Rehabilitation of an incised ephemeral stream in central New South Wales, Australia: identification of incision causes, rehabilitation techniques and channel response

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
N. A. Streeton ◽  
R. S. B. Greene ◽  
K. Marchiori ◽  
D. J. Tongway ◽  
M. D. Carnegie
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Ephemeral Stream ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Rehabilitative Measures ◽  
Stream Bed

The degradation of semiarid agricultural rangelands in Australia can be traced back to the 19th century when Europeans expanded into these areas. That environmental degradation remains today and continues to harm agricultural productivity. The rehabilitation of a strongly incised ephemeral stream, ‘Spring Creek’, in central New South Wales, as an example of what can be achieved readily by landowners, is described. The causes of environmental degradation and the main environmental factors leading to the stream erosion were identified, rehabilitation began and the behaviour of the regime for 5 years within Spring Creek and the adjacent floodplain was monitored. It was found that intrinsically unstable sub-soils and sparse ground cover due to persistent grazing by domestic livestock were the major factors leading to incision. Several physical and chemical properties were found to be the primary causes of the soil’s instability. Rehabilitation focussed on stabilising the soils alongside the stream, promoting sedimentation and re-vegetation of the stream bed, with a longer-term objective of increasing the transfer of water, sediments and nutrients between the stream and its adjacent floodplain. The measures, implemented by local landowners, included the provision of in-stream porous rock weirs and the lowering of the grazing pressure on the stream bed and adjacent floodplain. Monitoring in 2007, 2009 and 2011 indicated that sedimentation was substantially faster above weirs than where there were no weirs. The rehabilitative measures resulted in the retention of fine sediment (<0.2 mm) along the stream bed behind weirs.

Effects of logging and fire on small mammals in Mumbulla State Forest, near Bega, New South Wales

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Lunney ◽  
B. Cullis ◽  
P. Eby
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
First Year ◽  
Severe Effect ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Antechinus Stuartii ◽  
Rattus Fuscipes

This study of the effects of logging on small mammals in Mumbulla State Forest on the south coast of New South Wales included the effects of a fire in November 1980 and a drought throughout the study period from June 1980 to June 1983. Rattus fuscipes was sensitive to change: logging had a significant impact on its numbers, response to ground cover, and recapture rate; fire had a more severe effect, and drought retarded the post-fire recovery of the population. The three species of dasyurid marsupials differed markedly in their response to ground cover, canopy cover, logging and fire. Antechinus stuartii was distributed evenly through all habitats and was not affected by logging, but fire had an immediate and adverse effect which was sustained by the intense drought. A. swainsonii markedly preferred the regenerating forest, and was not seen again after the fire, the failure of the population being attributed to its dependence on dense ground cover. Sminthopsis leucopus was found in low numbers, appeared to prefer forest with sparse ground cover, and showed no immediate response to logging or fire; its disappearance by the third year post-fire suggests that regenerating forest is inimical to the survival of this species. Mus musculus showed no response to logging. In the first year following the fire its numbers were still very low, but in the next year there was a short-lived plague which coincided with the only respite in the 3-year drought and, importantly, occurred in the intensely burnt parts of the forest. The options for managing this forest for the conservation of small mammals include minimising fire, retaining unlogged forest, extending the time over which alternate coupes are logged and minimising disturbance from heavy machinery.

Establishing surface-sown pastures in a Poa labillardieri-Themeda australis association

1986 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 331 ◽  
Author(s):  
MH Campbell ◽  
MJ Keys ◽  
RD Murison ◽  
JJ Dellow
Keyword(s):  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Phalaris Aquatica ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Before And After

The effects of time and rate of application of glyphosate, 2,2-DPA and tetrapion on Poa labillardieri and Themeda australis were measured in seven experiments carried out 55 km south of Braidwood, on the southern tablelands of New South Wales between 1980 and 1982. In an eighth experiment (1981) and in a 35-ha demonstration (1983), at the same site, the effects of applying herbicides (before and after the autumn break) and surface-sowing Phalaris aquatica, Festuca arundinacea and Trifiolium repens with fertiliser on the control of P. labillardieri were ascertained. All three herbicides proved effective in reducing the ground cover of P. labillardieri from applications at any time of the year. For T. australis, tetrapion proved effective when applied at any time of the year, while glyphosate and 2,2-DPA were effective in all seasons except winter. Glyphosate at rates between 0.72 and 1.44 kg/ha a.i. was more cost effective than 2,2-DPA (11.1 kg/ha a.i.) and tetrapion (3.75 kg/ha a.i.). Best establishment and development of sown grasses and legumes was attained by applying herbicides after the autumn break but before heavy frosts, and then surface-sowing 1-3 months later. Control of P. labillardieri was best where P. aquatica and F. arundinacea established most densely.

The effects of grazing and season on the stability of Chloris Spp. (Windmill grasses) in natural pasture at Trangie, New South Wales.

1978 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 106 ◽  
Author(s):  
DL Michalk ◽  
PK Herbert
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Basal Diameter ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Natural Pasture ◽  
Mean Diameter ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Stocking Rates

A study of the density and basal diameter of Chloris acicularis Lindl. (syn. Enteropogon acicularis (LindlJLazar. - curly windmill grass) and C. truncata R. Br. (windmill grass) was made at two stocking rates over a period of eight years. The propor- tion of ground covered by these Chloris species varied widely with season, and to a lesser extent with grazing pressure. The density of both species increased in good seasons, while the mean diameter decreased because of the number of new seedlings. Although C. truncata seedlings were more numerous in good seasons, they did not survive as well as did C. acicularis seedlings during prolonged dry periods.

Current Land Use in the Poplar Box (Eucalyptus Populnea) Lands.

1980 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
EJ Weston ◽  
DF Thompson ◽  
BJ Scott
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
High Water ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Small Areas ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Domestic Livestock

Poplar box (Eucalyptus populnee) woodlands mainly occuron duplex, clay and red earth soils between the 300 mm and 750 mm rainfall isohyets. The poplar box lands have been occupied for from 100 to 150 years and have been modified extensively through tree felling, ringbarking, clearing, cultivation, burning and grazing by domestic livestock. The current land use is described for six vegetation groups which together comprise the poplar box lands. The eastern areas of the poplar box lands are mainly used for intensive agriculture based on wheat. barley and grain sorghum, with small areas sown to c~ops of high water demand. Mixed farming involves dairying (in Queensland) and fat lambs (in New South Wales) and broad-acre cereal and fodder cropping. Sheep and cattle grazing replace intensive crop production as the rainfall decreases. In all areas used for cropping the stability and fertility of the soil are of paramount importance in maintainihg production. The use of woodlands in areas of lower rainfall can lead to deterioration of the resource and to the encroachment of woody native species into the grazing lands. Because cropping is unreliable the opportunity to use cultivation to control woody regrowth is reduced. In central areas much of the land can be sown to improved pastures, but in western areas diversification is limited by the low rainfall and land use is restricted to grazing, initially only by sheep but now by sheep and cattle. Particularly in western New South Wales the increase in unpalatable shrubs and the decrease in available forage has resulted in low stocking rates, and high grazing pressure, making reclamation and pasture improvement difficult. In consequence many enterprises are becoming uneconomic.

Sustainable grazing systems for the Central Tablelands of New South Wales. 4. Soil water dynamics and runoff events for differently-managed pasture types

2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 483 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Hughes ◽  
I. J. Packer ◽  
D. L. Michalk ◽  
P. M. Dowling ◽  
W. McG. King ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Water Runoff ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Management Factors

Soil water, runoff amount and quality, pasture production and environmental data were measured for a pastoral prime lamb enterprise in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales from 1998 to 2002. There were 4 pasture treatments: fertilised and sown chicory (CH), fertilised and sown introduced pastures (SP), fertilised naturalised pastures (FN) and unfertilised naturalised pastures (UN). Two grazing management regimes, tactically grazed (TG) and continuously grazed (CG) were imposed on the SP, FN and UN treatments. The CH treatment was rotationally grazed. To compare pasture and grazing system water use, maximum soil water deficit values (SWDMax) were calculated from neutron moisture meter data. SWDMax was influenced by both environmental and management factors. Management factors that influenced SWDMax were herbage mass of perennials, degree of perenniality, and the perennial species present. Environmental factors accounted for >50% of the variation in SWDMax. Inclusion of management factors (perennial herbage mass of C3 and C4 species and percentage perennial herbage mass), accounted for an additional 16% of variation. While the influence of pasture management appears to be relatively small, importantly, management is the only avenue available to land managers for influencing SWDMax. The UNTG and all sown treatments, with greater perennial herbage mass or greater C4 herbage mass consistently produced the highest SWDMax. Runoff amount and quality data are presented for ground cover percentages which generally exceeded 80% for the experimental period. Runoff as a proportion of rain received during the experiment was <3%. Environmental factors explained 47% of variation in runoff, while pasture herbage mass and ground cover percentage explained an additional 2% of variation. Water quality was monitored on 3 treatments (SPTG, FNTG and UNCG) for total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (P) and total suspended solids (TST) over a 6-month period. The mean values for total N and P were below the acceptable contaminant concentration for agricultural irrigation water. An important outcome of this research is the concept of a practical Targeted Water Management Plan (TWMP) which devises a framework for optimum water usage and productivity at a landscape scale.

Use of herbicides for selective removal of Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees from a Phalaris aquatica pasture

1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 665 ◽  
Author(s):  
MH Campbell ◽  
JJ Dellow ◽  
MJ Keys ◽  
AR Gilmour
Keyword(s):  
Maximum Rate ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Selective Removal ◽  
Main Experiment ◽  
Phalaris Aquatica ◽  
Eragrostis Curvula ◽  
South Wales

In the main experiment, the effectiveness of tetrapion, glyphosate and 2,2-DPA in selectively removing Eragrostis curvula from a Phalaris aquatica pasture was determined by applying each at three rates in July 1980, September 1980, December 1980 and March 1981 near Braidwood, New South Wales. Auxiliary experiments were conducted from April 1981 to April 1983 to determine the reliability of herbicide effect on E. curvula. Tetrapion (2.25 and 3.375 kg/ha a.i.) was the most effective herbicide in killing E. curvula and promoting P. aquatica and Trifolium subterraneum. It was more selective when applied in September 1980 and December 1980 than when applied in July 1980 or March 198 1. Re-infestation by E. curvula seedlings in the 3 years after spraying with tetrapion amounted to a maximum of 3% of ground cover. In the auxiliary experiments, tetrapion was effective on all nine occasions of application, which demonstrated its reliability and effectiveness at any time of the year. Glyphosate (1.08 and 1.62 kg/ha a.i.) was effective in killing E. curvula in March 1981 but this result could not be repeated in March 1982 or March 1983 or in nine other applications at other times in these years. 2,2-DPA (maximum rate 22.2 kg/ha a.i.) was ineffective in killing E. curvula at four times of application. Recovery of the P. aquatica pasture after treatment declined in the order: tetrapion >2,2-DPA>glyphosate.

Evaluation of natural annual pastures at Trangie in central western New South Wales. 1. Sheep production

1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (62) ◽  
pp. 238
Author(s):  
RJ Campbell ◽  
DG Saville ◽  
GE Robards
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Sheep Production ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Sheep Wool

Natural annual pasture at Trangie, New South Wales, was set stocked from August, 1967 to December 1970 at rates of 2.5, 3.7, and 4.9 merino wethers per ha to determine an optimum stocking rate for the pasture type. All stocking rates were supported without the necessity to hand feed any sheep. Wool production per head was reduced significantly by increased stocking rate in 1968, but not in 1969 and 1970. The suppression of barley grass at the higher stocking rates appeared to benefit animal production in 1969. Substitution of portion of the natural annual pasture with areas of lucerne or natural perennial pasture was also investigated and found to be ineffective in increasing wool production per head above that of wethers at similar rates of stocking on natural annual pasture alone. Possible reasons for the apparent failure of the grazing supplements, particularly lucerne, are discussed in terms of grazing pressure and management strategies.

A survey of the impact of cropping on soil physical and chemical properties in north-western New South Wales

Soil Research ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 669 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Whitbread ◽  
Rod D. B. Lefroy ◽  
Graeme J. Blair
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Soil Survey ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Clay Soils ◽  
Soil C ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Red Earth ◽  
The Impact

The soil survey was conducted on cropped and uncropped Red Earths (Alfisols), Grey Clays, and Black Earths (Vertisols) in northern New South Wales. The degradation of soil physical properties between the cropped and uncropped reference sites was reflected in declines of 29–86% in hydraulic conductivity (K) and 33–71% in aggregation. Generally there was a substantial loss of carbon with cropping, and the loss of labile carbon (CL) was usually greater than the loss of total carbon (CT). A Grey Clay which had been cropped for >40 years had lost 63% and 51% of its CL and CT, respectively. An adjacent Grey Clay which had been cleared and cropped for only 2 years had lost 43% and 26% of its CL and CT, respectively, resulting in a C management index (CMI) of 55, indicating that a large proportion of soil C was lost soon after the commencement of cropping. Where well-managed legume leys had recently been grown, the loss of C was reduced, resulting in a higher CMI. A loss of total and available nutrients after cropping was also found, with the magnitude of the losses modified by fertiliser history. A highly significant correlation was found between CT or CL and the proportion of water-stable aggregates >250 µm for the Red Earth and Grey Clay soils, but this correlation was poor for the Black Earth. The importance of organic matter in maintaining aggregation in low clay soils such as the Red Earth was highlighted.

A statistical-chemical characterization of four great soil groups in Southern New South Wales based on orthogonal polynomials

Soil Research ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 221 ◽  
Author(s):  
JD Colwell
Keyword(s):  
Orthogonal Polynomials ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Chemical Characterization ◽  
Soil Classification ◽  
Statistical Procedures ◽  
South Wales ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Soil Groups

Statistical procedures are described for the characterization and comparison of profiles within soil classification units. Profile trends in a measured characteristic are represented by the coefficients of orthogonal polynomials in depth, and these coefficients are used as observations for standard statistical procedures. The mean of the respective coefficients provides estimates of the mean profiles for the classification units, and the variance-covariance matrix of the coefficients can be used to calculate the confidence intervals of these means. Differences between the mean profiles can be tested by analyses of variance. The variability of a range of chemical properties in the profiles of four Great Soil Groups, viz. yellow podzolic, red earth, red-brown earth, and grey clay, is described. The characterization is based on the analysis of profiles sampled from areas of about 0.4 ha chosen to represent cultivated examples of the groups in southern New South Wales. Variability of most soil properties is greater between these areas than within them, notable exceptions being exchangeable calcium and magnesium within the grey clay Group. This high localized variability is attributed to the gilgaied nature of this group in this region. Also variation between the soil groups is generally greater than within the groups. The differences seem, however, of limited importance from the point of view of soil fertility.

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