of red medium sands, and patches of skeletal sands. 38, 39, 40). 2 25 Gentle slopes, generally on elevated Mostly lateritic podzolics with small areas of skeletal laterite. Forests and woodlands: E. tetrodonta (27) and Corymbia dichromophloia (40) sub-alliances; C. latifolia (48) alliances. LCSP 50% ASHP 50% 3 5 Moderate to steep slopes with sandstone outcrops or scarps Skeletal sands and considerable bare rock. Woodlands and forest: E. tetrodonta, E. miniata (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 37, 38) alliances; Brachychiton spp., Terminalia spp., C. confertiflora (73) community. CAHP 50% ASHP 40% COGP 10% 4 5 Levees and depressions along streamlines Sandy levee soils and some deep light grey sands. Fringing communities and woodlands: Terminalia, Ficus, Melaleuca spp. community; C. bella (53) and C. polycarpa, E. apodophylla (61, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71) alliances; E. camaldulensis, Melaleuca spp. (75) community. OTHP** 80% COGP 20% 5 5 Small flats Deep light grey sands. Woodlands: C. polycarpa, E. apodophylla (61, 62, 63, 64, 66) alliance. OTHP** 80% COGP 20% Image of fire in the bushland of the Pago land sytem. Fire is an integral part of the Kimberley landscape, although control of fire frequency is important for ecosystem health. Pago land system near Kalumburu in the North Kimberley. Photo: Chelli (Panoramio.com)
5%, with indented escarpments up to 305m high comprising vertical upper walls and benched steep slopes; mountain slopes up to 50%; basal screes and boulder fans sloping up to 35%. community (1d). 3 5 Basalt and dolerite hills: up to 76m high; rounded crests up to 90m wide and benched slopes up to 60%, with boulder mantles. Outcrop with red basaltic soil: Walsh family (4). Very open, grassy woodland, with scattered shrubs and ground storeys of combinations of Sehima nervosum, Sorghum spp., Dichanthium fecundum and Triodia bitextura. E. tectifica alliance (14a, 14c, 15). WGBP 4 4 Lower slopes on basalt and dolerite: concave, up to 5%, and up to 800m long, colluvial mantles and local outcrop. Moderate to deep, reddish sandy to loamy basaltic soils: Frayne family (3). Similar to unit 2. WGBP 5 4 Lower slopes on quartzite: concave, up to 10%, and up to 800m long; colluvial mantles and local outcrop. Some outcrop with yellowish sandy soils of variable depth: Tableland family (5). Open woodland with moderately dense shrub layer and Triodia bitextura. E. brevifolia community (1d); locally 28. CAHP 6 2 Colluvial aprons and fans: up to 460m long with gradients 1 in 20 to 1 in 60 and gullied up to 3 m. Mainly yellowish sandy soils: Tableland family (5). Spinifex with scattered trees and shrubs and patches of open woodland. Triodia bitextura grassland (54) and Corymbia collina, C. dichromophloia community (6). CSPP
Mosaic aerial photograph of patterns is typical of Reeves land system – a complex of sandplains, stony plains with thin sand cover, minor hills, pans, depressions and channels. Width of this 2005 aerial photograph is about 3.7km. Photo: Landgate Stylised block diagram showing location of land units for the Reeves land system (numbers on diagram represent land units in table below) Table of Reeves land system – land units. * Numbers in brackets refer to soil family or vegetation community/alliance in ‘General report on lands of the West Kimberley area, WA’ (Speck et al. 1970); + Pasture types described in Appendix 1; Note: Proportions and occurrence of pasture types within land units are subject to change over time due to invasion by native and introduced species, seasonal conditions, fire frequency and grazing management. Unit Approx. area (%) Landforms Soils* Vegetation* Pasture type+ 1 11 Hills: up to 60m high; flat or gently sloping rocky crests up to 800m wide, with marginal escarpments up to 70%, locally vertical, and basal scree slopes up to 45%. Mainly outcrop with scree slopes. Depauperate woodland and spinifex grassland with scattered trees and scrubs. Corymbia confertiflora community (13). CAHP 2 29 Sandy surfaces with local outcrop: up to 1.6km in extent, sandy slopes up to 1% with frequent outcrop. Outcrop with reddish sandy soils of variable depth: Yabbagoddy family (1). Low woodland (pindan) with prominent Acacia tall shrub layer and Triodia bitextura, Chrysopogon spp. ground storey. C. dichromophloia, C. zygophylla, Acacia spp. community (10). PINP 3 52 Sandplains: up to 2.4km wide with slopes up to 2%. Reddish sandy soils: Yabbagoddy family (1). Low woodland (pindan) with Triodia bitextura, Chrysopogon spp. ground storey; Adansonia gregorii and C. dichromophloia alliances (31, 10). PINP
slopes are moderately to highly susceptible to erosion; control of grazing pressure is essential. Images showing most of the Richenda land system is poorly accessible rough hills, but a few drainage floors and lower slopes support preferentially grazed perennial tussock grasses under scattered eucalypts. Photos: Noel Schoknecht, DAFWA Stylised block diagram showing location of land units for the Richenda land system (numbers on diagram represent land units in table below) Table of Richenda land system – land units. * Numbers in brackets refer to soil family or vegetation community/alliance in ‘General report on lands of the West Kimberley area, WA’ (Speck et al. 1970); + Pasture types described in Appendix 1; Note: Proportions and occurrence of pasture types within land units are subject to change over time due to invasion by native and introduced species, seasonal conditions, fire frequency and grazing management. Unit Approx. area (%) Landforms Soils* Vegetation* Pasture type+ 1 66 Rocky hillslopes: benched slopes on gneiss and schist, up to 70%, locally vertical, with basal scree slopes up to 35%; convex rocky slopes on granite, up to 80%, locally with joint-block cappings. Mainly outcrop with limited areas of shallow, reddish, sandy skeletal soils (24). Low open woodland. Communities 3, 8a, 14a, 16, 32. CAHP 80% HSHP 20% 2 24 Lower slopes: concave, up to 10%, mainly less than 400m long but up to 1.6km long; outcrop and cobble mantles in upper parts, colluvial mantles in lower sectors. Mainly outcrop with shallow, sandy skeletal soils (24). Minor occurrences of greyish to brownish sands and loams over tough clays: Jurgurra family (19). Open grassy woodlands with Triodia bitextura, Chrysopogon spp., and Sehima nervosum - Sorghum spp. ground storeys. Eucalyptus tectifica alliance (14a, 14b, 14c). CAHP 50% WGBP 50% 3 3 Drainage floors: up to 365m wide, Loamy alluvial soils: Very open grassy woodland with WGBP
gradients 1 in 100 to 1 in 400 with transverse slopes up to 1%; locally with central unchannelled drainage zones up to 90m wide and 15 cm deep; sandy surfaces with pebble patches. Robinson family (21). sparse shrubs, and Sehima nervosum - Sorghum spp., Sehima nervosum - Dichanthium ground storeys. E. tectifica alliance (14a, 15); also 48, 36. 4 7 Channels: up to 90m wide and 4.5m deep, ranging from hillslope channels, gradients up to 1 in 10, to main channels with gradients as low as 1 in 400. Channels, bed-loads range from deep sand to cobbles on bedrock. Banks, brownish stony alluvial soils: Robinson family (21). Fringing forests and woodlands. E. platyphylla fringing communities (40, 41, 42); small streams 33. FRIP Image of the attractive boulder-strewn hilly landscape of Richenda land system. Photo: Bob McCartney, DAFWA Roebuck land system (Roe), size: 804km2, publication source: WKY Saline coastal flats with broad plains of salt water couch grasslands, samphire, and bare mud flats. Location map showing coverage of Roebuck land system defined by black region. State land type: Coastal plains, cliffs, dunes, mudflats and beaches; various vegetation types. Geology: Quaternary estuarine and littoral calcareous mud and silty sand. Geomorphology: Saline coastal flats: estuarine and littoral flats comprising grassy plains above high tides, traversed by a close network of channels, and bare tidal mud flats; intervening samphire flats; mangrove fringe along the seaward margins; dense, intricately branching pattern of shallow tidal inlets in lower sectors.
Land management: Saltwater couch pastures are attractive to cattle and generally resilient with low susceptibility to erosion; however control of grazing pressure is required. Image of saline plains (unit 1) of which Roebuck land system consists of about 60%, which support salt water couch (Sporobolus virginicus) grasslands with occasional low shrubs of samphire (Tecticornia spp.). Photo: DAFWA Stylised plan diagram showing arrangement of land units for the Roebuck land system (numbers on diagram represent land units in table below) Table of Roebuck land system – land units. * Numbers in brackets refer to soil family or vegetation community/alliance in ‘General report on lands of the West Kimberley area, WA’ (Speck et al. 1970); + Pasture types described in Appendix 1; Note: Proportions and occurrence of pasture types within land units are subject to change over time due to invasion by native and introduced species, seasonal conditions, fire frequency and grazing management. Unit Approx. area (%) Landforms Soils* Vegetation* Pasture type+ 1 56 Plains: up to 26km in extent; sandy, shell-strewn slopes, less than 0.1% but attaining 0.5% at lower margin and 1% at landward margin. Salt flat soils (25). Salt water couch grassland, locally degraded. Sporobolus virginicus community (64). MACP 2 13 Samphire flats: up to 3.2km in extent with slopes less than 0.3%; margins up to 20 cm above mud flats. Brownish and greyish, calcareous, saline loams and clays (26, 27). Halophytic shrubland. Samphire community (66). SMPP 3 5 Mud flats: up to 1.6km wide with slopes less than 0.3%; sealed, cracking surfaces with micro relief. Dark saline muds (28). Mostly bare mud. XXNP 4 4 Slopes at lower margins of mud flats: up to 0.3% and 275m long. Dark saline muds (28). Low mangrove community (46). XXNP 5 4 Outer flats: up to Dark saline Medium-height and XXNP
lost. System is relatively resilient but control of grazing pressure and frequency of burning is desirable. Image of Spinifex and termite mounds – characteristic of many land systems in the Kimberley – in this instance on unit 1 of the Ruby 2 land system. Photo: David Hadden, DAFWA Stylised block diagram showing location of land units for the Ruby 2 land system (numbers on diagram represent land units in table below) Table of Ruby 2 land system – land units. *Numbers in brackets refer to soil family or vegetation community/alliance in ‘General report on lands of the West Kimberley area, WA’ (Speck et al. 1970); + Pasture types described in Appendix 1; Note: Proportions and occurrence of pasture types within land units are subject to change over time due to invasion by native and introduced species, seasonal conditions, fire frequency and grazing management. Unit Approx. area (%) Landforms Soils* Vegetation* Pasture type+ 1 52 Summit remnants: up to 6.4km wide, with slopes mainly less than 1% but attaining 5% locally, and with marginal breakaways up to 9m high; sandy surfaces with pebble patches and laterite exposures locally. Reddish sandy to loamy soils of variable depth, commonly high in laterite gravels: Tippera family (2). Probably woodland with patches of dense Acacia shrubs and Triodia intermedia and Triodia bitextura. Eucalyptus brevifolia alliance (1a, or 1d). HSPP 70% CSPP 30% 2 19 Lower slopes: concave, up to 5%, and up to 1 mile long; locally dissected up to 6m into rounded spurs up to 275m wide, with marginal slopes up to 10%; colluvial mantles and local Reddish, loamy and clayey skeletal soils with laterite gravels and some outcrop (24). Local minor occurrences of brownish sands and loams over red Much bare ground, sparse cover of short annual grasses with patches of Chrysopogon spp. and Triodia intermedia. Probably E. brevifolia and Corymbia dichromophloia alliances (1a, 2, 8d, 12) and 57. ASGP 40% HSPP 30% RGRP 30%
outcrop. clay: Moonah family (17). 3 16 Sandplain: slopes less than 1% and up to 2.4km in extent. Deep red sands: Cockatoo family (7). Probably woodland (pindan) with prominent Acacia shrub layer and Triodia bitextura - Chrysopogon spp., Triodia pungens. C. dichromophloia alliance (10, 8b). SSPP 80% PINP 20% 4 4 Ridges: up to 60m high and 800m long; narrow, rocky crests and benched slopes to 70%, with basal scree slopes up to 35%. Mainly outcrop. Probably open woodland with Triodia intermedia and patches of short annual grasses. Much bare ground, E. brevifolia community (1a); also 57. HSHP 5 5 Drainage floors: up to 800m wide, gradients 1 in 100 to 1 in 500; sealed, scalded surfaces with sand hummocks. Probably greyish sands over tough loamy subsoils: Tarraji family (18). Some loamy aIIuvial soils: Robinson family (21) Probably very open woodland with Triodia intermedia, other tall to grasses, patches of short annual grasses, and much bare ground. E. brevifolia alliance (1a, 1e, 1f); also 61. HSPP 60% RGRP 20% ASGP 20% 6 4 Channels: up to 12m wide and 15m deep. Channels, bed-loads range from deep sand to cobbles. Banks, brownish loamy alluvial soils: Robinson family (21) Open fringing woodland. E. camaldulensis fringing community (40); smaller streams 1a. FRIP
delimited by sandy slopes up to 5% and 12m high, or by slopes up to 25% and 9m high, with low discontinuous breakaway and outcrops of laterite and weathered rock; stripped rocky surfaces up to 3.2km in extent behind breakaways, or forming outlying plateaux up to 60m high with benched escarpments up to 80% and with basal scree slopes up to 35%. surfaces, Cockatoo family (7); with mainly laterite and minor occurrences of reddish sandy soils, Yabbagoddy family (1) on breakaways. ground storey. Eucalyptus miniata alliance (28); also 26 and 29. Lower-rainfall: open woodland, patches of dense Acacia shrubs with Triodia bitextura - Chrysopogon spp. ground storey. Corymbia dichromophloia alliance (10, 11) and 17. 2 13 Lower slopes: up to 5% and 2.4km long, traversed by shallow runnels; colluvial mantles. Much outcrop. Some deep red sands with lateritic gravels: Cockatoo family (7) High-rainfall: similar to unit 1. Lower-rainfall: open woodland with patchy shrub thickets and Triodia bitextura - Chrysopogon spp. and Triodia bitextura ground storeys. Adansonia gregorii and E. brevifolia alliances (3, 31). CSPP 50% PINP 50% 3 32 Valley plains: up to 8km wide; grit and pisolith-strewn slopes mainly less than 0.2% but locally attaining 1%; linear scalds up to 15 cm deep, 180m wide, and 1.6km long locally. Mainly yellowish sandy to loamy soils: Elliott family (6). Areas of scalded greyish to brownish sands and loams over tough clays: Hooper family High-rainfall: grassy woodland with Chrysopogon spp. ground storey, E. microtheca community (20a); also 14b. Lower-rainfall: low beefwood woodland with Chrysopogon spp. and Triodia bitextura. Grevillea striata and Adansonia gregorii RGRP
Image of unvegetated lake bed (unit 4) of the Snap land system. Photo: DAFWA Stylised plan diagram showing arrangement of land units for the Snap land system (numbers on diagram represent land units in table below) Table of Snap land system – land units. + Pasture types described in Appendix 1; * Numbers refer to Soil Groups of Western Australia (Schoknecht 2002); Note: Proportions and occurrence of pasture types within land units are subject to change over time due to invasion by native and introduced species, seasonal conditions, fire frequency and grazing management. area (%) Landforms Soils* Vegetation Pasture type+ 1 10 Fringing sandplains and lunettes: gently sloping sandy margins. Red deep sands (445), Red sandy earths (463). Hummock grasslands of Triodia pungens. SSPP 2 20 Swampy depressions and plains: subject to occasional flooding. Probably sandy duplexes (400) and sandy earths (460). Woodlands of Eucalyptus victrix with tussock grasses such as Chrysopogon fallax and hummock grasses such as Triodia pungens. RGRP 70% SSPP 30% 3 10 Drainage tracts with minor channels Probably sandy duplexes (400) with minor non-cracking clays (620). Scattered E. victrix with tussock grasses such as Chrysopogon fallax and hummock grasses such as Triodia pungens. RGRP 60% SSPP 40% 4 60 Lake beds and pans: subject to occasional inundation. Various wet soils, including Saline wet soils (101) and Salt lake soil (102). No vegetation. XXNP Satellite image of Snap land system clearing showing the lake beds and pans (unit 4), and fringing plains and lunettes (units 1 and 2). The linear dunes of Camelgooda land system are visible to the north and south-west of the lakes. Width of this image is about 3km. Image: Google Earth
Stylised block diagram showing location of land units for the St George land system (numbers on diagram represent land units in table below) Table of St George land system – land units. * Numbers in brackets refer to soil family or vegetation community/alliance in ‘General report on lands of the West Kimberley area, WA’ (Speck et al. 1970); + Pasture types described in Appendix 1; Note: Proportions and occurrence of pasture types within land units are subject to change over time due to invasion by native and introduced species, seasonal conditions, fire frequency and grazing management. Unit Approx. area (%) Landforms Soils* Vegetation* Pasture type+ 1 58 Rocky plateaux and hillslopes: boulder-strewn plateau surfaces with benched escarpments and hillslopes up to 80%, and with basal scree slopes up to 45%, lower hillslopes to 10% and 1.6m long, dissected up to 9 m, with laterite exposures locally. Mainly rock outcrop with some laterite. Open spinifex with scattered stunted trees grading into open woodlands. Triodia intermedia and T. pungens communities (55, 57) and Corymbia dichromophloia and Adansonia gregorii alliances (11, 31); also 17. HSHP 50% SSPP 50% 2 19 Sandplains: up to 1.6m in extent, slopes less than 1%, attaining 2% locally. Probably red sands of variable depth: Cockatoo family (7). Woodlands (pindan) with prominent Acacia tall shrub layer and Triodia bitextura - Chrysopogon spp. C. dichromophloia - Adansonia gregorii alliances (10, 31). PINP 3 14 Sandplains with run-on: up to 1.6km wide and extending downslope for up to 3.2km; Mainly mottled yellowish sandy soils: Tableland family (5). Ribbon grass grassland with scattered trees and shrubs. Chrysopogon spp. community (49). RGRP
4 10 Salt pans Saline wet soils (101) and Salt lake soils (102). Open low shrublands of samphire (Tecticornia spp.). SMPP 5 7 Banks and levees associated with active streams: fringing unit 1. Grey to brown sandy loams, probably Brown sandy earths (462) and Brown deep sands (441). Woodlands of Eucalyptus camaldulensis and E. victrix with a shrub layer of Melaleuca glomerata, Acacia dictyophleba, A. holosericea, and A. ampliceps. Pastures mainly Eragrostis spp., ribbon grass (Chrysopogon fallax), soft spinifex (Triodia pungens) and buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris). LGAP 60% FRIP 40% 6 3 Stream channels Sand and gravel bed load deposits. No vegetation. XXNP Image of a billabong lined by Eucalyptus victrix and/or E. camaldulensis on one of the many stream channels in Sturt Creek land system about 50km north of Lake Gregory. Photo: Francis Yan Leung (Panoramio.com)