10 mm, Angular blocky; Smooth-ped fabric; Dry; Strong consistence; 10-20%, fine gravelly, 2-6mm, rounded, dispersed, Quartz, coarse fragments; Common (10-20 %), Manganiferous, Nodules, Medium (2-6 mm) segregations; Few (2-10 %), Calcareous, Soft segregations, Coarse (6-20 mm) segregations; Field ph 9.5 (Raupach, 0.5); Few, very fine (0-1mm) roots; Diffuse, Wavy B Pale brown (10YR6/3-Moist); Light clay; Moderate grade of structure, mm, Subangular blocky; Moderate grade of structure, 5-10 mm, Subangular blocky; Smooth-ped fabric; Dry; Very firm consistence; 10-20%, fine gravelly, 2-6mm, rounded, dispersed, Quartz, coarse fragments; Few (2-10 %), Manganiferous, Soft segregations, Medium (2-6 mm) segregations; Common (10-20 %), Calcareous, Soft segregations, Coarse (6-20 mm) segregations; Field ph 8.5 (Raupach, 1.2); Diffuse, Wavy Land Unit CM4 - page 2

3 Soil chemical analysis Horizon Horizon no. Depth ph Gravel % Phosphorus Potassium Nutrient status A Very low - - N - - Aluminium Salt content Organic matter Sodicity Slaking Dispersion A2j Field sites within this land unit (see technical report for original site nos.) Site code Site type 3551 Corveg 4823 Corveg 4826 Corveg 5042 Dalrymple 5081 Dalrymple 5085 Dalrymple 5086 Dalrymple 5121 Dalrymple 5122 Dalrymple 5231 Dalrymple 5294 Dalrymple 5368 Dalrymple 5377 Dalrymple 5450 Dalrymple 5872 Dalrymple 5898 Dalrymple 5932 Dalrymple Summary of plant species within this land unit Species Abutilon oxycarpum Acacia argyrodendron Acacia cambagei Acacia farnesiana (1,5) Acacia harpophylla Acacia shirleyi Acacia sp. - Alloteropsis semialata Alternanthera micrantha Ammannia multiflora Archidendropsis basaltica (Albizia basaltica) Aristida calycina var. calycina Aristida jerichoensis var. jerichoensis Aristida sp. Astrebla squarrosa Atalaya hemiglauca flannel weed*, straggly lantern-bush blackwood*, black gidgee* gidgee*, stinking wattle, silver gidgee mimosa bush*, cassie, cassie flower, mimosa, needlebush, north-west curara, prickly mimosa, prickly mimosa bush, prickly moses, sheep's briar, sponge wattle, sweet acacia, thorny acacia brigalow*, bricklow, orkor lancewood* cockatoo grass* joyweed jerry-jerry* red lancewood*, dead finish, eastern dead finish dark wiregrass Jericho wiregrass three-awn speargrass*, wiregrass bull Mitchell grass* whitewood*, cattle bush Land Unit CM4 - page 3

4 Species Atriplex muelleri Basilicum polystachyon - Bothriochloa decipiens Bothriochloa ewartiana Bothriochloa sp. - Brunoniella australis Canthium oleifolium Capparis lasiantha Carissa lanceolata Carissa ovata Carissa sp. Casuarina cristata Cenchrus ciliaris (1,5) Chamaesyce drummondii Chloris sp. - Chloris virgata (1,5) Chrysopogon fallax Cleistochloa subjuncea Corymbia dallachiana (Eucalyptus papuana) Corymbia tessellaris (Eucalyptus tessellaris) Cryptostegia grandiflora (1,5) Cucumis melo subsp. agrestis (1,5) - Cymbopogon refractus Cynodon dactylon Cyperus exaltatus Cyperus sp. Dactyloctenium radulans Denhamia oleaster - Digitaria ammophila Digitaria brownii Distichostemon dodecandrus Ehretia saligna Elytrophorus spicatus Enchylaena tomentosa Enneapogon gracilis Enteropogon acicularis Eragrostis australasica Eragrostis lacunaria Eragrostis sororia Eragrostis sp. Eremophila mitchellii Mueller's saltbush, annual saltbush, green saltbush, lagoon saltbush, Queensland saltbush pitted bluegrass*, red grass, redleg grass desert bluegrass*, desert Mitchell grass, Tableland Mitchell grass, lagoon blue trumpet* myrtle tree,* wild lemon nipan,* nepine*, split jack *, wait-a-while currant bush*, conkerberry, Australian carissa, boonum bush, burrum bush, conkleberry currant bush*, blackberry*, kunkerberry*, baroom bush, burrum bush currant bush belah* buffel grass*, African foxtail, black buffel grass, Rhodesian foxtail, slender buffel grass caustic-weed*, caustic creeper, creeping spurge, flat spurge, mat spurge, spurgewort feathertop rhodes grass*, father finger grass, feather windmill grass, feathertop chloris, hairy Rhodes grass, windmill grass, woollytop Rhodes grass golden beardgrass*, golden-beard grass, ribbon grass zig-zag grass ghost gum Moreton Bay ash*, carbeen*, carbeen bloodwood rubber vine*, rubbervine, palay rubbervine barbed-wire grass*, kangaroo grass, turpentine grass couch*, green couch*, Bahama grass, Bermuda grass, common couch, couch grass, Indian couch, native couch, swamp couch tall flatsedge*, short cutty grass, giant sedge sedge* button grass*, coast button grass, eight-day grass, finger grass, small crowsfoot silky umbrella grass*, hairy umbrella grass, cotton panic, spider grass cotton panic*, cotton panic grass, woolly finger, cotton grass, silver spike grass distichostemon coonta, peach bush, false cedar spikegrass* ruby saltbush*, barrier saltbush*, berry cotton bush slender nineawn*, slender bottlewashers curly windmill grass*, large windmill grass, spider grass, star grass, umbrella grass canegrass, bamboo grass, swamp canegrass, tall canegrass purple lovegrass*, lovegrass, neverfail woodland lovegrass* lovegrass sandalbox*, bastard sandalwood*, budda, false sandalwood, sandalwood Land Unit CM4 - page 4

5 Species Eriachne armitii Eriachne mucronata Eriochloa pseudoacrotricha Erythroxylum australe Eucalyptus brownii Eucalyptus cambageana Eucalyptus coolabah Eucalyptus crebra Eucalyptus persistens Eucalyptus shirleyi Euphorbia tannensis Evolvulus alsinoides Grevillea parallela Harrisia martini (Eriocereus martini) (1,5) Heteropogon contortus Heteropogon triticeus Hibiscus sturtii Hybanthus enneaspermus Iseilema sp. - Jacquemontia paniculata Jasminum didymum Larsenaikia ochreata - Ludwigia perennis Lysiphyllum carronii Lysiphyllum hookeri Malvastrum americanum (1,5) Melhania oblongifolia Melinis repens (Rhynchelytrum repens) (1,5) Neptunia gracilis forma gracilis (Neptunia gracilis) Nyssanthes erecta Opuntia monacantha (Opuntia vulgaris) or Opuntia stricta (1,5) Owenia acidula Oxychloris scariosa Panicum effusum (Panicum effusum var. effusum) Panicum sp. Parkinsonia aculeata (1,5) Parsonsia lanceolata Paspalidium caespitosum Paspalidium distans Paspalidium gracile Phyllanthus virgatus Planchonia careya long-awned wanderrie, long-awned wanderrie grass mountain wanderrie grass*, rock grass early spring grass*, spring grass, cupgrass, perennial cupgrass, plains grass cocaine tree*, native cocaine, native cocoa, turkey bush Reid River box*, Brown's box* Dawson gum*, coowarra box*, Dawson River blackbutt*, blackbutt coolabah*, coolibah* ironbark*, narrow-leaved red ironbark*, narrow-leaf ironbark, red ironbark Normanton box silver-leaved ironbark*, Shirley's silver-leaf ironbark desert spurge* tropical speedwell*, baby blue eyes* silver oak harrisia cactus*, moonlight cactus* black speargrass*, bunch speargrass*, speargrass giant speargrass*, sugar grass hill hibiscus* spade flower*, blue spade flower jacquemontia native jasmine* ebony tree*, red bauhinia*, small-leaved bauhinia*, northern bean tree, bauhinia, pegunny, Queensland ebony Queensland ebony*, large-leaved bauhinia*, white-flowered bauhinia*, pegunny, Hooker's bauhinia, white bauhinia, native hauhinia spiked mallow*, spiked malvastrum, bastard side-retusa, spiked false mallow, malvastrum, mulberry mallow, wild mulberry velvet hibiscus red natal grass*, natal grass, natal redtop sensitive plant* barbed wire weed drooping tree pear, barbary fig, drooping pear, drooping prickly pear, smooth tree pear, smooth-leaf tree pear, spiny prickly pear, spreading prickly pear emu apple*, gruie*, colane, sour plum winged chloris*, winged windmill grass hairy panic*, branched panic, diffuse panic, effuse panic, poison panic, two-colour panic panicum Jerusalem thorn*, jelly bean tree*, parkinsonia*, Mexican palo verde, palo verde, ratama northern silkpod* brigalow grass* shotgrass* slender panic*, graceful picnic grass dwarf spurge cockatoo apple*, cocky apple*, cockey apple, billygoat plum, mangaloo Land Unit CM4 - page 5

6 Species Portulaca oleracea Portulaca pilosa Pterocaulon sphacelatum Ptilotus fusiformis var. fusiformis - Santalum lanceolatum Sclerolaena sp. Sida filiformis Sida rohlenae Sida sp. - Solanum ellipticum Sporobolus australasicus Sporobolus caroli Sporobolus sp. - Streptoglossa adscendens Terminalia oblongata Themeda avenacea Themeda triandra Tragus australianus Tripogon loliiformis Urochloa mosambicensis - Ventilago viminalis Waltheria indica pigweed*, common pigweed, common purslane, munyeroo, neverdie, perennial pigweed, portulaca weed, purslane, red pigweed, purselane hairy pigweed* applebush*, ragwort, fruit-salad plant plum bush*, sandalwood*, wild plum*, cherry bush, native plumbush, northern sandalwood, plumwood, true sandalwood, bush plum copperburr fine sida shrub sida potato bush*, hillside flannel bush, potato weed, tomato bush, velvet nightshade, velvet potato bush, wild gooseberry Australian dropseed*, fairy grass fairy grass*, yakka grass*, pretty sporobolus, small pepper grass desert daisy* yellow wood*, yellowwood native oatgrass*, native oat, oat kangaroo grass, oatgrass, tall oat, tall oatgrass kangaroo grass*, red oatgrass small burr grass*, sago burrgrass, stockgrass, tickgrass five minute grass*, eight-day grass, rye beettle grass supplejack*, vine tree, thandorah waltheria 1. Introduced plant 2. Consider for protection 3. Pending registration 4. Rare plant 5. Environmental weed 6. Endangered plant 7. Vulnerable plant 8. Agricultural pest * Wildnet preferred common name; Species in brackets refer to previously known name Special features Ironbark-box woodlands support a very high number of terrestrial mammals, reptiles and woodland bird species, including many of conservation significance. This unit is characterised by a wide variety of plant species, at ground level and mid-strata level under the open canopy of ironbark. Implications for land use Dense pastures and a good ground cover of litter are necessary to maintain a loose open seedbed with good infiltration characteristics. Runoff, and the risk of soil erosion, increases if the protective ground cover or tree vegetation are removed. Maintaining a high density of the perennial grasses not only ensures a rapid response to rain and optimum grass production, but the vegetative ground cover holds the rain where it falls and allows time for infiltration. If pastures are overgrazed the more palatable, nutritious species are removed, allowing the less desirable species such as neverfail, wiregrass and currant bush to take over. As the area of bare ground increases, the amount of water infiltrating and being stored in the soil is reduced, causing higher runoff, erosion and less soil-water storage. It becomes more difficult for plant species to survive the next dry period, and so more bare ground is exposed and the situation deteriorates further, resulting in a shorter growing season, lower productivity and a loss of biodiversity. By moving stock from one paddock to another the grazing pressure on the more palatable plant species is reduced, giving those species a chance of maintaining a presence in the pasture. This land unit is included in Land Management Unit 9. Land Unit CM4 - page 6

7 Land Unit CM4 - page 7