Land Unit Master

Land Unit Information Sheet

Land system name: Northern Plateau

Land unit: NP3

General description This land unit represents the lower slopes in a landscape of the gentle rises. Thick, sandy loam topsoils are common, resulting from the deposition of sheet wash off adjacent slopes, and the natural process of soil profile development. The subsoils are usually a compact yellowish, faintly mottled clay, that is, yellow Chromosols. The dominant vegetation is a mid-tall woodland of Eucalyptus melanophloia (silver-leaved ironbark), together with some E. brownii (Reid River box) and an occasional Corymbia dallachiana (ghost gum) The proportions of each change with variations in soil type, but the ironbark becomes dominant on soils with better drainage. Acacia coriacea (desert oak) and Carissa ovata (currant bush) dominate the shrub layer, and Triodia pungens (gummy spinifex), and Themeda triandra (kangaroo grass) the dominant grasses. Regional ecosystem 10.5.5 is predominant.

Site characteristics Landform element Average slope Hillslopes 1% Site drainage Soil permeability Imperfectly drained Slowly permeable Flooding risk Inundation risk Low Low Potential recharge to groundwater Soil depth Low Very deep; 1.5 - 5.0m Present land use Grazing

Susceptibility to land degradation processes

Sheet erosion Gully erosion Wind erosion Salting Moderate Moderate Moderate Low

This information has been generated from the Desert Uplands Land Resource Database. The Environmental Protection Agency accepts no liability for any decisions or actions taken on the basis of this information. State of Queensland. Environmental Protection Agency 2004.

7/12/2005 Land Unit NP3 - page 1 Representative site number: 129

Soil classification Australian Soil Classification Principle Profile Form CH AC EA EO - C E L O X Dy2.53 - 2/0/055

General soil description A texture-contrast profile with a thick sandy loam topsoil over a brownish yellow, sodic clay, with an ironstone hardpan at approximately 2m depth.

Soil profile morphology

Horizon Horizon no Depth Description A 1 0.00 - 0.42 Brown fine sandy loam; No mottles; no coarse fragments; Massive; no segregations; Gradual to; BC 2 0.42 - 0.65 Pale brown fine sandy loam; No mottles; no coarse fragments; Massive; no segregations; Abrupt to; 2B2 3 0.65 - 2.00+ Yellow mottled clay

Soil chemical analysis P S H A D P h a G N o O S o i l H S l o u s m s r D r t u o t r o l s p i

a m a t g a z c t e d p a a r p v e r s k a o o p i i t i H t i e h r z s n c t e i n u n n t s n e o l o i i h i n i s

u t t i u r g c % n n r o e y t m m u

o n n s . t

A 1 0.00 - 0.42 6.2 0.20 Deficient Low Very low 0 Low Very low N Y High BC 2 0.42 - 0.65 6.5 0.60 Deficient Low Very low 0 Low Very low Y Y High

Field sites within this land unit (see technical report for original site nos.) Site code Site type Site code Site type Site code Site type 66 DUSLARA Tertiary 448 DUSLARA Tertiary 4528 Corveg 67 DUSLARA Tertiary 449 DUSLARA Tertiary 4578 Corveg 69 DUSLARA Tertiary 459 DUSLARA Primary 5656 Dalrymple 89 DUSLARA Primary 472 DUSLARA Tertiary 5706 Dalrymple 106 DUSLARA Primary 495 DUSLARA Primary 5742 Dalrymple 126 DUSLARA Tertiary 2051 Buchanan-Dyllingo-Gali5le7e45 Dalrymple 129 DUSLARA Primary 2073 Buchanan-Dyllingo-Galilee 130 DUSLARA Tertiary 2075 Buchanan-Dyllingo-Galilee 132 DUSLARA Tertiary 2078 Buchanan-Dyllingo-Galilee 133 DUSLARA Tertiary 2096 Buchanan-Dyllingo-Galilee 134 DUSLARA Tertiary 2101 Buchanan-Dyllingo-Galilee 135 DUSLARA Tertiary 2104 Buchanan-Dyllingo-Galilee 136 DUSLARA Tertiary 2126 Buchanan-Dyllingo-Galilee 212 DUSLARA Tertiary 2137 Buchanan-Dyllingo-Galilee 213 DUSLARA Tertiary 3585 Corveg 380 DUSLARA Tertiary 4113 Corveg 382 DUSLARA Tertiary 4153 Corveg 383 DUSLARA Primary 4198 Corveg 392 DUSLARA Primary 4502 Corveg 404 DUSLARA Tertiary 4503 Corveg

7/12/2005 Land Unit NP3 - page 2 Summary of plant species within this land unit

Species Common name Abutilon sp. lantern flower Acacia adsurgens wattle Acacia cambagei gidgee*, stinking wattle, silver gidgee Acacia coriacea desert oak, wirewood, dogwood, wiry wattle Acacia cowleana (Acacia oligophleba) Cowley's wattle*, sand wattle Acacia cowleana (Acacia oligophleba) Acacia harpophylla brigalow*, bricklow, orkor Acacia laccata wattle Acacia leptostachya slender wattle Acacia macradenia zig-zag wattle* Acacia melleodora waxy wattle Acacia tenuissima narrow-leaved wattle Acacia torulosa - Alectryon oleifolium Alternanthera sp. joyweed Archidendropsis basaltica red lancewood*, dead finish, eastern dead finish Aristida benthamii var. benthamii wiregrass Aristida calycina dark wiregrass, branched wiregrass Aristida calycina var. calycina dark wiregrass Aristida holathera erect kerosene grass, wiregrass, kerosene grass, large silver grass, tall kerosene grass Aristida holathera (Aristida browniana) Aristida holathera var. holathera erect kerosene grass, wiregrass Aristida inaequiglumis unequal threeawn, feathertop threeawn, wiregrass Aristida ingrata wire grass Aristida jerichoensis Jericho wiregrass, blue speargrass, Jericho three-awn, No. 9 wiregrass, Number nine Aristida jerichoensis var. jerichoensis Jericho wiregrass Aristida latifolia feathertop wiregrass*, curly wiregrass Aristida sp. three-awn speargrass*, wiregrass Asteraceae family name Austrochloris dichanthioides - Bonamia media grey-vine Bothriochloa decipiens pitted bluegrass*, red grass, redleg grass Bothriochloa ewartiana desert bluegrass*, desert Mitchell grass, Tableland Mitchell grass, lagoon Bothriochloa or Dichanthium sp. - Bothriochloa sp. Brachychiton populneus kurrajong Brunoniella australis blue trumpet* Brunoniella sp. brunoniella Bursaria incana hoary blackthorn*, prickly pine*, mock orange Cajanus scarabaeoides - Calotis lappulacea yellow burr daisy*, mallee burr daisy, yellow daisy burr Calotis sp. burr daisy* Calotis xanthosioidea - Canthium oleifolium myrtle tree,* wild lemon Capparis lasiantha nipan,* nepine*, split jack *, wait-a-while

7/12/2005 Land Unit NP3 - page 3 Species Common name Carissa lanceolata currant bush*, conkerberry, Australian carissa, boonum bush, burrum bush, conkleberry Carissa ovata currant bush*, blackberry*, kunkerberry*, baroom bush, burrum bush Cenchrus ciliaris (1,5) buffel grass*, African foxtail, black buffel grass, Rhodesian foxtail, slender buffel grass Chamaesyce drummondii caustic-weed*, caustic creeper, creeping spurge, flat spurge, mat spurge, spurgewort Chenopodium sp. - Chloris sp. Chrysocephalum apiculatum yellow buttons*, common everlasting Chrysopogon fallax golden beardgrass*, golden-beard grass, ribbon grass Chrysopogon sp. - Cleistochloa subjuncea zig-zag grass Corymbia clarksoniana (Eucalyptus grey bloodwood*, southern long-fruited bloodwood*, Clarkson's dolichocarpa) bloodwood Corymbia dallachiana ghost gum Corymbia dallachiana (Eucalyptus papuana) Corymbia erythrophloia (Eucalyptus gum-topped bloodwood*, red bloodwood*, variable-barked bloodwood, erythrophloia) red barked bloodwood Corymbia polycarpa (Eucalyptus long-fruited bloodwood* polycarpa) Corymbia polycarpa (Eucalyptus long-fruited bloodwood*/grey bloodwood*, southern long-fruited polycarpa)/Corymbia clarksoniana bloodwood*, Clarkson's bloodwood (Corymbia dolichocarpa) Corymbia setosa (Eucalyptus setosa) rough-leaved bloodwood*, desert bloodwood, rough-leaf bloodwood, applejack, hairy gum Crinum flaccidum Murray lily*, Darling lily, desert lily, flaccid lily, Macquarie crinum, Macquarie lily, native crinum, sandover lily, white lily Cymbopogon bombycinus silky-top grass*, silky oilgrass, citronella grass, native lemon grass Cymbopogon refractus barbed-wire grass*, kangaroo grass, turpentine grass Cyperus victoriensis yelka, flat sedge Dichanthium sericeum Queensland bluegrass*, silky bluegrass Dichanthium sp. - Digitaria ammophila silky umbrella grass*, hairy umbrella grass, cotton panic, spider grass Digitaria brownii cotton panic*, cotton panic grass, woolly finger, cotton grass, silver spike grass Digitaria sp. - Dipteracanthus australasicus Elionurus citreus lemon-scented grass*, lemon grass Enneapogon cylindricus jointed nineawn*, jointed bottlewashers Enneapogon gracilis slender nineawn*, slender bottlewashers Enneapogon lindleyanus canetop nineawn*, nine-awn grass*, prickly couch*, wiry nineawn, bottlewasher Enneapogon polyphyllus leafy nineawn*, limestone bottlewashers, oatgrass Enneapogon purpurascens bottlewasher Enneapogon sp. bottlewashers* Enneapogon virens - Enteropogon sp. Eragrostis basedowii neat lovegrass Eragrostis brownii Brown's lovegrass*, common lovegrass Eragrostis lacunaria purple lovegrass*, lovegrass, neverfail Eragrostis leptocarpa drooping lovegrass*, slender lovegrass

7/12/2005 Land Unit NP3 - page 4 Species Common name Eragrostis sp. lovegrass Eremophila deserti (Myoporum deserti) Ellangowan poison bush*, turkey bush Eremophila mitchellii sandalbox*, bastard sandalwood*, budda, false sandalwood, sandalwood Eriachne mucronata mountain wanderrie grass*, rock grass Eriachne obtusa northern wanderrie grass* Eriachne pallescens wanderrie grass* Eucalyptus brownii Reid River box*, Brown's box* Eucalyptus brownii x E. populnea box Eucalyptus cambageana Dawson gum*, coowarra box*, Dawson River blackbutt*, blackbutt Eucalyptus melanophloia silver ironbark*, silver-leaf ironbark, broad-leaf ironbark, silver-leaved ironbark Eucalyptus melanophloia x E. whitei - Eucalyptus melanophloia/Eucalyptus silver ironbark*/White's ironbark* whitei Eucalyptus populnea poplar box*, bimble box*, egolla, nankeen gum, red box, white box Eucalyptus shirleyi silver-leaved ironbark*, Shirley's silver-leaf ironbark Eucalyptus similis Queensland yellowjacket*, yellowjacket Eucalyptus sp. ironbark Eucalyptus thozetiana mountain yapunyah*, Thozet's box, Thozet's ironbox, yapunyah, napunyah, lapunyah Eucalyptus whitei x E. melanophloia ironbark Euphorbia sp. - Euphorbia tannensis desert spurge* Evolvulus alsinoides tropical speedwell*, baby blue eyes* Exocarpus sparteus slender cherry*, broom ballart Fimbristylis sp. finger rush Flindersia dissosperma leopardwood*, scrub leopardwood Geijera parviflora wilga*, sheepbush, dogwood Glycine tomentella woolly glycine*, rusty glycine Goodenia disperma fan flower* Goodenia goodeniacea - Goodenia sp. goodenia* Grevillea glauca bushy's clothes peg*, bushmans clothes peg Grevillea parallela silver oak Grevillea sp. - Grevillea striata beefwood* Hakea lorea corkbark, bootlace, corkwood, witinti, bootlace oak Hakea sp. - Heliotropium sp. Heteropogon contortus black speargrass*, bunch speargrass*, speargrass Hovea longipes brush hovea* Indigofera linifolia native indigo, narrow-leaf indigo Jasminum didymum native jasmine* Keraudrenia integrifolia common firebush Leptomeria sp. - Lysiphyllum carronii ebony tree*, red bauhinia*, small-leaved bauhinia*, northern bean tree, bauhinia, pegunny, Queensland ebony Marsdenia australis doubah*, bush banana, native pear Marsdenia australis (Leichhardtia doubah* australis) Marsdenia viridiflora native pear*, doubah* Maytenus cunninghamii yellow berry bush*

7/12/2005 Land Unit NP3 - page 5 Species Common name Megathyrsus maximus (Panicum green panic, Guinea grass maximum) (1,5) Melaleuca nervosa paperbark teatree, woodland paperbark, fibrebark Melaleuca sp. tea-tree, paperbark Melhania oblongifolia velvet hibiscus Murdannia graminea murdannia* Oldenlandia sp. - Oxychloris scariosa winged chloris*, winged windmill grass Panicum effusum hairy panic*, branched panic, diffuse panic, effuse panic, poison panic, two-colour panic Panicum effusum (Panicum effusum var. effusum) Parsonsia lanceolata northern silkpod* Parsonsia sp. - Paspalidium sp./Eragrostis sp. Invalid species name* Perotis rara comet grass*, pyramid grass Persoonia falcata milky plum, wild pear, geebung Petalostigma banksii smooth-leaved quinine Petalostigma pubescens quinine tree*, bitterbark, native quince, quinine berry, quinine bush Phyllanthus sp. - Phyllanthus virgatus dwarf spurge Polygala isingii - Polymeria calycina pink bindweed* Portulaca oleracea pigweed*, common pigweed, common purslane, munyeroo, neverdie, perennial pigweed, portulaca weed, purslane, red pigweed, purselane Portulaca pilosa hairy pigweed* Pterocaulon serrulatum ragwort Pterocaulon sphacelatum applebush*, ragwort, fruit-salad plant Rhynchosia minima ryncho*, rhynchosia Rostellularia adscendens dwarf justicia*, pink tongues Santalum lanceolatum plum bush*, sandalwood*, wild plum*, cherry bush, native plumbush, northern sandalwood, plumwood, true sandalwood, bush plum Schizachyrium fragile firegrass*, red spathe grass, small redleaf Sclerolaena sp. copperburr Sehima nervosum rat's tail grass*, whitegrass Senna artemisioides subsp. sturtii silver cassia, grey cassia, punty bush Senna occidentalis (1,5) coffee senna*, ant bush*, arsenic bush Sida filiformis fine sida Sida sp. - Solanum ellipticum potato bush*, hillside flannel bush, potato weed, tomato bush, velvet nightshade, velvet potato bush, wild gooseberry Solanum sp. - Spermacoce brachystema buttonweed, borreria Sporobolus australasicus Australian dropseed*, fairy grass Sporobolus caroli fairy grass*, yakka grass*, pretty sporobolus, small pepper grass Sporobolus sp. - Stackhousia sp. Stylidium eglandulosum woolly-stemmed triggerplant* Stylidium eriorhizum - Stylidium sp. trigger plant Themeda avenacea native oatgrass*, native oat, oat kangaroo grass, oatgrass, tall oat, tall oatgrass

7/12/2005 Land Unit NP3 - page 6 Species Common name Themeda triandra kangaroo grass*, red oatgrass Tragus australianus small burr grass*, sago burrgrass, stockgrass, tickgrass Tricoryne anceps - Tricoryne elatior yellow autumn lily*, yellow rush lily Triodia mitchellii buck spinifex*, spinifex, soft spinifex Triodia pungens soft spinifex, gummy spinifex, spinifex Triodia sp. spinifex Tripogon loliiformis five minute grass*, eight-day grass, rye beettle grass Ventilago viminalis supplejack*, vine tree, thandorah Waltheria indica waltheria Zornia muriculata zornia* Zornia sp. -

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 Implications for land use These areas are important habitat for native fauna The topsoil and sodic subsoil have a high dispersion rating. because of the prolific growth and variety of vegetation The nutrient status of the soil is very low and phosphorus is resulting from a better moisture supply and longer deficient. growing season than that of most other units in the Exposure of the sodic subsoils (trenches, borrow pits etc) to bioregion. water flow can initiate gully erosion. Ironbark-box woodlands support a diverse range of A good ground cover protects the weakly-structured topsoil animal species, particularly many of woodland bird from raindrop impact, minimises runoff and assists infiltration species that are declining in numbers in other parts of thereby increasing soil-water storage and extending the Australia, as well as granivorous birds, bats, terrestrial growing season. and arboreal mammals and some restricted reptiles. This land unit is included in Land Management Unit 6. An ironstone hardpan is usually present at approximately 2m depth.

7/12/2005 Land Unit NP3 - page 7