Land Unit Master
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Land Unit Information Sheet Land system name: Vacquera Land unit: VA1 General description This land unit represents remnant areas of an original plateau surface. Two soil types occur in about equal proportions with subtle differences in permeability, nutrient status and drainage characteristics. Reddish brown Kandosols (gradational-textured profile) and Dermosols (uniform or gradational-textured profile with weak-moderate structured subsoils) are co-dominant. Mid-high woodlands of Eucalyptus melanophloia (silver-leaved ironbark), Corymbia dallachiana (ghost gum) and C. polycarpa (long-fruited bloodwood) predominate, however it is not unusual to find small areas of C. setosa (applejack) on deep sandy red soils or E. shirleyi (Shirley's silver-leaved ironbark) on shallow soils overlying reticulate (deeply weathered) parent material, or E. brownii (Reid River box) in minor drainage depressions, where the soils have only moderate permeability and imperfect drainage. Other common plants include Petalostigma pubescens (quinine tree), Grevillea parallela (silver oak), Aristida species (wiregrass), Heteropogon contortus (black spear grass), Aristida species (wire grass) and Chrysopogon fallax (golden beard grass). Some small areas of this land unit do not have an equivalent regional ecosystem description, although RE 11.7.3 is a close approximation and has been chosen for the time being, until the RE descriptions for this area are reviewed. Site characteristics Landform element Average slope Plain 1% Site drainage Soil permeability Moderately well drained Moderately permeable Flooding risk Inundation risk Nil Nil Potential recharge to groundwater Soil depth Low Very deep; 1.0 - 1.5m Present land use Grazing Susceptibility to land degradation processes Sheet erosion Gully erosion Wind erosion Salting Moderate Low Low Very 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 VA1 - page 1 Representative site number: 6007 Soil classification Australian Soil Classification Principle Profile Form KA AB AH AV - C G L O X Dy2.43 - 2/0/052 General soil description A texture-contrast profile with a sandy loam topsoil and a bleached A2 horizon over a yellow clay containing a ironstone gravel. Soil profile morphology Horizon Horizon no Depth Description A11 1 0.00 - 0.13 Dark brown (10YR3/3-Moist); Sandy loam; Massive grade of structure; Earthy fabric; Dry; Very firm consistence; Field pH 6.5 (Raupach, 0.05); Clear change to - A21j 2 0.13 - 0.52 Yellowish brown (10YR5/4-Moist); Sandy clay loam; Massive grade of structure; Earthy fabric; Dry; Very firm consistence; Common (10 - 20 %), Ferromanganiferous, Nodules, Coarse (6 - 20 mm) segregations; Field pH 6 (Raupach, 0.2); Clear change to - A22e 3 0.52 - 0.70 Yellowish brown (10YR5/4-Moist); Sandy clay loamHeavy; Massive grade of structure; Earthy fabric; Dry; Very firm consistence; Many (20 - 50 %), Ferromanganiferous, Nodules, Coarse (6 - 20 mm) segregations; Field pH 6.5 (Raupach, 0.6); B21 4 0.70 - 1.00 Yellowish brown (10YR5/6-Moist); Sandy light clay; Dry; Field pH 8 (Raupach, 0.9); B22 5 1.00 - 1.20 Yellowish brown (10YR5/6-Moist); Sandy light medium clay; Dry; Field pH 8.5 (Raupach, Field sites within this land unit (see technical report for original site nos.) Site code Site type 5069 Dalrymple 5070 Dalrymple 5892 Dalrymple 5893 Dalrymple 5909 Dalrymple 5958 Dalrymple 5973 Dalrymple 5982 Dalrymple 5983 Dalrymple 6001 Dalrymple 6002 Dalrymple 6003 Dalrymple 6007 Dalrymple Summary of plant species within this land unit Species Common name Acacia argyrodendron blackwood*, black gidgee* 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 VA1 - page 2 Species Common name Acacia sp. - Acacia torulosa Aristida sp. three-awn speargrass*, wiregrass Bothriochloa sp. - Bursaria incana hoary blackthorn*, prickly pine*, mock orange Carissa lanceolata currant bush*, conkerberry, Australian carissa, boonum bush, burrum bush, conkleberry Carissa ovata currant bush*, blackberry*, kunkerberry*, baroom bush, burrum bush Carissa sp. currant bush Chrysopogon fallax golden beardgrass*, golden-beard grass, ribbon grass Corymbia dallachiana (Eucalyptus ghost gum papuana) Corymbia erythrophloia (Eucalyptus gum-topped bloodwood*, red bloodwood*, variable-barked bloodwood, erythrophloia) red barked bloodwood Corymbia polycarpa (Eucalyptus long-fruited bloodwood* polycarpa) Corymbia setosa (Eucalyptus setosa) rough-leaved bloodwood*, desert bloodwood, rough-leaf bloodwood, applejack, hairy gum Cryptostegia grandiflora (1,5) rubber vine*, rubbervine, palay rubbervine Eremophila mitchellii sandalbox*, bastard sandalwood*, budda, false sandalwood, sandalwood Eriachne sp. - Erythroxylum australe cocaine tree*, native cocaine, native cocoa, turkey bush Eucalyptus brownii Reid River box*, Brown's box* Eucalyptus cambageana Dawson gum*, coowarra box*, Dawson River blackbutt*, blackbutt Eucalyptus crebra ironbark*, narrow-leaved red ironbark*, narrow-leaf ironbark, red ironbark Eucalyptus melanophloia silver ironbark*, silver-leaf ironbark, broad-leaf ironbark, silver-leaved ironbark Eucalyptus shirleyi silver-leaved ironbark*, Shirley's silver-leaf ironbark Eucalyptus sp. - Grevillea sp. Hakea sp. Heteropogon contortus black speargrass*, bunch speargrass*, speargrass Melaleuca nervosa paperbark teatree, woodland paperbark, fibrebark Parkinsonia aculeata (1,5) Jerusalem thorn*, jelly bean tree*, parkinsonia*, Mexican palo verde, palo verde, ratama Petalostigma pubescens quinine tree*, bitterbark, native quince, quinine berry, quinine bush Planchonia careya cockatoo apple*, cocky apple*, cockey apple, billygoat plum, mangaloo Themeda triandra kangaroo grass*, red oatgrass Triodia mitchellii buck spinifex*, spinifex, soft spinifex Triodia sp. spinifex 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 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 VA1 - page 3 Special features Implications for land use Ironbark woodlands support a very high number of animal Dense pastures and a good ground cover of litter are species, including many of conservation significance. necessary to maintain an open seedbed with good infiltration They have a higher proportion of terrestrial mammals and characteristics. reptiles than the box country, but are similarly significant Runoff, and the risk of soil erosion, increases if the protective for woodland bird species. ground cover or tree vegetation are removed. This unit is characterised by a wide variety of plant Maintaining a high density of the perennial grasses not only species, at ground level and mid-strata level under the ensures a rapid response to rain and optimum grass open canopy of ironbark. production, but the dense pasture 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. Spinifex is very slow to regenerate because it relies more on vegetative propagation, rather than seed to establish new plants. It may take two to three good wet seasons and prolonged spelling to increase plant density. This land unit is included in Land Management Unit 9. 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 VA1 - page 4.