ONSLOW LAND SYSTEM (448 sq km)
Sand plain, dunes and clay plains with soft spinifex and tussock grasses.
Location:
Geology:
Geomorphology:
Pastoral use:
Unit
2
3
4
5
6
Approx.
Area
(~") 30
28
19
12
3
Land forms
Undulating sandplain: up to 30 km in extent, low swales, slopes and sandy spurs sloping I to 5 per cent, elevated sand plains up to 20 m above low sections, numerous termite mounds up to 3 m.
Low sandplain: up to 3 km in extent, gradients 1 in 300 or less, hummocky
micro~relief up to 2 m, numerous small c1aypans 5 to 40 m in diameter, loose surfaces.
Clay plains: sinuous, nearly flat clay surfaces up to 3 km long by I km wide between sand plain, subject to sheet flow and becoming wider with scalded surfaces near the coast.
Samphire flats: flat saline plains marginal to adjaceat Littoral system Or between sandplain, mostly less than 1 km in extent but up to 2.5 km.
Narrow drainage floors: up to 200 m wide, sinuous tracts receiving concentrated flow, mostly unchannelled but occasionally with scour lines and minor channels.
Soils
Dark reddish brown sands and sandy loams 1 m + deep. Um 113.
As for unit 1.
Reddish brown clay soils, occasionally seasonal cracking, 1 m + deep. Uf 612, Ug 538.
Reddish brown or dark red calcareous clay coils, 1 m+ deep, Uf 621, also inverted soils such as sandy clay Ioams over sand.
Reddish brown loams over clay, 1 m + deep, On 143.
Depressions: circular or oval to 400 m Reddish brown clay soils I m + deep.
in diameter, up to 2 m below surrounding surfaces.
Vegetation
Hummock grasslands of soft spinifex Triodia pungens with very sparse shrubs such as Acacia translucens, near coast Triodia pungens and buffel grass Cenchrus ciliaris mixtures with buffel dominating in parts.
SOSP pasture land.
Mixed grasslands of soft spinifex Triodia pungens and buffel grass Cenchrus ciliaris.
SOSP or TOCE pasture land.
Tussock grasslands of variable density, mostly Sporobolus virginicus and Eriachne benthamii.
TOMl pasture land.
Dense low samphire shrublands HalosarCia halocnemoides, H.
auriculata, H. indica with variable amounts Sporobolus virginicus and forbs.
SAMP pasture land.
Moderately dense to dense tussock grasslands including Sporobolus virginicus, Chrysopogon fallax, Eragrostis setijolia, E. xerophila, Eulalia fulva, variable shrubs such as Acacia farnesiana and occasional Eucalyptus coolabah trees.
TOMI pasture land.
Variable tussock grasslands mostly Sporobolus virginicus and Eriachne benthamii with fringing margins of Eucalyptus coolabah trees.
TOMl pasture land.
---~---
7 2
8 4
9
Claypans: bare scaled surfaces with steep marginal slopes up to 3 m high to surrounding sand plain; circular, oval or irregularly shaped. mostly less than 50 m in extent but occasionally up to 600m.
Coastal dunes: linear and parallel, up to 3.5 km long and 10 m high, slopes 10 to 20 per cent, crests up to 150 m apart with narrow swales between, loose surfaces.
Beach: up to 40 m wide above high water mark backed by narrow unstable foredunes.
Dark red clays I m + deep, hardsetting sealed surfaces.
Reddish brown calcareous sands, I m + deep, Uc 113.
Calcareous beach sands and shell fragments. foredunes light grey calcareous sands.
149
No vegetation.
Hummock grassland of Triodia pungens, some buffel grass Cenchrus ciliaris, very sparse shrubs such as Acacia translucens and A. coriacea.
SOSP pasture land.
Foredunes with sparse Spinifex longijolius and other beach dune vegetation.
1 KILOMETRE
PARABURDOO LAND SYSTEM (761 sq km) Basalt derived stony gilgai plains with snakewood shrublands.
Location: Mt. Bruce, Turee Creek and Wyloo 1 :250 000 map sheets.
Geology: Quaternary colluvium and alluvium derived mainly from basalt.
Geomorphology: Depositional surfaces - stony plains; - isolated low basalt hills, extensive stony gilgai plains; stony upper interfluves with moderately dense patterns of sub-parallel tributary drainage extending downslope into broad zones with moderately dense braided drainage and major trunk channels, relief mostly less than 8 m but isolated hills up to 25 m.
Pastoral use: Stony chenopod pastures with high drought durability but now considerably degraded, palatable shrubs should be conserved by controlled stocking, units 3 and 4 subject to pasture decline and unit 4 shows moderate erosion in parts.
Estimated carrying capacity, good condition, II ha per sheep unit.
ROCKLEA L. S.
Unit
2
3
4
5
6
Approx.
Area
(~")
5
18
50
18
8
Land forms
Low basalt hills and ridges: up to 2 km long with rounded crests up to 25 rn high, concave footslopes 5 to 20 per cent with rock outcrop and cobble mantle.
Upper interfluves & slopes! surfaces immediately below adjacent hill land systems, dissected to 3 m by parallel drainage lines to form interfluves 100 to 150 m wide extending up to 2 km downslope, slopes up to 3 per cent dense colluvial mantles.
Gilgai plains: up to 4 km in extent, gradients 1 in 70 to 1 in 500, stony gilgai micro-relief.
Drainage zones: up to 1 krn wide and many kilometres long, gradients 1 in 100 to 1 in 500, sometimes unchannelled but central tracts often with braided channels or major channels of truck drainage, linear gilgai micro-relief common, water scouring and erosion in parts.
Braided creekllnes and channels:
minor channels and runnels up to 10 m wide and 1.5 m deep, separated by narrow uneven loose surfaced flood banks of mixed alluvium; major channels up to 50 m wide and 5 m deep.
Calcrete platforms: mostly less than I km in extent, nearly flat, raised up to 0.5 m above surrounding surfaces.
Soils
Very shallow reddish brown alkaline loarns between rock outcrop, Urn 511.
Reddish brown or dark red alkaline silty loarns and clay loarns of variable depth, Urn 512, 521, Gc 122.
Dark reddish brown or dark red seasonal cracking alkaline light and medium clays, 60 em to I m + deep, Ug 536, 537, 538.
Mostly dark reddish brown or dark red seasonal cracking clays, I m + deep, some loamy soils, Ug 538, Urn 522.
Variable sandy and loamy alluvial soils with gravel and pebbles, mostly less than 1 m deep, UC 113, Urn 552, Gc 112. Channel bedloads of sand and gravel.
Shallow alkaline reddish brown loams over calcrete, dense surface strew of calcrete fragments, Urn 511.
Vegetation
Low shrubland with Corchorus Walcottii, Ptifotus obovatus, Cassia spp., sparse ovetstorey Acacia spp., forbs and annual grasses.
SSGF pasture land.
Tall open snakewood Acacia xiphophylJa and other Acacia spp.
shrublands, numerous low shrubs, forbs and annual grasses; also hard spinifex Tn'odia wiseana.
STCH or HSHI pasture land.
Tall open snakewood and other AcaCia spp. shrublands, low shrubs Cassia spp. Enchylaena tomentosa perennial grasses Eragrostis xerophila, E. seti/olia, forbs and annual grasses.
STCH pasture land.
Tall open snakewood and Acacia victoriae shrubland with sparse degraded understorey including Cassia spp., Maireana spp., A triplex bunburyana, Rhagodia eremaea, Eragrostis xerophifa, forbs and annual grasses.
CHAT pasture land.
Moderately dense shrubland Acacia citrinoviridis and other Acacia spp.
variable low shrubs and sparse perennial grasses including Cenchrus ciliaris, annual forbs and grasses.
MUCR pasture land.
Moderately dense low shrubland mostly Cassia oligophylla, sparse tall shrubs Acacia xiphophylfa, A.
victoriae. forbs and annual grasses.
CSGF pasture land.
I;
11 !I
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I
I,
,I IPLATFORM LAND SYSTEM (982 sq km)
Narrow raised plains and extensive dissected slopes with hard spinifex and shrubs.
Location:
Geology:
Geomorphology:
Pastoral use:
DHARDPAN
1 KILOMETRE
Mt. Bruce, Newman, Turee Creek and Wyloo 1:250 000 map sheets.
Partly consolidated Tertiary colluvium.
Erosional surfaces formed by partial dissection of the old Tertiary surface; - very gently sloping upper plains with extensive marginal dissection zones and slopes, intense branching or sub-parallel drainage patterns with narrow floors in upper parts, floors incised up to 15 m with steep stable marginal slopes and becoming much wider downslope, relief up to 30 m.
Mostly hard spinifex pastures of negligible pastoral value, restricted areas of soft spinifex pastures; the system can only be utilised where associated with better quality land systems, however much of the system is adjacent to mountain systems unsuitable for pastoral use.
Estimated carrying capacity, good condition, 30 ha per sheep unit.
NEWMAN L.S.
-- --
ALLUVIUM~
Unit
2
3
Approx.
Area (%)
25
60
15
Land forms
Stony upper plains: Upper surfaces occurring mostly as raised, narrow interfluves 50 to 200 m wide and 500 m to 1 km long interdigitated between dendritic or sub-parallel incised drainage, also as broader plains, slopes about 1 per cent but increasing rapidly near margins, dense colluvial mantles of pebbles and cobbles.
Oissected slopes with incised drainage:
convex and concave stable slopes 5 to 50 per cent with narrow creeklincs incised up to 15 m below unit 1, dense cobbly and pebbly surfaces.
Drainage floors: up to 500 m wide and 3 or 4 km long, gradients 1 in 100 to I in 300, braided channels incised to 1 m in central areas, hummocky micro- relief with dense colluvial mantles.
Soils
Shallow, very stony, dark, reddish brown loams.
Very little soil development, cemented gravel, pebbles and cobbles.
Dark reddish brown loamy loams with gravel and throughout profile.
sands or pebbles
Vegetation
Hummock grassland of hard spinifex Triodia wiseana with sparse shrub overstorey of Acacia aneura and other Acacia-spp.
HSHI pasture land.
Hummock grassland of hard spinifcx with overstorey Acacia aneura and other Acacia spp., also sparse Eucalyptus dichromophloia.
HSHI pasture land.
Moderately dense tall shrub lands of mixed Acacia aneura, A.
citrinoviridis, A. xiphophylla and other Acacia spp., also Eucalyptus dichromophloia, numerous low shrubs including Cassia spp., Pti/o/us obovatus, Corchorus walcoUii, also soft spinifex Triodia pungens.
SOsp pasture land.
---~---=-'---=---
PRAIRIE LAND SYSTEM (1 465 sq km)
Granite hills and undulating stony plains with low and tall shrublands.
Location: Edmund, Mt. Bruce and Newman 1 :250 000 map sheets.
Geology: Archaean granite and gneiss with minor dolerite intrusions (Mt. Bruce and Newman map sheets). Lower Proterozoic granite (Edmund map sheet).
Geomorphology: Erosional surfaces - low hills and stony plains; - low hills with rounded, boulder strewn crests and steep benched upper slopes, short gentle lower slopes; extensive gently undulating stony plains and interfluves sometimes showing striking patterns of narrow dolerite dykes trending north, north-east and north-west; moderately dense patterns of finely branching tributary drainage with narrow sandy floors and braided channels becoming sub-parallel with major channels in lower parts, relief up to 50 m.
Pastoral use: Short grass forb and minor chenopod pastures; abundant ephemeral growth after rains should be heavily stocked, shrub components provide fair drought durability and should be maintained by controlled stocking; most units inherently resistant to erosion due to stony nature, some erosion can occur on unit 6.
Estimated carrying capacity, good condition, 20 ha per sheep unit.
UGRANITE
UOOLERITE
+ + + +
1 KILOMETRE
+ +
t-+
+
t-+ +
+ + + + +
+ + + +
v+ + +
ALLUVIUM~
Unit
2
3
4
5
6
7
Approx.
Area ("oj 25
12
40
4
3
8
8
Land forms
Low granite hills: relief up to 50 m, rounded or boulder strewn crests, benched upper slopes up to 70 per cent with boulders and tors.
Hill footslopes: concave up to 5 per cent mostly less than 200 m long, sparse to moderately dense colluvial mantles.
Undulating stony plains and interfiuves: up to 500 m wide, rounded crests with slopes mostly less than 2 per cent, marginally dissected by drainage to 10 m with local slopes up to 8 per cent, dense stony mantles and local outcrop.
Saline plains: Up to 500 m wide, slopes up to 1 in 200, gravelly surface mantles.
Low dolerite ridges: Up to 5 m high and 50 m wide, usually 100 to 500 m long but occasionally several kilometres, footslopes up to 5 per cent, stony mantles.
Sandy drainage floors: Up to 300 m wide, gradients 1 in 100 to 1 in 500, loose surfaces and gravelly patches.
Creeklines and channels: Braided channels up to 10 m wide incised up to I m, sandy banks between channels;
major channels up to 80 m wide.
Soils
Rock outcrop and pockets of very shallow sandy and sandy clay soils on granite.
Dark reddish brown or dark red loamy and clayey coarse sands mostly less than 1 m deep, Uc 521.
Stony reddish brown or dark red coarse sands or loamy sands over sandy clay, depth mostly less than 60 cm, Uc 123, Dr 451.
Red and yellowish red sandy soils with clays at depth, 1 m + deep, Dr 223.
Shallow reddish brown loamy sands over dolerite, Uc 512.
Dusky red and dark reddish brown loamy and clayey sands, I m + deep, Uc 511, 521.
Bedloads of coarse sand. Banks of sand and loamy sand.
Vegetation
Low shrubland of Cassia helmsii, Ereinophila spp., Ptifotus obovatus, sparse overstorey Acacia rhodophloia and other Acacia spp; forbs and annual grasses.
MSGF pasture land.
Low shrubland of Cassia helmsii, Eremophila spp., Ptilotus obovatus, sparse overstorey Acacia rhodophloia and other Acacia spp.; forbs and annual grasses.
MSGF pasture land.
Sl?arse tall shrublands with Acacia vlctoriae, A. rhodophloia other Acacia spp., Cassia helmsii, Eremophila spp., forbs and annual grasses.
SSGF pasture land.
Low shrubland of Halosarcia indica .pp. leiostachya, Frankenia spp., and forbs.
SAMP pasture land.
Low shrubland of Cassia helmsii, Sida spp., Corchorus walcottil~ forbs and annual grasses.
MSGF pasture land.
Shrublands with various Acacia spp., Cassia helmsii, Corchorus walcottii, Maireana pyramidata, Rhagodia eremaea, numerous forbs and annual grasses.
CHMA pasture land.
Dense fringing low woodland or tall shrubland. Acacia cyperophylla, A.
aneura various low shrubs, forbs and annuals.
MUCR pasture land .
.. On the Edmund map sheet the system becomes considerably more rugged than the type description with a higher proportion of hills and lower proportion of undulating stony plains.
J
RIVER LAND SYSTEM (829 sq km)
Narrow, active flood plains flanking major rivers and creeks with moderately dense tall shrub lands.
Location:
Geology:
Geomorphology:
Pastoral use:
Collier, Edmund, Mt. Bruce, Turee Creek and Wyloo 1 :250 000 map sheets.
Quaternary alluvium.
Depositional surfaces - alluvial plains; - flood plains with shallow runnels and minor channels immediately adiacent to main channels and regularly flooded by river bywash slightly higher sandy plains and stony clay plains not subject to regular flooding; meandering, anastomosing channels, relief mostly less than 5 m.
Productive chenopod and other shrub pastures, also introduced buffel grass, high oarrying capacity and good drought durability, system often adjacent to unproductive land systems and is subject to preferential use, controlled stocking necessary to maintain desirable shrubs, not prone to erosion.
Estimated carrying capacity, good condition, 5 to 10 ha per sheep unit.
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PLA TFORM L. S.
500m
DOLLAR L.S.
Vnit
2
3
4
Approx.
Area (%) 45
20
20
15
Land forms
Flood plains: up to 4 km long and 1 km wide immediately adjacent to major channels, gradients I in 70 to I in 500, hummocky and irregular microrelief with shallow runnels and minor channels, subject to regular flooding.
Sandy margins: raised up to 2 m above unit 1, mostly up to 2 km long and 300 m wide occasionally more extensive, gradients 1 in 50 to 1 in 500, loose, hummocky surfaces.
Stony plains: up to 3 km long and 1.5 km wide raised up to 2 m above unit 1, gradients up to 1 in 100, sometimes gilgai micro-relief, dense colluvial mantles, not subject to regular flooding.
Channels and banks: single or multiple minor channels up to 10 m wide and 2 m deep, hummocky flood banks between, main channels up to 100 m wide incised to 10 m with steep banks.
.~~~ -_._--_.-
Soils
Variable dark red or dark reddish brown alluvial soils, textures range from sand to light day, I m + deep, Uc 123, 511, Uf623, 671, Gn 212, 213.
Dark red or dark reddish brown sands or sandy surfaced soils, 50 cm to 1 m+ deep, Uc 123, 51I, Gn Il2, Dr 253.
Stony, seasonal cracking dark red clay soils 1 m + deep, Ug 538, also loamy soils of variable depth with stony surface pavement Uc 521.
Channels - no soils, bedloads of sand, gravel, pebbles and cobbles. Banks - dark reddish brown sands and silty loams, Uc 113, Urn 113.
Vegetation
Variable tall shrublands, moderately dense Acacia vic/oriae, A.
scferosperma, A. cilrinoviridis sparse overstorey Eucalyptus coolabah, variable low shrubs including Cassia spp., Atriplex bunburyana, Maireana pyramidata, also Cenchrus ciliaris ground storey.
CHAT or TGCE pasture land.
Variable shrublands depending on soil depth, Acacia victorlae and other Acacia spp., variable understoreys such as Triodia pungens or Cassia spp., Eremophila leucophylla, Forbs and annual grasses.
SOSP or MUCR pasture land.
Tall open shrubland with Acacia xiphophylla, A. victoriae, sparse low shrubs, including Enchylaena tomentosa, Rhagodia eremaea, Cassia spp., forbs and annual grasses.
STCH pasture land.
Channels - no vegetation. Banks - woodland or dense tall shrubland fringing communities including Eucalyptus coolabah, E.
camaldulensis, Acacia citrinoviridis, A. sc/erosperma, numerous low shrubs, Forbs and annual grasses.
MUCR pasture land.
ROBE LAND SYSTEM (564 sq km)
Low plateaux, mesas and buttes of limonite with soft and hard spinifex pastures.
Location:
Geology:
Geomorphology:
Pastoral use:
~ PI so LITE
1 KILOMETRE
Mt. Bruce, Newman, Turee Creek and Wyloo 1 :250 000 map sheets.
Tertiary pisolitic limonite (Robe pisolite).
Surfaces formed by partial dissection of old Tertiary surfaces _ dissected plateaux and mesas; - long lines of low mesas along present and past river valleys, indented breakaway faces and steep slopes with limonite outcrop and pisolitic gravelly mantles, restricted gravelly lower slopes and narrow drainage floors, moderately dense branching drainage patterns; relief up to 40 m.
Mixed soft and hard spinifex pastures; soft spinifex provides medium quality pastures after burning and moderate drought durability, not susceptible to pasture degradation or erosion.
Estimated carrying capacity, good condition, 17 ha per sheep unit.
ALLUVIUM~
unit
2
3
Approx.
Area ("10)
80
10
10
Land forms
Low plateaux, mesas and buttes: up to 40 m high, in lines often 20 km or more in length, near vertical breakaway faces up to 10 m, outcrops of limonite, gravelly slopes up to 45 per cent.
Lower slopes: up to 3 per cent and rarely extending more than 200 m down slope, pisolitic limonite gravelly mantles.
Drainage floors and channels: up to 300 m wide, gradients 1 in 300 or less, shallow central flow lines with little incision; also major channels up to 40 m wide cutting through system.
Soils
Little or no soil development, limonite outcrop, pisolitic gravel and limonite rock fragment surface strew.
Variable soils including brown alkaline silt loams over light clay, dense gravelly surfaces, variable depths, Gc 122.
Reddish brown acidic gradational loams or duplex silt loams over light clay variable depths, Dr 251.
Vegetation
Sparse soft spinifex Triodia pungens hummock grassland, very sparse over storey including stunted Acacia pruinocarpa, A. ancistrocarpa and occasional Eucalyptus leucophloia.
SOSP pasture land.
Hard spinifex Trioda wiseana, T.
longiceps hummock grassland with sparse low shrubs and forbs and occasional Eucalyptus leucophloia.
HSHI pasture land.
Soft spinifex Triodia pungens hummock grassland with sparse shrubs Acacia ancistrocarpa, A.
inaequilatera, Cassia and Sida spp., occasional Eucalyptus dichro- mophloia.
SOSP pasture land.
~ml
ROCKLEA LAND SYSTEM (8 096 sq km) Basalt hills and restricted stony plains with hard spinifex.
Location:
Geology:
Geomorphology:
Pastoral use:
DBASALT
~ALLUVIUM
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1 KILOMETRE
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Mt. Bruce, Newman, Turee Creek and WyJoo 1:250 000 map sheets.
Lower Proterozoic age basalt of the Fortescue and Wyloo Groups, also minor shale and jaspilite.
Erosional surfaces - extensive hill tracts; - basalt hills and ridges with steep stony slopes, restricted lower slopes and stony interfluves, minor gilgai plains and narrow drainage floors, moderately dense to dense branching and rectangular patterns of incised drainage and narrow valleys, relief up to 110 m.
Poorly accessible hard spinifex pastures of extremely low pastoral value, small areas of better quality stony chenopod and short grass forb pastures on stony plains and drainage floors, no erosion.
Estimated carrying capacity, good condition, 40 ha per sheep unit.
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JASPILITE
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SHALE[-]
Unit
2
3
4
5
Approx.
Area (%) 70
15
5
5
5
Land forms
Basalt hills, ridges and upper slopes:
up to 100 m high, rounded crests, convex and benched upper slopes up to 70 per cent, dense mantles of basalt cobbles and stones.
Lower slopes and stony inlerfluves:
concave up to 8 per cent extending up to 1 km downslope to form interfluves up to 5 m high and up to 400 m wide, dense gravel and pebble mantles.
Gilgai plains: up to 600 m in extent, slopes up to 1 per cent gilgai microrelief with variable surface mantles.
Incised upper drainage lines:
headwater valleys with branching channels up to 15 m wide incised up to 5 m, stony marginal slopes up to 10 per cent adjacent to channels.
Drainage floors and channels: floors rarely more than 400 m wide, gradients 1 in 200 or less, central tracts with braided channels; major trunk channels up to 50 m wide.
Soils
Much outcrop and strew, pockets of skeletal stony loams, Urn 511.
Shallow, stony, reddish brown or dark red loams and clays, less than 60 cm deep, Urn 511, Uf631.
Seasonal cracking, alkaline, dark reddish brown or dark red clays, 1 m + deep, Ug 538.
MarglOal slopes with stony reddish brown loams mostly less than 40 cm deep, Urn 551, channels in parent material with bedloads of gravel, pebbles and cobbles.
Floors with weak red or reddish brown loarns and clays, variable surface strew, depth 30 em to 1 m + Urn 551, 552, Ug 537, channels with mixed bedloads.
Vegetation
Hard spinifex Triodia wiseana, T.
lanigera grasslands or sparse stunted Acacia and Cassia spp., low shrubland.
HSHI or MSGF pasture land.
Tal! shrublands of Acacia xiphophylla, A. victoriae with sparse low shrubs, spinifex Triodia wiseana, forbs and annual grasses.
HSHI pasture lands.
Tall shrublands mostly Acacia xiphophylla with low shrubs Cassia spp., Rhagodia eremaea, Enchylaena tomentosa, sparse perennial grasses Eragrostis xerophila, Forbs and annual grasses.
STCH pasture lands.
Hard spinifex Triodia wiseana, T.
longiceps with sparse shrubs various Acacia spp., occasional trees Eucalyptus dichromophloia.
HSHI pasture lands.
Variable tall shrublands beeomlllg denser along creeklines, includes Acacia kempeana, A. vicloriae, A.
cilrinoviridis, numerous low shrubs, also Triodia spp., sparse perennial grasses, Forbs and annual grasses.
MUCR pasture lands.