ALLUVIUM~
Unit
2
3
4
5
6
7
Approx.
Area (".) 15
10
30
26
10
4
5
Land forms
Low calcrete mesas, plateaux, and hills: up to 40 m high and I km in extent, mesas with ~lopes up to 40 per cent, flat summits; low hills with slopes up to 20 per cent, dense mantle calcrete fragments.
Low stony rises: up to 1 km in extent and sloping up to 2.5 per cent, associated with quartz intrusions, dense mantle of quartz fragments.
Stony plains: up to 2 km in extent, slopes less than I in 50, flanking drainage floors and flow zones, stony gilgai micro-relief in parts.
Kankar plains: up to 2 km in extent, gradients less than I in 100, CaCOJ
has been exposed on the present surface after redeposition from the underlying calcareous parent material.
Drainage floors and flow zones: up to 0.5 km wide and 3 km long, gradients less than 1 in ISO, draining into trunk drainage or large drainage foci, flat or guttered surfaces, sometimes with gilgaied micro-relief.
Drainage foci: irregularly shaped foci and low plains up to I km in extent associated with units 4 and 5, gradients less than 1 in 300, periodically flooded by runoff from adjacent units.
Creeklines and channels: up to 100 m wide, with incised channels up to 3 m deep and 25 m wide.
Soils
Reddish brown alkaline li~ht clay or loams of variable depth with calcrete rubble throughout profile, dense strew of calcrete gravel and pebbles. Urn 131, Uf 612.
Reddish brown gradational soil with calcareous and quartz inclusions, I m + deep dense strew of quartz pebbles, Gc 112.
Dark red clayey and duplex soils; pH, calcrete inclusions and clay increasing with depth, 1 m + deep, dense pebble strew, Dr 453, Ug 538.
Exposed kankar and dolomite in parts with a cobble strew covering reddish brown calcareous loams up to 90 em deep. Um 131,612.
Variable soils including seasonal cracking clays and gradational calcareous soils, Ug 538, Uf 621, Oc 212.
Dark reddish brown alkaline clays of variable depth over calcrete, Uf 627.
Bedloads of sand, calcareous gravel and pebbles. Channel banks mostly reddish brown loams, 1 m + deep.
Vegetation
Hummock ~rasslands of Triodia wiseana with sparse shrubby overstorey of Temple/onia egena, Acacia lenuissima and Cassia g/ulinosa.
HSHI pasture land.
Very sparse shrubland of Acacia victoriae and A. tetragonophylfa, with sparse low shrubs such as Ca.':,:~ia
desolala, Eremophila leucophylfa, Pti/olus obovatus and Rhagodia eremaea, forbs and annual grasses.
STCH pasture land.
Tall shrub land of Acacia xiphophylla with low shrub understorey of Cassia desotala, Eremophila cunel/olia and Scaevo/a 5pinescens, forbs and annual grasses. Stony gilgai areas support Eremophita maculafa, Cassia a/I.
hamersleyensis and EmJ!.rosfis xerophila.
STCH pasture land.
Tall open shrubland of Acacia xiphophy/la and A. vicforiae with a low shrub understorey of Maireana potyplerygia, M. georgei, Eremophila cunei/olia and Cas.'n·a desola/a, forbs and annual grasses.
CHMA pasture land.
Tall open shrubland of Acacia vic(oriae, A. aneura, with understorey including A/rip/ex bunbllryal1(f, Eremophita II/(Jcu/ala, Eragroslis xerophila and Mai(eana potyplerYKia, forbs and annllal grasses.
CHAT pasture land.
- - - Open tall shrubland of Acacia aneum and A. vicloriae with extremely dense understorey of low shrubs Atriplex bunburyana, Cassia oligophylla, Eremophila leucophylla, Pli/otus obovatus, Rhagodia eremaea and Ruellia primulosa.
CHAT pasture land.
Dense low fringing woodlands of Acacia aneura, A. citrinoviridis and Eucalyptus camaldulensis with sparse shrubby understorey of Eremophila leucophylla, Ptilotus obovalus and assorted grasses.
MUCR pasture land.
NANUTARRA LAND SYSTEM (93 sq km) Low mesas and hills with soft and hard spinifex.
Location:
Geology:
Geomorphology:
Pastoral use:
D
SANDSTONEYanrey 1 :250 000 map sheet.
Lower Cretaceous sandstone, siltstone and granule conglomerate of the Nanutarra Formation.
Surfaces formed by partial dissection of an old plateau of marine sediments; - low plateaux; dissected plateaux, mesas, and buttes, also low hills with rounded crests; short stony footslopes with parallel and radial drainage patterns of moderate intensity, narrow mostly unchanneled drainage zones between dissected mesas, minor sandplain; relief up to 40 m.
Sparse soft spinifex pastures of low to moderate productivity and good durability, occasional burning required to improve quality of pasture, not prone to erosion.
Estimated carrying capacity, good condition, 17 ha per sheep unit.
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1 KILOMETRE
Unit
2
3
4
5
Approx.
Area Land forms
(~")
50 Low plateaux, mesas, buttes and hills:
up to 35 m high, alJllOst flat plateau and mesa tops up to 2 km in extent but mostly much less, also low hills with rounded crests, dense mantles.
10 Upper footslopes: concave, sloping up to 70 per cent often with short near vertical breakaway faces at top, dense mantles of stones and boulders.
25 Lower (ootlopes: concave, up to 300 m long and sloping up to 6 per cent dense stony mantles.
13
2
Sand plain: low sandy surfaces up to 300 km in exten t between mesas and hills, slopes up to 2 per cent.
Narrow drainage zones: up to 100 m wide, gradients t in 100 to 1 in 300, unchanneled or with minor channels incised up to 1 m.
Soils
Little soil development, rock outcrop and dense often ferruginised surface strew.
Stony dark reddish brown loamy soils of variable depth.
Dark reddish brown sands over clay loam mostly 1 m+ deep, Dr 413.
Probably dark red sands becoming clayey with depth.
Dark reddish brown sands over clay loams.
Vegetation
Sparse soft spinifex Pleclrachne spp.
and scattered shrubs such as Acacia pruinocarpa and Cassia glutinosa.
SOSP pasture land.
Very sparse spinifex Triodia pungens, T. lanigera and occasional shrubs.
SOSP pasture land.
Tall open snakewood Acacia xiphophylla shrublands with very sparse low shrubs Eremophila cuneJofia, Enchyfaena lamenlosa and sparse spinifex Triadia pungens, forbs and annual grasses.
SQSP pasture land.
Hard spinifex Triadia lanigera grassland with sparse shrubs.
HSSP pasture land.
Open Acacia xiphophylfa shrublands wlth sparse low shrubs and hard spinifex Triadia lanigera understorey.
HSSP pasture land.
NANY ARRA LAND SYSTEM (198 sq km)
Alluvial plains supporting tall shrublands and low woodlands with prominent tussock grasses.
Location:
Geology:
Geomorphology:
Pastoral use:
Yanrey 1:250000 map sheet, restricted to Minderoo Station.
Quaternary alluvium; minor areas of Quaternary aeolian sand.
Depositional surfaces - alluvial plains; -plains subject to local flooding; river margins, swamps and low lying back plains subject to regular inundation; minor low sand dunes;
meandering through going channels of the Ashburton River incised up to 20 m and with very steep banks.
Tussock grass pastures, including introduced buffel grass, varying in condition from very poor to excellent; productivity and carrying capacity varies from low to very high, fair drought durability; past degradation cycles and partial recovery are evident; parts of unit 1 are severely degraded and eroded, controlled stocking and other remedial treatments necessary, other sections of unit 1 now stabilised with buffel grass and resistant to grazing and erosion.
Estimated carrying capacity, good condition, 2 ha per sheep unit.
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1 KILOMETRE
l
I
Unit
2
3
4
5
Approx.
Area ('10) 70
5
18
2
5
Land forms
AII~vial plains: up to 4 km wide flanking the Ashburton River, gradients between 1 in 500 and 1 in 1000.
Sand dunes: irregular, roughly parallel and adjacent to Ashburton River or curved and associated with unit 3, up to 3 km long and 150 m wide, slopes vary from 2 to 18 per cent.
Swamps and low back plains: often round or oval, up to 2 km in extent, flat, sometimes with 0.5 m deep internal drainage lines, subject to inundation.
River margins with restricted drainage: up to 1 km in extent, subject to inundation.
Channels and banks: channels up to 100 m wide and 20 m deep; banks steeply sloping up to 80 per cent, numerous permanent or semi- permanent pools.
Soils
Reddish brown loams or clays, 1 m + deep, alkalinity increasing with depth;
Urn 123, 133 Uf 612,621, soils often eroded with sealed surfaces.
Dark red sandy soils, 1 m+ deep, Uc 123.
Dark reddish brown clay soils, I m + deep with cracking surfaces, Ug 538.
Dark reddish brown clays, 1 m + deep, Uf 143. 612.
Channel bedloads of sand and gravel;
banks dark reddish brown loams 1 m+ deep, Urn 511.
Vegetation
Tall open shrubland of Acacia victoriae, A. sclerosperma, A.
tetragonophylla with scattered Eucalyptus coofabah, tussock grass ground storey including dense Cenchrus cifiaris in parts, elsewhere pastures severely degraded.
TGCE pasture land.
Open tussock grassland of Cenchrus ciliaris and Eragrostis eriopoda with an overstorey of Acacia sclerosperma and A. translucens.
TGCE pasture land.
Low open woodland of Eucalyptus coolibah with sparse shrubs Acacia victoriae, Scaevola spinescens and tussock grasses Eriachne benthamii, Chrysopogon fal/ax.
TGCH pasture land.
Low woodland of Eucalyptus coolabah with a sparse understorey of tussock grasses or shrubs such as Rhagodia eremaea.
TGCE pasture land.
TaU fringing woodland of Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Melaleuca leucadendron and Sesbania formosa with a sparse understorey of tussock grasses.
TaCE pasture land.
500m
NEWMAN LAND SYSTEM (6 529 sq km) Rugged jaspilite plateaux, ridges and mountains with hard spinifex.
Location:
Geology:
Geomorphology:
Pastoral use:
r
I I
JASPILITE & CHERT1 KILOMETRE
Newman, Turee Creek, Mt. Bruce and Wyloo 1 :250 000 map sheets.
Lower Proterozoic jaspilite, chert, siltstone and shale and minor acidic volcanics of the Hamersley and Fortescue Group.
Erosional surfaces - plateaux and mountains; - extensive high plateaux, mountains and strike ridges with vertical escarpments, steep scree slopes, moderately dense branching and rectangular patterns of narrow, incised valleys, narrow drainage floors; relief up to 500 m.
Mostly unsuitable for pastoral purposes, unattractive hard spinifex pastures of very poor productivity, unit 1 inaccessible or poorly accessible.
Estimated carrying capacity, good condition, 59 ha per sheep unit.
SHALE & SILTSTONE" [ -
=-]
Unit
2
3
Approx.
Area ('10)
75
20
5
Land forms
Plateaux, ridges, mountains and hills:
jaspilite mountain tracts, plateaux and strike ridges, relief up to 500 m; gently sloping plateaux summits and mountain crests; ridges and indented escarpments with vertical upper cliff faces and steep upper slopes to 80 per cent, lower scree slopes 10 to 35 per cent.
I,ower slopes: concave, up to 10 per cent, mostly less than 400 m wide, rock outcrop and dense colluvial mantle.
Narrow drainage floors with channels:
up to 400 m wide, gradients 1 in 200 to 1 in 300, marginal slopes up to 2.5 per cent, colluvial mantles; channels up to 20 m wide.
Soils
Much rock outcrop and dense stony mantle, little soil development.
Dark reddish brown or dark red stony silt loams, mostly less than 60 cm deep, Urn 551.
Red sandy soils, often shallow and stony; channels with bedloads ranging from sand to boulders.
Vegetation
Hummock grassland or shrubland with v. sparse overstorey Eucalyptus leucophloia; hard spinifex, Triodia wiseana, T. lanigera, some soft T.
pungens, shrubs include Acacia aneura, Cassia and Eremophila spp., Kaffstroemia platyptera.
HSHI pasture land.
As for unit 1.
HSHI pasture land.
Hard spinifex Triodia wiseana grassland with scattered trees Eucalyptus leucophloia, E.
dichromophloia and numerous shrubs.
HSHI pasture land.
~m
]NIRRAN LAND SYSTEM (95 sq km)
Undulating stony plains and low hills with mulga shrublands, in the east of the area.
Location:
Geology:
Geomorphology:
Pastoral use:
Newman 1 :250 000 map sheet.
Archaean basalt and metabasalt.
Erosional surfaces - undulating plains; - low ridges and hills with narrow stony interfluves and undulating stony plains;
dense pattern of branching incised tributary upper drainage joining strike controlled lower drainage incised between interfluves or with narrow poorly developed drainage floors;
relief up to 30 m.
Mulga short grass forb and stony chenopod pasture lands of low productivity and low to moderate drought resistance, useful ephemeral growth after rain, palatable shrub components should be preserved by controlled stocking;
inherently resistant to erosion.
Estimated carrying capacity, good condition, 21 ha per sheep unit.
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1 KILOMETRE
Unit
2
3
4
Approx.
Area (%)
15
10
67
8
Land forms
Low ridges and rounded hills: relief up to 30 m above creek lines, gently rounded crests, mostly gentle slopes but locally up to 10 per cent, dense colluvial mantles.
Hill footslopes: short slopes up to 5 per cent and ISO m wide, dense colluvial mantles.
Undulating stony plains: plains and interfluves up to 1.5 km in extent, slopes 1 to 2 per cent locally up to 5 per cent near drainage lines.
Narrow drainage floors and creeklines: floors up to 150 m wide with central channels, or incised creeklines between interfluves.
Soils
Shallow alkaline silt loams with outcrop and dense pebbly strew.
Alkaline silt toams or loamy sands, 50 em to 1 m+ deep. Urn 512, Uc 512, dense gravel and pebble strew.
Alkaline reddish brown silt loam over clay loam, mostly I m + deep, Urn 512, dense pebble strew.
Reddish brown silt loam over clay loam, 1 rn+ deep, Urn 512; channel bed loads of sand, gravel and pebbles.
Vegetation
Sparse tall shrubland with mulga Acacia aneura and other Acacia spp., sparse low shrubs including Cassia spp., Pli/o(US obovalus, forbs and annual grasses.
MSGF pasture land.
Sparse mulga shrublands with mixed low shrubs, forbs and annual grasses.
MSGF or STCH pasture land.
(Tall open mulga shrubland with orner ACaclG spp., low shrubs Cassia and Hremophila spp., Ptilolus obovatus, forbs and annual grasses.
MSGF pasture land.
Moderately dense taU mulga shrubland with other AcaclG spp., numerous low shrubs, forbs and annual grasses.
MUCR pasture land.
1 KILOMETRE
NOONINGNIN LAND SYSTEM (1137 sq km)
Hardpan plains with large groves and mulga shrublands; in the east of the area.
Location:
Geology:
Geomorphology:
Pastoral use:
Collier and Newman 1:250 000 map sheets.
Tertiary cemented colluvium and alluvium.
Depositional surfaces - non-saline plains; - hardpan plains up to eight km in extent, subject to sheet flow and with very large groves and low sandy banks; plains and narrow drainage zones receiving more concentrated sheet flow; very minor saline plains and internal drainage flats, relief up to 3 m.
Mulga short grass forb pastures with minor areas of wandarrie grass and chenopod pastures; overall productivity is low, useful ephemeral growth after rain should be heavily stocked;
palatable and durable shrubs are concentrated on units 2, 3 and 6 and should be conserved by controlled stocking, these units degrade under excessive use and, in extreme situations, may erode.
Estimated carrying capacity, good condition, 20 ha per sheep unit.
l
Unit
2
3
4
5
6
7
Approx.
Area ('I,)
65
12
10
10
2
7
Land forms
Hardpan plains with groves: up to 8 km in extent, subject to sheet flow.
gradients I in 500 to I in 200; banded or groved patterns of vegetation;
groves mostly 500 m to I km long but up to 5 km long and 40 m wide arranged in parallel bands transverse to direction of sheet flow.
Sandy banks: up to 0.5 m high and 100 m wide, linear or reticulate up to 2 km long, hummocky surfaces with grit veneer.
Plains receiving concentrated sheetflow: up to 1.5 km wide and extending up to 3 km downslope.
gradients 1 in 300 or less.
Narrow drainage zones: low zones within unit I, up to 400 m wide and 6 km long, unchanneled or with shallow gutters.
Saline plains: up to I km in extent almost flat, moundy micro-relief.
Internal drainage flats: up to 2 km in extent, receiving run on, gilgai micro- relief.
Soils
Intergroves: very shallow, acidic dark reddish brown or dark red loams on hardpan commonly at less than 25 em, Urn 531.
Groves: acidic dark reddish brown or dusky red loams, 1 m + deep, Urn 522.
Dark reddish brown acidic loamy sands and loams, variable depth 40 cm to 1 m+, Uc 511, Urn 531.
Very shallow, acidict dark reddish brown loams on hardpan commonly at less than 25 em, Urn 531.
Acidic dark reddish brown or dark red silty loams and clay loams, usually 1 m+ deep, Urn 522, 531, Gn 212.
Dark red silty loam becoming more clayey and alkaline with depth, I m + deep, Urn 542.
Brown or dark reddish brown seasonal cracking light medium clays, I m + deep, Ug 538.
Vegetation
Sparse tall mulga Acacia aneura and other Acacia spp. shrub land. very sparse low shrubs, forbs and annual grasses.
SSGF pasture land.
Very dense woodland or tall shrubland of mulga and other Acacia spp., dense low shrubs Eremophila leucophyffa, Plilolus obovalus, Sida spp., forbs and annual grasses.
MUCR pasture land.
Tall mulga and other AcaclG spp shrubland, numerous low shrubs especially Eremophila spp., perennial grasses Monachalher paradoxa, Eragroslis eriopoda, forbs and annual grasses.
TGMI pasture land.
Low sparse shrubland of Eremophila spalhulala with occasional mulga and Acacia telragonophyl/a, forbs and annual grasses.
SSGF pasture land.
Dense low woodland of mulga and other Acacia spp., numerous low shrubs, sparse perennial grasses, such as Chrysopogon lal/ax, forbs and annual grasses.
MUCR pasture land.
Low shrubland of Eremophila maculala, Maireana pyramidata, Cassia hamersleyensis and forbs.
CHMA pasture land.
Open Eucalyptus coolabah woodland with Muehlenbeckia cunniflghamii or tussock grassland with Eragrostis eriopoda, E. setifolia and sparse low shrubs such as Eremophila.maculata.
TGER pasture land.
ONSLOW LAND SYSTEM (448 sq km)
Sand plain, dunes and clay plains with soft spinifex and tussock grasses.
Location:
Geology:
Geomorphology:
Pastoral use: