Technical Report No.10 - Belah and Bluebush Lands (November 1988)

Holding Library Call Number
ISBN: 1031-8321??
Holding Library
Soil Conservation Service of NSW
Notes
This document is provided for general information or historical interest and may contain some information that is no longer accurate or up to date or does not represent current best practice. Readers are warned not to rely on this information alone, and should obtain their own advice before making any decisions.

Contents

RANGELAND REVIEW BELAH AND BLUEBUSH LANDS 1
SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE OF N.S.W. TECHNICAL REPORT SERIES 2
A REVIEW OF INFORMATION RELEVANT TO THE BELAH AND BLUEBUSH RANGELANDS OF WESTERN NEW SOUTH WALES 3
EDITOR'S PREFACE 5 , 6
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7
AN OVERVIEW 8 , 9
CONTENTS 10 , 11 , 12
1. INTRODUCTION 13 , 14
2. LOCATION AND LAND USE 2.1 LOCATION OF THE BELAH AND BLUEBUSH RANGELANDS IN AUSTRALIA 15
2.2 LAND USE IN N.S.W. 2.2.1 Aboriginal Occupation 15 , 16 , 17 , 18
2.2.2 European Settlement 18 , 19 , 20 , 21
3. THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (N.S.W.) 3.1 CLIMATE 3.1.1 Rainfall 22
3.1.2 Rainfall Seasonality and Variability 22 , 23
3.1.3 Temperature 23
3.1.4 Evaporation 23
3.1.5 Wind 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30
3.1.6 Drought 30
3.1.7 Climate and Plant Growth 30 , 31
3.2 LANDFORMS 3.2.1 Introduction 31 , 32
3.2.2 Types of Landforms 32 , 33 , 34 , 35
3.3 SOILS 3.3.1 Introduction 36
3.3.2 Main Soil Types 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42
4. VEGETATION 4.1 INTRODUCTION 43 , 44
4.2 VEGETATION TYPES OF THE BELAH AND BLUEBUSH RANGELANDS 44 , 45 , 46 , 47
4.3 DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MAIN ALLIANCES 4.3.1 Belah – Rosewood Alliance 47 , 48 , 49
4.3.2 Bluebush Alliance 49 , 50
4.4 SPECIES PRESENT IN THE MAIN ALLIANCES 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56
5. LAND SYSTEMS OF THE BELAH AND BLUEBUSH RANGELANDS 5.1 INTRODUCTION 57
5.2 LAND SYSTEMS 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76
6. RESPONSE TO CHANGES IN THE ENVIRONMENT 6.1 INTRODUCTION 77
6.2 RESPONSE TO RAINFALL 77
6.2.1 Herbaceous plants 77 , 78 , 79
6.2.2. Trees and Shrubs 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84
6.3 RESPONSE TO GRAZING 85
6.3.1 Effects of Herbivores on the Belah Rangeland 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97
6.3.2 Effects of Herbivores on the Bluebush Rangelands 98 , 99 , 100 , 101
6.3.3 Invertebrate Herbivores: Termites 101 , 102
6.4 RESPONSE TO FIRE 6.4.1 Fire in the Belah Rangeland 102 , 103
6.4.2 Fire in the Bluebush Rangeland 103 , 104
6.5 RESPONSE TO CLEARING AND CROPPING 6.5.1 Belah Rangeland 104 , 105
6.5.2 Bluebush Rangeland 105 , 106
7. RANGELAND MANAGEMENT IN THE BELAH AND BLUEBUSH COUNTRY 7.1 INTRODUCTION 107
7.1.1 The Role of the Manager 107 , 108
7.1.2 Range condition*: 108 , 109
7.1.3 Low risk stocking 110
7.2 CONSTRAINTS OF THE BELAH AND BLUEBUSH RANGELANDS 7.2.1 Feed Suppression 111
7.2.2 Forage quantity and quality 111 , 112
7.2.3 Speargrasses (Stipa spp.) 113
7.2.4 Woody Weed Invasion 113 , 114
7.2.5 Feral and native animals 114
7.3 EXISTING MANAGEMENT PRACTICES 7.3.1 Grazing Management 115 , 116
7.3.2 Clearing and Cropping 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 , 121
7.4 ALTERNATIVE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES 7.4.1 Grazing Management Options for the Belah Rangelands 7.4.1.1 Continuous v rotational grazing 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 125
7.4.1.2 Goat grazing 125 , 126
7.4.2 Grazing Management Options for the Bluebush Rangelands 127 , 128 , 129
7.4.3 Soil Conservation Service Estimates of Carrying Capacity 129 , 130 , 131 , 132
8. LAND DEGRADATION AND REHABILITATION 8.1 SOIL DEGRADATION 8.1.1 Introduction 133
8.1.2 Extent of Degradation 133 , 134
8.1.3 Forms of Erosion 134 , 135 , 136 , 137
8.2 PASTURE DEGRADATION 8.2.1 Belah rangelands 137 , 138
8.3 REHABILITATION OF DEGRADED SOILS AND VEGETATION 138
8.3.1 Mechanical Techniques for Soil Rehabilitation 8.3.1.1 Pitting 138 , 139 , 140
8.3.1.2 Contour furrowing 140 , 141
8.3.1.3 Waterponding 141 , 142
8.3.2 Reduced Stocking and Strategic Spelling for Degraded Pastures and Soils 142 , 143 , 144
8.3.3 Woody Weed Control* 8.3.3.1 Introduction 144 , 145
8.3.3.2 Prescribed burning 145 , 146 , 147 , 148 , 149 , 150 , 151
8.3.3.3 Herbicides 151
8.3.3.4 Mechanical treatments 151 , 152
8.3.3.5 Goat control of woody weeds 152 , 153
9. REFERENCES 154 , 155 , 156 , 157 , 158 , 159 , 160 , 161 , 162 , 163 , 164 , 165 , 166 , 167 , 168 , 169 , 170 , 171 , 172 , 173 , 174 , 175 , 176 , 177 , 178 , 179 , 180 , 181
10. APPENDIX PLANT SPECIES OF THE BELAH AND BLUEBUSH RANGELANDS OF N.S.W.: 182 , 183 , 184 , 185 , 186 , 187 , 188 , 189 , 190 , 191 , 192 , 193 , 194 , 195 , 196 , 197 , 198 , 199 , 200 , 201 , 202 , 203 , 204 , 205 , 206 , 207 , 208 , 209 , 210 , 211 , 212 , 213 , 214 , 215 , 216 , 217 , 218 , 219 , 220 , 221 , 222 , 223 , 224 , 225 , 226 , 227 , 228 , 229 , 230 , 231 , 232 , 233 , 234 , 235 , 236 , 237 , 238 , 239 , 240 , 241 , 242 , 243 , 244 , 245 , 246 , 247 , 248 , 249 , 250 , 251 , 252 , 253 , 254 , 255 , 256 , 257 , 258 , 259 , 260 , 261 , 262 , 263 , 264 , 265 , 266 , 267 , 268 , 269 , 270 , 271 , 272 , 273 , 274 , 275 , 276 , 277 , 278 , 279 , 280 , 281 , 282 , 283 , 284 , 285 , 286 , 287 , 288 , 289 , 290 , 291 , 292 , 293 , 294 , 295 , 296 , 297 , 298 , 299

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