Land systems of the Kimberley Region References Christian CS and Stewart (1953) General report on survey of the Katherine-Darwin region, 1946. Land Research Series No. 1, CSIRO Australia. Cotching WE (2005) An inventory of rangelands in part of the Broome Shire, Western Australia. Technical Bulletin 93, Department of Agriculture Western Australia. De Salis J (1993) Resource inventory and condition survey of the Ord River Regeneration Reserve. Miscellaneous Publication 14/93, Department of Agriculture Western Australia. Kubicki A and Beer J (1975) A survey of land suitable for Townsville stylo in the North Kimberley of Western Australia. Western Australian Department of Agriculture. Handasyde T, Tille P, Payne A, Schoknecht N and Carnes K (2009) Benchmarking biodiversity - land resource mapping in the Ord River catchment. Departments of Environment and Conservation, and Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. Jennings JN and Mabbutt JA (1977). Physiographic outlines and regions. In: ‘Australia – A geography’ (ed. D.N. Jeans). Sydney University Press. McKenzie GL (1985) An option for the coastal plain on Anna Plains station. Rangeland Management Branch, Western Australian Department of Agriculture. Payne AL, Kubicki A and Wilcox DG (1974) Range Condition Guides for the West Kimberley Area, WA. Western Australian Department of Agriculture. Payne AL, Kubicki A, Wilcox DG and Short LC (1979) A report on erosion and range condition in the West Kimberley area of Western Australia. Technical Bulletin 42, Department of Agriculture Western Australia. Payne AL and Mitchell AA (2002) Pasture condition guides for the Pilbara. Miscellaneous Publication 19/2002, Department of Agriculture Western Australia. Payne AL and Schoknecht NR (2004). Pasture types of the Kimberley region. Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. Unpublished. Pringle HJR (1991). Rangeland survey in Western Australia - history, methodology and applications. Department of Agriculture Miscellaneous Publication 22/91. Rangeland Management Branch (1985). Maps showing pastoral potential in the Kimberley Region, Western Australia. Ryan WJ (1981) An assessment of recovery and land capability of part of the Ord River catchment regeneration project. Technical Bulletin 53, Department of Agriculture Western Australia. Ryan K, Tierney E and Novelly P (2009) Pasture condition guide for the Ord River catchment. Bulletin 4769, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. Schoknecht N (2002). Soil Groups of Western Australia. Resource Management Technical Report 246, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. Schoknecht N, Tille PJ and Purdie B (2004). Soil-landscape mapping in south- western Australia – Overview of methodology and outputs. Resource Management Technical Report 280, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. 240 Land systems of the Kimberley Region Speck NH, Bradley J, Lazarides M, Paterson RA, Slatyer RO, Stewart GA and Twidale CR (1960) Lands and pastoral resources of the North Kimberley area, Western Australia. Land Research Series No. 4, CSIRO. Speck NH, Wright RL, Rutherford GK, Fitzgerald K, Thomas F, Arnold JM, Basinski JJ, Fitzpatrick EA, Lazarides M and Perry RA (1964). General report on the lands of the West Kimberley area, Western Australia, Land Research Series No. 9, CSIRO. Stewart GA, Perry RA, Paterson SJ, Traves DM, Slatyer RO, Dunn PR, Jones PJ and Sleeman JR (1970). Lands of the Ord-Victoria area, Western Australia and Northern Territory. Land Research Series No. 28, CSIRO. Tille PJ (2006). Soil-landscapes of Western Australia’s Rangelands and Arid Interior. Resource Management Technical Report 313, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. Tille P (in prep.) Land resource surveys of the East Kimberley. Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. Van Vreeswyk AME, Payne AL, Leighton KA, Hennig P (2004) An inventory and condition survey of the Pilbara region, Western Australia. Technical Bulletin 92, Department of Agriculture Western Australia. Most of these reports are available online at www.publish.csiro.au/nid/289.htm (CSIRO reports) or www.agric.wa.gov.au (DAFWA under publications section) 241 Land systems of the Kimberley Region Appendix 1: Pasture types of the Kimberley Region Detail, listed alphabetically by name Pasture type Code Pasture type summary definition Alluvial Plain APXG Alluvial Plain Mixed Grass Pastures are tussock grasslands on floodplains, Mixed Grass alluvial plains and drainage tracts associated with major rivers. The plains and Pastures drainage tracts are frequently gilgaied. Soils are most often cracking clays and occasionally loamy earths and clays. It consists of communities of mixed tussock grass species, with the tussock grass layer often dominated by single species such as Mitchell grass (Astrebla spp.), ribbon grass (Chrysopogon fallax), neverfail (Eragrostis setifolia), swamp grass (Eriachne benthamii), silky browntop (Eulalia aurea) or kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra). Shrubs and trees are generally isolated to very scattered. Found on Anna land system. Annual Sorghum ASHP Annual Sorghum Hill Pastures are found in open eucalypt and terminalia Hill Pastures (Terminalia spp.) woodlands on hillslopes and crests of basalt, sandstone and other rocks. Soils are shallow and stony sands and loams. The dominant grass is annual sorghum (Sorghum spp.) while some plume sorghum (Sorghum plumosum) and white grass (Sehima nervosum) may also be found. Frequent burning induces annual sorghum pastures. Found on Buldiva, Cowendyne, Forrest, Looingnin, Pinkerton, Precipice and other hilly land systems. Arid Short Grass ASGP Arid Short Grass Pastures are grasslands dominated by short-lived perennial or Pastures annual grasses with scattered eucalypt trees. They occur on level to undulating plains. Soils are variable depth loams (+/- calcareous) and may have some stony mantle. Dominant grass is usually limestone grass/leafy nineawn (Enneapogon polyphyllus), other annuals are wind grass/bunched kerosene grass (Aristida contorta), kerosene grass (Aristida spp.), Kimberley couch/spider grass (Brachyachne convergens) and rice grass (Xerochloa laniflora). Small patches of perennial grasses such as ribbon grass/golden beard grass (Chrysopogon fallax), black speargrass/bunch speargrass (Heteropogon contortus) and curly spinifex (Triodia bitextura) may be present but not dominant. Found on Gordon, Koongie, Nelson, O'Donnell, Pigeon and a few other land systems. Note: Recent detailed field data on O’Donnell land system in particular suggest that this pasture type may be a degraded sub-climax form of other pasture types, in particular Ribbon Grass Pastures (RGRP). This is likely to be the case on other land systems where Arid Short Grass Pastures (ASGP) have been described, but data in these areas are currently limited. Black BSGP Black (bunch) Speargrass Pastures are dominated by black speargrass/bunch Speargrass speargrass (Heteropogon contortus) and usually occur in open eucalypt Pastures woodlands on plains and footslopes with sandy to loamy soils. Other grasses include ribbon grass/golden beard grass (Chrysopogon fallax), feathertop (Aristida spp.) and annual grasses. Found on O'Donnell, Kennedy, Buldiva and Napier and as small patches on many other land systems. Bluegrass BGAP Bluegrass Alluvial Plain Pastures are perennial grasslands with variable tree Alluvial Plain cover. They occur on level plains with grey and brown cracking clay soils. The Pastures dominant grasses are bundle-bundle/curly bluegrass (Dichanthium fecundum) and Queensland bluegrass (Dichanthium sericeum) with ribbon grass/golden beard grass (Chrysopogon fallax), plume sorghum (Sorghum plumosum) and native millet (Panicum decompositum) often present. Found on Barton, Dinnabung, Frayne, Isdell, Ivanhoe, Legune, Willeroo and numerous other land systems. Buffel Grass BUGP Buffel Grass Pastures are tussock grasslands or grassy shrublands/woodlands Pastures with the grass layer dominated by introduced buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) or a mixture of buffel grass and Birdwood grass (C. setiger). They occur on coastal plains, alluvial plains, levees, drainage tracts and river banks. Soils are commonly well drained sandy and loamy earths, sandy and loamy duplexes, juvenile soils (associated with levees and drainage tracts) and deep sands. It is rare on clay soils. Trees and shrubs may absent or isolated to scattered Corymbia, Eucalyptus and Acacia spp. and others. Found on Anna, Coonangoody, Djada, Eighty Mile, Gordon, Gogo, Mannerie, Nelson and occasionally in other land systems. 242 Land systems of the Kimberley Region Pasture type Code Pasture type summary definition Calcrete Spinifex CASG Calcrete Spinifex Pastures are hummock grasslands with isolated to scattered Pastures shrubs occurring on calcrete or limestone platforms, plains, footslopes and hills. Soils are calcareous shallow loams with calcrete fragments on the surface and outcropping of calcrete or limestone is common. The dominant grass is limestone spinifex (Triodia wiseana) with T. plurinervata or T. pungens occasionally present. The dominant shrubs are Acacia and Senna species. Occurs on limestone ridges in Eightly Mile land system. Coastal Dune CDBG Coastal Dune Buffel Grass Pastures are tussock grasslands that occur on Buffel Grass coastal dunes, swales and narrow sandplains. Soils are calcareous deep sands Pastures and deep sands that may have shell fragments through the profile and on the surface. The dominant grass is buffel (Cenchrus