Run-Off and Sediment Yield From a Semi-Arid Woodland in Eastern Australia. Ii. Variation in Some Soil Hydrological Properties Along a Gradient in Soil Surface Condition.

1993 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 234 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Eldridge ◽  
TB Koen
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Surface Condition ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Sediment Removal ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Red Earth

Three sites on red earth soils were examined at Yathong Nature Reserve and 'Coan Downs' in central- western New South Wales. The sites represented a gradient in soil surface condition from a stable, uneroded and productive site, supporting moderately dense perennial grasses (site 1) to a moderately unstable and degraded site with few perennials and evidence of erosion (site 3). The hydrological characteristics of the three sites were measured using a rainfall simulator on plots with varying vegetation cover. Water ponded earlier at the degraded site, and run-off and sediment removal increased as the soil surface became more degraded. Associated with this was an increase in the importance of vegetation cover, and a decrease in the importance of soil physico-chemical variables as descriptors of soil hydrological properties. The results are consistent with the notion that vegetation plays a more important role in maintaining soil hydrological processes as the soil surface becomes more degraded.

The Influence of Recent Grazing Pressure and Landscape Position on Grass Recruitment in a Semi-Arid Woodland of Eastern Australia.

1996 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
VJ Anderson ◽  
KC Hodgkinson ◽  
AC Grice
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Annual Grasses ◽  
History Of ◽  
Semi Arid

This study examined the effects of previous grazing pressure, position in the landscape and apparent seed trapping capability of soil surface micro-sites on recruitment of the perennial grass Monachather paradoxa (mulga oats) in a semi-arid woodland. Seedling emergence was counted on small plots which had been kept moist for one month. The plots were on bare ground, or at grass tussocks, or at log mounds, sited in the run-off, interception and run-on zones of paddocks that had been grazed for six years at 0.3 and 0.8 sheep equivalent/ha. Few naturally occurring perennial grass seedlings emerged on any of the sites. The level of previous grazing pressure influenced the recruitment of grasses from natural sources as well as from seed of M. paradoxa broadcast on the soil surface; significantly more grass seedlings recruited in paddocks stocked at 0.3 than at 0.8 sheep/ha. Emergence of the sown grass did not differ significantly between the three zones in the landscape, but trends in the data suggest the interception zone may have been the most favourable. Recruitment from in situ grass seed was highest in the mulga grove (run-on) zone. Most seedlings of the sown grass emerged around the bases of existing perennial grass tussocks, but recruitment of volunteer perennial and annual grasses was more evenly distributed between the mulga log-mounds and perennial grass tussocks. It is concluded that very low levels of readily germinable seed of perennial grasses remained in the soil at the end of the drought and that areas with a history of high grazing pressure have less probability of grass recruitment when suitable rain occurs.

Runoff and Sediment Yield From a Semi-Arid Woodland in Eastern Australia. 1. The Effect of Pasture Type.

1992 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Eldridge ◽  
J Rothon
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Yield ◽  
New South ◽  
Threshold Level ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Rainfall Runoff ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Sediment Loss ◽  
Red Earth ◽  
Runoff And Sediment Yield

Some hydrological characteristics of a red earth soil were examined under two pasture types at Yathong in central-westem New South Wales using simulated rainfall. Runoff and rate of sediment loss from plots dominated by perennial grasses were lower than for plots dominated by ephemerals. Time-to-ponding was less on the plots dominated by ephemerals but time-to-runoff was similar for both pasture types. On both grass and ephemeral-dominant soils, measured soil and vegetation attributes explained very little of the variation in runoff and sediment yield. The results do not support the existence of a threshold level of vegetation cover below which runoff increases markedly.

Soil surface features as indicators of rangeland site productivity.

1989 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Tongway ◽  
EL Smith
Keyword(s):  
Surface Condition ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Cluster Method ◽  
Data Set ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Red Earth ◽  
Good Agreement

Criteria for the classification of Red Earth soils into groups reflecting differences in their productive potenrial were investigated on three sites near Cobar, New South Wales. Five features were shown to be useful by cluster and discriminate analysis of an extensive data set. A field-based classification using six very similar criteria was also tested and shown to agree with the cluster method. Laboratory tests for stability and fertility of the surface soil layer from each class indicated a significant difference between classes, and a narrow range of values for an individual class. Herbage production on quadrats over the range of soil surface condition also consistently reflected the classification. When the method was tested with three personnel previously unfamiliar with the criteria, good agreement with the original experimental set was obtained.

Grain protein responses to nitrogen applied to wheat growing on a red earth

1991 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 735 ◽  
Author(s):  
JF Angus ◽  
RA Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Ammonium Nitrate ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Grain Protein ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Red Earth ◽  
Subsequent Crop ◽  
Urea Ammonium Nitrate

Dryland wheat was fertilized with ammonium nitrate or liquid urea-ammonium nitrate at the time of sowing or about 3 months later (generally at the terminal-spikelet stage) on a well-drained site near Harden on the south-west slopes of New South Wales. The experiments continued from the second to the fifth year (1981-1984) of the cropping phase of a crop-pasture rotation. The maximum agronomic efficiencies for yield in the four consecutive years were 19, 4, 23 and 25 kg grain per kg of applied nitrogen (N). The three large responses were obtained in wetter than average seasons and the small response was obtained during drought. In the last three years of the study the yield response to nitrogen at the terminal-spikelet stage was found to be close to but slightly less than that for N applied at sowing. In those years the agronomic efficiencies for the late-applied N were 0, 22 and 22. The apparent recovery of fertilizer N in the above-ground parts of the crop at maturity was up to 70% of the fertilizer applied in the year of sowing, and, after the drought during which there was little uptake of fertilizer N, up to 62% by the subsequent crop. The fertilizer efficiencies in the non-drought years were higher than generally reported in south-eastern Australia, and indicate potential for profitable delayed application of N fertilizer to wheat. Grain-protein responses were variable from year to year and are discussed against a simple theoretical background of the amount of N applied and grain-yield response.

Persistence, productivity and seed yield of Medicago murex, M. truncatula, M. aculeata and Trifolium subterraneum on an acid red earth soil in the wheat belt of eastern Australia

1992 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 319 ◽  
Author(s):  
BS Dear ◽  
L Jenkins
Keyword(s):  
Seed Yield ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Hard Seed ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Acid Tolerant ◽  
Seed Reserves ◽  
Red Earth ◽  
Alternative Species

The persistence, productivity, and seed yield of 4 annual legume species, Trifolium subterraneum L. var. subterraneum, Medicago murex Willd, M. truncatula Gaertn var. truncatula, and M. aculeata, were compared on an acid red earth soil at Temora. New South Wales. All species persisted for 4 years but there were significant differences in herbage yields and seed reserves between species, and between cultivars and lines within species. The recently released T. subterraneum cultivar, Junee, produced superior seedling densities in 2 of the 3 regenerative years and maintained similar summer seed reserves, but carried over a higher proportion of seed (hard seed) through each winter and was as productive as the older cultivar, Woogenellup, except in late spring. The 6 M. murex lines persisted and remained well nodulated on the moderately acid [pH(CaCl2) 4.81 soil when grown with a new acid-tolerant Rhizobium strain, WSM 419. Medicago murex demonstrated potential as an alternative species to T. subterraneum for the eastern wheat belt; it maintained high seed reserves and was more hardseeded than T. subterraneum cultivars, but this did not reduce its ability to produce large populations of seedlings in autumn. While the M. aceuleata and M. truncatula lines demonstrated that they could persist and regenerate adequately over the 4-year period, neither proved to be superior to either the T. subterraneum or M. murex lines in any of the parameters.

The impact of pasture development and grazing on water-yielding catchments in the Murray - Darling Basin in south-eastern Australia

2003 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 817 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. H. Johnston ◽  
D. L. Garden ◽  
A. Rančić ◽  
T. B. Koen ◽  
K. B. Dassanayake ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Wagga Wagga ◽  
Deep Drainage ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Murray Darling Basin ◽  
Productivity Gain ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Annual Grasses ◽  
The Impact

Experiments conducted from November 1996 to June 2002 in adjacent small catchments near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, compared the productivity and hydrology of a heavily fertilised (about 30 kg phosphorus/ha.year) Phalaris aquatica (phalaris) pasture with that of a lightly fertilised (about 14 kg phosphorus/ha every second year) native grassland that contained a mixture of C3 and C4 perennial grasses, dominantly C4 Bothriochloa macra (redgrass).In summer, the native catchment was dominated by C4 perennial grasses while the phalaris catchment was dominated by annual C4 weedy species. During the cooler months, the phalaris pasture contained higher proportions of Vulpia spp., and other less-desirable annual grasses. Throughout the experiment, the native catchment was dominated by redgrass, whereas in the phalaris catchment the persistence of phalaris declined. Redgrass became prominent on the more arid aspects of the phalaris catchment as the experiment progressed.Pasture production in the phalaris catchment was higher in most seasons than the native catchment, which resulted in an overall stocking rate advantage of about 80%. The productivity gain per unit of P input was 0.4 for the phalaris catchment compared with 1 for the native catchment, implying that phosphorus was applied to the phalaris catchment at an excessive rate.During wet periods the native catchment produced substantially more runoff than the phalaris catchment, while in dry times it developed substantially larger soil water deficits. Runoff from the phalaris catchment was higher in suspended and dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus than for the native catchment. Higher runoff from the native catchment combined with its drier soil profile in summer indicated that its deep drainage potential was less than in the phalaris catchment.

The effects of fire on the soil in a degraded semi-arid woodland .III. Nutrient pool sizes, biological activity and herbage response

Soil Research ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Tongway ◽  
KC Hodgkinson
Keyword(s):  
Surface Condition ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Fuel Load ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Monitoring Method ◽  
Nutrient Pool ◽  
Soil Variables ◽  
South Wales

The effect of experimental fire regimes on soil nutrient pool values, surface condition status and herbage growth was studied in a shrub-invaded woodland on massive red earths near Coolabah, New South Wales. Artificial fuel was burnt in spring on plots to achieve intervals of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 years between fires. No differences between fire regimes were detected below 1 cm for any of the measured soil variables. Soil respiration declined linearly with increasing number of fires and increasing total fuel load. There were no differences or trend for available or total soil nitrogen, organic carbon or soil wettability in the 0-1 cm horizon, but relatively refractory elements such as P and K, derived from the ash from the artificial fuel, built up in the soil proportionately with increased fire number and total fuel load. The surface condition status of the soil as assessed by a monitoring method was strongly inversely related to the number of fires and total fuel load. Differences in herbage growth between fire treatments were not significant; however, where plots had been burnt five times, herbage growth was greater with increased variability (35.8 g me2, s.e. 19.0) compared with unburnt controls (10.7 g m-2, s.e. 1.7). Plots burnt seven times annually had similar means and variance to controls. Low herbage yields in control plots were attributed to the high biomass of mature shrubs, whilst increasing variability with number of fires was caused by the combination of patchy decreased shrub biomass and small-scale erosion-deposition cells which differentially distribute seeds across the soil surface. Plots burnt annually seven times had deposition beyond the plot area.

Effects of depth and time of sowing and over-wintering on tropical perennial grass seedling emergence in northern New South Wales

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (10) ◽  
pp. 954 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Lodge ◽  
S. Harden
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Sowing Time ◽  
Rhodes Grass ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Nylon Mesh ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Digitaria Eriantha

Two studies were conducted in northern NSW to examine some of the factors affecting the successful emergence of seedlings of five species of tropical perennial grasses [Panicum coloratum var. makarikariense cv. Bambatsi (panic), Digitaria eriantha ssp. eriantha cv. Premier (digit), Chloris gayana cv. Katambora (Rhodes grass), Dichanthium aristatum cv. Floren (bluegrass), and Bothriochloa bladhii ssp. glabra cv. Swann (forest bluegrass)]. The first experiment investigated the effects of depth and time (month) of sowing on tropical perennial grass seedling emergence, while a second series of studies examined the effects of contact of dispersal/sowing units with the soil, particularly over winter, on subsequent seed germination and seedling emergence. No seedling emergence of any species occurred in September 2006 and June–August 2007. From October 2006 to May 2007 there were significant effects (P < 0.001) of species, sowing time, depth, and their interaction on predicted emergence. From December to March, predicted emergence was always lower for surface-sown caryopses compared with those sown at 10 and 25 mm depth, and Bambatsi was the only species that had >50% emergence from a depth of 50 mm. Recovery of intact caryopses from 300 μm nylon mesh bags stored in the soil for 6 and 12 months was low for all species. Similarly, predicted germination of caryopses from field soil surface and buried locations (2007 and 2008) and those from florets and coated seeds (2008) was low, indicating that these species had a poor ability to over-winter in moist soil.

The response of Phalaris tuberosa and other grasses to seasonal heavy stocking on the southern tablelands of New South Wales

1964 ◽  
Vol 4 (13) ◽  
pp. 141 ◽  
Author(s):  
EF Biddiscombe
Keyword(s):  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
New South ◽  
Dactylis Glomerata ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
The Third ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Commercial Strain ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Dactylis Glomerata L

Seven perennial grasses were evaluated for animal production and for persistence, when stocked heavily in summer or winter with young Merino wethers. The commercial strain of Phalaris tuberosa L., which is sown commonly in south-eastern Australia and is often low yielding during summer and winter, was taken as the standard. At first, the productivity of Bromus inernis Leyss. in summer and Dactylis glomerata L. (Brignoles strain) in winter was reflected in higher liveweight and wool yields for these seasons. This advantage over Phalaris was lost when the Bromus pasture weakened in the third summer and the Dactylis in the third winter. The latter sward revived by natural regeneration from seed, whereas P. tuberosa developed and maintained a dense sward of the original plants. On this evidence Bromus and Dactylis are possible replacements for Phalaris for specific seasonal purposes, but management to retain vigorous swards still needs study. These aspects are discussed.

Role of plant cover and stock trampling on runoff and soil-erosion from semi-arid wooded rangelands

Soil Research ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 953 ◽  
Author(s):  
RSB Greene ◽  
PIA Kinnell ◽  
JT Wood
Keyword(s):  
Plant Cover ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Local Water ◽  
Raindrop Energy ◽  
Semi Arid

Relationships between plant cover, runoff and erosion of a massive red earth were investigated for a runoff zone of an intergrove area in a semi-arid wooded rangeland in eastern Australia. The measurements were carried out in small experimental paddocks with different stocking rates of sheep and kangaroos. A trailer-mounted rainfall simulator was used to apply rainfall at a time averaged rate of 30 mm h-1 to obtain runoff rates and sediment concentrations. There was a significant negative relationship (r2 = 0.58; P < 0.01) between final runoff rate and plant cover. It is probable that the plants increase infiltration and decrease runoff by (i) funnelling water down their stems and (ii) providing macropores at the base of the plant through which water can rapidly enter the soil. However, there was no significant effect of plant cover on sediment concentration. Probable reasons for this are: (i) even though plant cover will absorb raindrop energy and decrease the erosive stress on the soil, the nature of the plants investigated is such that they may not be 100% effective in protecting the soil beneath them, and (ii) the distribution of contact cover provided by the base of the plants is highly patchy and thus relatively inefficient at reducing sediment concentration. At zero cover final runoff rates from paddocks with a high and low stocking rate were similar, i.e. 23.4 and 22.3 mm h-1 respectively. However, at zero cover, the sediment concentration from the high stocking rate paddock was significantly (P < 0.01) greater than that from the low stocking rate paddock. Greater hoof activity and lower organic matter (and hence lower structural stability) of the 0.20 mm layer in the high stocking rate paddock caused the soil surface to be more susceptible to erosion. These results show that grazing by removing perennial grasses and pulverizing the surface soil can have a major impact on local water balances and erosion rates respectively within the intergrove areas. The implications of these results for the long-term stability of semi-arid mulga woodlands is briefly discussed.

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