Land Unit Master

Land Unit Information Sheet

Land system name: Delta South

Land unit: DS2

General description This land unit represents a transition zone between the deep sandy deposits of the alluvial fan and the extensive clay plains of the 'Downs' country to the west. The soils vary considerably over a short distance, which precludes delineation at the map scale for this project (1:100 000), and range from Chromosols (texture-contrast) to Vertosols (uniform clay profiles) depending on the landscape position and the presence or absence of a sandy topsoil. The vegetation is equally variable, but follows the general pattern of: (a) Texture-contrast soils with medium-thick sandy topsoils over medium-heavy reddish brown, alkaline clays supporting a tall open woodland of Eucalyptus populnea (poplar box) and Eremophila mitchellii (false sandal wood) with a mid-strata of Acacia excelsa (ironwood), Ventilago viminalis (supplejack), Archidendropsis basaltica (deadfinish) and Carissa ovata (currant bush). The dominant ground species consist of Cenchrus ciliaris (buffel grass), which has mostly replaced the native grasses of Triodia pungens (gummy spinifex), Aristida species (wiregrass), Heteropogon contortus (black spear grass) and Eragrostis species (lovegrass). (b) Reddish-brown or grey, uniform cracking-clay soils - a thin sandy loam or sandy clay loam topsoil may be present - supporting a mid-tall, mid-dense open forest of Acacia cambagei (gidgee) and Eremophila mitchellii (false sandalwood), with a less-diverse understorey of Carissa ovata (currant bush), Capparis lasiantha (nipan), Flindersia dissospema (leopardwood) and Atalaya hemiglauca (whitewood) and a sparse ground cover of Aristida species (wiregrass), Cenchrus ciliaris (buffel grass) and Sclerolaena species (goathead burr). Regional ecosystem 10.9.6 is predominant, but significant areas of 10.5.12 are also present.

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

Susceptibility to land degradation processes

Sheet erosion Gully erosion Wind erosion Salting High Moderate Low Moderate

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 DS2 - page 1 Representative site number: 768

Soil classification Australian Soil Classification Principle Profile Form CH AA BD EO - C E L O X Dr2.53 - 2/0/035

General soil description A texture-contrast profile with a thick, reddish-brown, sandy loam over a very deep, sodic, pale brown sandy clay.

Soil profile morphology

Horizon Horizon no Depth Description A11 1 0.00 - 0.02 Reddish brown sandy loam; No mottles; no coarse fragments; Massive; Very few (0 - 2 %) Fine (0 - 2 mm) Organic (humified) Soft segregations Dry weak; Clear to; A12 2 0.02 - 0.35 Reddish brown sandy loam; No mottles; no coarse fragments; Massive; no segregations; Dry very weak; Abrupt to; B21tk 3 0.35 - 0.85 Reddish brown medium clay; Very few <2% Fine <5mm faint orange mottles; no coarse fragments; Massive; Few (2 - 10 %) Medium (2 -6 mm) Calcareous Soft segregations Dry weak; Gradual to; B22k 4 0.85 - 1.30 Light reddish brown light clay; Very few <2% Fine <5mm faint brown mottles; no coarse fragments; Massive; Very few (0 - 2 %) Fine (0 - 2 mm) Manganiferous Soft segregations Dry firm; Few (2 - 10 %) Medium (2 - 6 mm) Calcareous Soft segregations Dry weak; Clear to; B23 5 1.30 - 2.00+ Pale brown sandy clay; Many 20-50% Medium 5-15mm distinct brown mottles; no coarse fragments; no segregations; Dry firm;

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

A11 1 0.00 - 0.02 4.9 0.40 Very low Deficient Very low 1.04 Nil - Very low Low N Y High A12 2 0.02 - .035 6.2 0.68 Deficient Deficient Very low 0.01 Nil - Very low Very low N Y High

6/12/2005 Land Unit DS2 - page 2 Field sites within this land unit (see technical report for original site nos.) Site code Site type Site code Site type 716 DUSLARA Tertiary 838 DUSLARA Tertiary 717 DUSLARA Tertiary 4416 Corveg 720 DUSLARA Tertiary 4417 Corveg 746 DUSLARA Tertiary 4419 Corveg 749 DUSLARA Primary 4420 Corveg 761 DUSLARA Tertiary 765 DUSLARA Tertiary 766 DUSLARA Tertiary 767 DUSLARA Tertiary 768 DUSLARA Primary 769 DUSLARA Tertiary 770 DUSLARA Tertiary 772 DUSLARA Tertiary 773 DUSLARA Tertiary 777 DUSLARA Tertiary 778 DUSLARA Tertiary 783 DUSLARA Tertiary 784 DUSLARA Tertiary 834 DUSLARA Primary 836 DUSLARA Tertiary

Summary of plant species within this land unit

Species Common name Abutilon fraseri dwarf lantern flower*, Fraser's chinese lantern Acacia cambagei gidgee*, stinking wattle, silver gidgee Acacia excelsa ironwood*, brigalow, bunkerman, ironwood wattle Acacia harpophylla brigalow*, bricklow, orkor Alectryon oleifolius western rosewood*, boonaree*, red heart*, bullock bush, cattle bush, minga, rosewood Amaranthus sp. - Anthobolus leptomerioides Archidendropsis basaltica red lancewood*, dead finish, eastern dead finish Aristida calycina var. calycina dark wiregrass Aristida holathera var. holathera erect kerosene grass, wiregrass Aristida pruinosa gulf wiregrass, Gulf feathertop wiregrass Aristida sp. three-awn speargrass*, wiregrass Atalaya hemiglauca whitewood*, cattle bush Bothriochloa or Dichanthium sp. - Brachychiton populneus kurrajong Calotis xanthosioidea - Canthium attenuatum myrtle Canthium 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 Chloris pectinata comb chloris,* comb windmill grass Chloris sp. - Corymbia dallachiana ghost gum Corymbia sp. bloodwood

6/12/2005 Land Unit DS2 - page 3 Species Common name Corymbia tessellaris (Eucalyptus Moreton Bay ash*, carbeen*, carbeen bloodwood tessellaris) Cymbopogon refractus barbed-wire grass*, kangaroo grass, turpentine grass Cyperus fulvus sticky sedge Einadia nutans climbing saltbush*, nodding saltbush, berry saltbush Enchylaena tomentosa ruby saltbush*, barrier saltbush*, berry cotton bush Enneapogon lindleyanus canetop nineawn*, nine-awn grass*, prickly couch*, wiry nineawn, bottlewasher Enneapogon polyphyllus leafy nineawn*, limestone bottlewashers, oatgrass Enteropogon ramosus windmill grass*, twirly windmill grass Eragrostis lacunaria purple lovegrass*, lovegrass, neverfail Eragrostis sp. lovegrass Eremophila maculata fuchsia bush*, turkey bush*, spotted emu bush, spotted fuchsia bush, native fuchsia, poison fuchsia, spotted fuchsia Eremophila mitchellii sandalbox*, bastard sandalwood*, budda, false sandalwood, sandalwood Eriachne mucronata mountain wanderrie grass*, rock grass 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 Evolvulus alsinoides tropical speedwell*, baby blue eyes* Flindersia dissosperma leopardwood*, scrub leopardwood Geijera parviflora wilga*, sheepbush, dogwood Goodenia strangfordii - Grevillea striata beefwood* Hakea leucoptera needlewood, kulua, needle hakea, needlebush, pin bush, silver needlewood, water bush, water tree Heteropogon contortus black speargrass*, bunch speargrass*, speargrass Lysiana subfalcata northern mistletoe Lysiphyllum carronii ebony tree*, red bauhinia*, small-leaved bauhinia*, northern bean tree, bauhinia, pegunny, Queensland ebony Maireana villosa silky bluebush, common bluebush Melhania oblongifolia velvet hibiscus Myoporum montanum boobialla*, water bush, native myrtle Myoporum sp. - Oldenlandia mitrasacmoides subsp. trachymenoides 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) Panicum sp. panicum Paspalidium caespitosum brigalow grass* Pimelea microcephala subsp. pimelea, mallee riceflower microcephala Salsola kali soft roly-poly*, buckbush, Russian thistle Santalum lanceolatum plum bush*, sandalwood*, wild plum*, cherry bush, native plumbush, northern sandalwood, plumwood, true sandalwood, bush plum Scaevola spinescens prickly fan flower*, currant bush, fanbush, maroon bush, poontoo, spiny fanflower Sclerolaena bicornis var. horrida goathead burr* Sclerolaena sp. copperburr Senna artemisioides butter bush*, desert cassia*, silver cassia*, silver desert cassia*

6/12/2005 Land Unit DS2 - page 4 Species Common name Senna artemisioides subsp. filifolia silver cassia, punty bush Sida cordifolia (1,5) flannelweed*, flannel sida, heart-leaf sida Solanum ellipticum potato bush*, hillside flannel bush, potato weed, tomato bush, velvet nightshade, velvet potato bush, wild gooseberry Sporobolus caroli fairy grass*, yakka grass*, pretty sporobolus, small pepper grass Themeda triandra kangaroo grass*, red oatgrass Triodia pungens soft spinifex, gummy spinifex, spinifex Tripogon loliiformis five minute grass*, eight-day grass, rye beettle grass Ventilago viminalis supplejack*, vine tree, thandorah Vittadinia pustulata fuzzweed

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 soils have good water storage potential, thereby because of the prolific growth and variety of vegetation prolonging the potential growing season. resulting from a better moisture supply and longer Retaining a good ground cover will reduce overland flow, growing season than that of most other units in the assist infiltration and reduce sheet erosion. bioregion. Ground cover and shade reduce evaporation from bare soil Box woodlands support the greatest diversity of animal surfaces, thereby preventing soluble salts from accumulating species of any habitat in the bioregion and are particularly on the surface of the uniform clay profiles. significant for many woodland bird species that are Good vegetative cover plays an important role in preventing declining in numbers in other parts of Australia, as well as salinity and maintaining biodiversity. granivorous birds, bats, terrestrial and arboreal mammals The soils are deficient in phosphorus. and some restricted reptiles. Some of the clayey areas within the land unit are susceptible The acacia woodlands support high abundances of to waterlogging and salinity. particular animals, including arboreal mammals Although this land unit is a complex it should be treated as (particularly where the woodlands are near Land Management Unit 11. watercourses), arboreal reptiles, and woodland bird species that prefer a dense canopy structure.

6/12/2005 Land Unit DS2 - page 5