Land Unit Information Sheet

Land system name: Alice Clays

Land unit: AC2

General description This land unit represents a complex of two soil-vegetation associations. Sandy alluvium of variable depth can be identified by the texture-contrast soils with brown subsoils and tall woodlands of E. melanophloia (silver-leaved ironbark) interspersed with areas of Eucalyptus populnea (poplar box). The main understorey species are Themeda triandra (kangaroo grass), Digitaria brownii (cotton panic), Aristida species (wire grasses) and Cenchrus ciliaris (buffel). Occurring at random, and frequently, are brown and grey cracking-clay soils with a mid-tall, dense woodland of (gidgee), A. harpophylla (brigalow) and Eremophila mitchellii (false sandalwood). The clays represent the soils of the original lakebed and may be several metres deep. Sites with detailed soil and vegetation information are not available. Regional ecosystems 10.5.5 and 10.5.12 are predominant, but significant areas of 10.4.5 are also present.

Site characteristics Landform element Average slope Plain 1% Site drainage Soil permeability Well 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 High Low 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.

6/12/2005 Land Unit AC2 - page 1 Representative site number: 0

Soil classification Australian Soil Classification Principle Profile Form N/A N/A

General soil description Texture-contrast profiles, with variable depths of sandy loam topsoil over brown clayey subsoils, together with uniform cracking-clay soils.

Field sites within this land unit (see technical report for original site nos.) Site code Site type 482 DUSLARA Tertiary 483 DUSLARA Tertiary 485 DUSLARA Tertiary 508 DUSLARA Tertiary 509 DUSLARA Tertiary 511 DUSLARA Tertiary 4478 Corveg

Summary of species within this land unit

Species Common name Acacia cambagei gidgee*, stinking wattle, silver gidgee Acacia harpophylla brigalow*, bricklow, orkor Archidendropsis basaltica red lancewood*, dead finish, eastern dead finish Aristida sp. three-awn speargrass*, wiregrass Bothriochloa or Dichanthium sp. - Capparis lasiantha nipan,* nepine*, split jack *, wait-a-while 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 Enneapogon sp. bottlewashers* Eragrostis leptocarpa drooping lovegrass*, slender lovegrass Eragrostis sp. lovegrass Eremophila mitchellii sandalbox*, bastard sandalwood*, budda, false sandalwood, sandalwood Reid River box*, Brown's box* Eucalyptus melanophloia silver ironbark*, silver-leaf ironbark, broad-leaf ironbark, silver-leaved ironbark Eucalyptus populnea poplar box*, bimble box*, egolla, nankeen gum, red box, white box Eucalyptus sp. ironbark Flindersia dissosperma leopardwood*, scrub leopardwood Geijera parviflora wilga*, sheepbush, dogwood Lysiphyllum carronii ebony tree*, red bauhinia*, small-leaved bauhinia*, northern bean tree, bauhinia, pegunny, Queensland ebony Lysiphyllum sp. bauhinia

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.

6/12/2005 Land Unit AC2 - page 2 Species Common name Santalum lanceolatum plum bush*, sandalwood*, wild plum*, cherry bush, native plumbush, northern sandalwood, plumwood, true sandalwood, bush plum Sporobolus sp. - Themeda triandra kangaroo grass*, red oatgrass Tragus australianus small burr grass*, sago burrgrass, stockgrass, tickgrass 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 unit is a mixture of two soil-vegetation associations, The sodic subsoils have a high dispersion rating. which increases its biodiversity and conservation value. The concentration of runoff water, from adjacent areas, into Box woodlands support the greatest diversity of animal confined channels should be avoided, as the subsoils are species of any habitat in the bioregion and are particularly prone to gully erosion. significant for many woodland bird species that are Maintenance of ground cover is important to enhance water declining in numbers in other parts of , as well as infiltration and minimises the risk of sheet erosion. granivorous birds, bats, terrestrial and arboreal mammals The vegetation communities dominated by gidgee and and some restricted reptiles. brigalow have an 'Of Concern' biodiversity conservation status*. This land unit is included in Land Management Unit 6.

*See definitions at http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/biodiversity/reg ional_ecosystems/introduction_and_status.

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.

6/12/2005 Land Unit AC2 - page 3