LAND INVENTORY AND TECHNICAL GUIDE EASTERN DOWNS AREA QUEENSLAND LAND CLASSIFICATION AND LAND USE BY B. E°VANDERSEE DIVISION OF LAND UTILISATION TECHNICAL BULLETIN NO. 7. DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES O MARCH, 1975 Queensland Government Technical Report This report is a scanned copy and some detail may be illegible or lost. Before acting on any information, readers are strongly advised to ensure that numerals, percentages and details are correct. This report is intended to provide information only on the subject under review. There are limitations inherent in land resource studies, such as accuracy in relation to map scale and assumptions regarding socio-economic factors for land evaluation. Before acting on the information conveyed in this report, readers should ensure that they have received adequate professional information and advice specific to their enquiry. While all care has been taken in the preparation of this report neither the Queensland Government nor its officers or staff accepts any responsibility for any loss or damage that may result from any inaccuracy or omission in the information contained herein. © State of Queensland 1975 For information about this report contact [email protected] SUMMA RY The land resources of the Eastern Downs area of South Eastern Queensland comprising 1 320 700 hectare., were classified to provide a basis for land use planning and the development of effective agricultural research anq extension programmeso The climate, phys=ogrephy, drainage, hydrology and geology of the area are discussed in broad terms~ The soils have been classified into 63 soil series, which have been described. The important physical and chemical characteristics of these soils and their effects on land use are discussed= Nine plant communities have been recognised0 These have been discussed in terms of their distribution, structural form and dominant species. The area has been mapped into 19 land systems° The land system and component land units are describec The sequence and relationship of land systems to one another are outlined= Vegetation, soils, landform and land capability classifications have been developed for each of the land units. The relationship between land units within land systems is illustrated in a series of vertical cross sections. Beef cattle, dairying and grain cropping are the most important agricultural activities. Present land use, problems and future potential of the area are discussed= It is apparent that many farmer employ management practices that do not comply" with those essential for long-term productivity. CONTENTS SUMMA RY LIST OF TABLES LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF MAPS LIST OF APPENDICES PAGE 1. INTRODUCTION 1 e 1,1 PURPOSE OF STUDY 1 1.2 DESCRIPTION OF AREA 1 2. METHODOLOGY 1 2.1 PRINCIPLES OF SURVEYS 1 2.2 METHOD OF SURVEYING 1 2.3 LAND CAPABILITY CLASSIFtCATION 1 3. CLIMATE OF THE EASTERN DOWNS 2 3,1 GENERAL CLIMATIC CHARACTERISTICS 2 3.1.1 Introduction 2 3.1.2 Rainfall 2 3.1.3 Temperature 3 3.2 AGROCLIMATOLOGY 3 3.2.1 Rainfall 3 3.2,1.1 Winter cereals 5 3.2.1.2 Summer cereals 6 3.2.2 Temperature 6 3,2.3 Climate and Livestock 7 4. PHYSIOGRAPHY, DRAINAGE AND HYDROLOGY ;' 4.1 PHYSIOGRAPHY 7 4.2 SURFACE HYDROLOGY 7 4.3 GROUNDWATER HYDROLOGY 7 4.3.1 Hydrological Units 7 4.3.2 Use of Underground Water 9 4.3.2.1 Estimation of long term annual yield 9 5. GEOLOGY 9 5.1 INTROOUCTION 9 5.2 GEOLOGICAL SEQUENCE 9 5.2,1 Palaeozoic Era 9 5.2.2 Mesozoic Era 9 5.2.3 Cainozoic Era 10 6. VEGETATION 10 6 1 INTRODUCTION 10 6.2 THE PLANT COMMUNITIES 10 6.2=I Blue Grass Grassland 10 6.2_2 Mountain Coolibah Woodland to Shrubby Woodland 10 6°2 3 Poplar Box, Grassy Open Woodland to Woodland 11 62~4 Brigalow-Belah Open Forest to Layered Open Forest 11 6..25 Layered Open Forest of Sydney Blue Gum, Tallowwood, Stringybark and Bloodwood 11 6.2.6 R1ver Red Gum and Queensland Blue Gum Fringing Forests 11 6.2.7 Layered Open Forest to Shrubby Woodland of Ironbarks, Grey Box, Spotted Gum, Angophoras and Wattles 11 6.2.8 Layered Open Forest of Ironbark, Grey Box, New England Blackbutt, Yellow Box and Blakely's Red Gum 11 7. SOILS 12 7ol INTRODUCTION 12 7.2 SOIL CLASSIFICATION 12 73 SOIL ANALYSIS 14 7.4 THE SOILS 14 7.4.1 L ithosols 14 7.4.2 Siliceous Sands 14 7.4.3 Grey, Brown and Red Clays 14 7.4.4 Black Earths 14 7.4.5 Rindz inas 14 PAGE 7.4.6 Sotonetz, Solodized Solonetz, Solodic and Soloth Soils 14 7.4.6.1 Moderately deep to deep texture-contrast soils with yellow grey clayey subsoils 15 7.4,6.2 Moderately deep to deep texture-contrsst soils with dark grey clayey subsoils 1 5 7.4.6.3 Moderately deep to deep texture-contrast soils'with red clayey subsoils 15 7.4.6.4 Shallow to moderately deep texture-contrast soils with yellow clayey subsoils 15 7.4.6.5 Shallow to moderately deep texture-contrast soils with dark clayey subsoils 15 7.4.7 Red Brown Earths 15 7.4.8 Red Earths 15 8. LAND SYSTEMS 18 8,1 INTRODUCTION t8 8.2 THE LAND SYSTEMS 18 8.2.1 Tertiary Basalt Lands 18 8.2.2 Older Alluvial Plains 18 8.2.3 Recent Alluvial Clays 18 8.2.4 Lighter Textured Alluvials 18 8°2.5 Forested Residuals 19 8.2,6 Brigalow Lands 19 8.2.7 Granite and Traprock Lands 19 9. LAND UTILISATION 19 9.1 HISTORICAL 19 9.2 PRESENT LAND USE 20 9.2.1 Cropping 20 9.2.2 Beef Cattle/Cropping 20 9.2.3 Beef Cattle 20 9.2.4 Dairying 20 9.2.5 Sheep 21 9.2.6 Pigs and Poultry 21 92.7 Fruit and Vegetables 21 9.2.8 Forestry 21 9.2.9 Mining 21 9.3 FACTORS AFFECTING LAND USE 21 9.3.1 Climate and Soil Moisture 21 9.3,2 Site Factors 23 9.3.3 Soil Properties 23 9.3.4 Soil Erosion Factors 23 9.4 DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL AND FUTURE PROBLEMS 24 10. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 26 11. BIBLIOGRAPHY 27 LIST OF TABLES TABLE NO. PAGE 1 Average Annual Rainfall for Selected Centres 2 2 Monthly and Annual Rainfall Decilas 3 3 Declles of Rainfall for Consecutive Periods of Months for Warwick 4 4 Mean Monthly Temperature and Mean Annual Evaporation and Humidity 4 5 Frec~uency of First Planting Rains ° Dalby 5 6 Frost Occurrence 6 7 Monthly Frequency of Heat Waves (1926-1 950~ 6 8 Totat Dissolved Solids in Waters from bore near Dalby 8 9 Distrfbution of Plant Communlttes within Land Systems 12 10 Structural Forms, Dominant Species and D~stributlon of the Major Communities 13 11 Factors influencing Use of Soil Sertes 16-1 12 Areas Farmed and under Various Crops (year ended 31 March. 1973) 22 13 Livestock Numbers at 31 .March, 1973 22 14 Ma}or Enterprises on Land Systems 11974 Data) 25-2 APPENDICES I LAND SYSTEMS DESCRIPTIONS II KEYS TO LAND UNITS WITHIN LAND SYSTEMS III LAND CAPABILITY CLASSIFICATION IV GLOSSARY OF THE MORE COMMON PLANT SPECIES V ANALYTICAL DATA FOR SELECTED PROFILES VI DESCRIPTION OF THE SOIL SERIES LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE NO. 1 Generalised Relationships Between Land Systems LIST OF MAPS Locality Plan Land Capability Map Land System Map Sheet, 1 and 2 1. INTRODUCTION The classification and evaluation of land resources is an integral part of any effective agricultural reseat, and extension programme in a developing or re-developing area, The Eastern Downs Land Inventory is a continua of the policy of the Soil Conservation Branch of the Division of Land Utilisation, Department of Primary Industrie to prepare techmcal guides for planning land use within Queensland. 1.1 PURPOSE OF STUDY The purpose of the survey is to provide a systematic description and assessment of the land resources of the Eastern Downs area as a basis for the development of sound land use practices° 1.2 DESCRIPTION OF AREA The Study area embraces approximately I 320 700 hectares of the Condamine River basin, west of the Great Dividing Range It comprises that part of the Condamine River trom its source at Wilson'a Peak down- stream to Dalby~ The shires of Wambo, Jondaryan, Crow's Nest, Rosalie, Millmerran, Pittsworth, Clifton, Toowoomba, Cambooya, AIIora~ Rosenthal and Glengallan all cover portions of the area° The tote! population of the area is approximately 100,000= Toowoombe is the principal centre with a population of 59,476 at the 1971 census, while major centres are located at Warwick in the south (population 9,356) and at Dalby on the western boundary (population 8,890). Many miles of well constructed roads service the region including the Warrego, Cunningham and the New England Highways~ The Great Western Railway, the Southern Railway, and numerous branch lines provide additional transport facilities° 2. METHODOLOGY 2.1 PRINCIPLES OF SURVEYS Land surveys concentrate on the Collection and compilation of data about individual pieces of land= The methods used in surveys depends on the nature of the information required. The land system approach has been used for this survey as it is a convenient and rapid way of dividing land into easily recognisable and describable units° Land systems have been defined by Christian and Stewart (1953) as "an area or group of areas throughout which there is a recurring pattern of topography, soils and vegetation" ~ Areas of uniform topography, sol Is and vegetation within a land system, are described as land units.