180m wide; extensively scalded sandy surfaces with pisolith detritus. 2 15 Lightly stripped rises: less than 3m high and up to 1.6km wide; sandy surfaces with lateritic detritus. Reddish sandy and loamy soils, commonly with rock fragments and/or lateritic gravels: Yabbagoddy (1) and Tippera 2) families. Open spinifex. Triodia intermedia community (57); with patches of 10 and 16. HSPP 3 8 Cracking clay plains: up to 1.6km wide and extending along the strike for up to 4.8km; gilgais and scalds locally, with cobble patches. Light olive brown clays: Wonardo family (14). Mitchell grass and ribbon grass-bluegrass grasslands. Astrebla spp. and Chrysopogon spp. - Dichanthium fecundum communities (47, 48). MGAP 50% RAPP 50% 4 5 Sandplain: up to 800m wide, with slopes less than 1%. Deep red sands: Cockatoo family (7). Low woodland (pindan) with prominent Acacia shrub layer and Triodia bitextura - Chrysopogon spp. ground storey. C. dichromophloia - C. zygophylla - Acacia spp. community (10). PINP 5 2 Drainage floors: up to 400m wide, gradients 1 in 200 to 1 in 500; sealed, scalded surfaces with numerous runnels and locally with Probably brownish sand and loams over red clay: Moonah family (17). Minor reddish loamy soils: Grassy woodland with Chrysopogon spp. and frontage grasses. C. dichromophloia and Adansonia gregorii alliances (12, 33). FRGP mulching
high in laterite gravels and slate fragments: Elliott family (6). Locally, Melaleuca thickets (36). 2 65 Rocky surfaces: up to 4.8km in extent; benched hillslopes up to 70% and cuesta dip slopes up to 5%; boulder mantles and laterite exposure locally. Much rock outcrop with yellowish and reddish gravelly skeletal soils and some laterite remnants (24). Low woodlands with moderately dense shrub layer and Triodia bitextura. E. phoenicea - Corymbia ferruginea alliance (7); locally 1a and 36. CAHP 3 11 Headwater valley floors: up to 800m wide; sandy slopes up to 2%; with lightly sealed surfaces and pebble patches. Yellowish loamy soils, commonly with moderate amounts of rock fragments: Elliott family (6). Grassy woodlands characterised by Aristida hygrometrica. C. polycarpa commonly (25), locally 36. TAPP 4 4 Drainage floors: up to 400m wide, gradients 1 in 100 to 1 in 300. Limited areas of clayey alluvial soils: Fitzroy family (22). As for unit 3. CSPP 5 7 Channels: up to 30m wide and 1.8m deep, incised in bedrock. Channels, range from sand to boulders. Banks brownish stony alluvial soils. Robinson family (21). Fringing woodlands. E. camaldulensis - Melaleuca spp. fringing community (41). FRIP Forrest land system (Frt), size: 2347km2, publication source: WKY Mountainous country with quartzite ridges and hilly basalt vales, sandy soils and red earths, low open woodlands with spinifex and grassy woodlands.
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 36 Sandplains: up to 4.8km in extent with slopes less than 1%; pans up to 1.2km wide and 1.5m deep locally, with bare cracking floors. Reddish sandy soils: Yabbagoddy family (1). With brownish massive heavy clays in pans (30). Low woodland (pindan) with prominent Acacia shrub layer and Triodia bitextura - Chrysopogon spp. ground storey. Corymbia dichromophloia - C. zygophylla - Acacia spp. community (10). PINP 2 13 Sand dunes: up to 6.4km long and 9m high; flanks slope up to 15%. Deep red sands: Cockatoo family (7). Variable. Woodlands as in unit 1. Also more open woodlands with Triodia pungens and Aristida browniana. Bauhinia cunninghamii alliance (38b, 38c). PINP 70% SSPP 30% 3 16 Sandplains with outcrop: up to 3.2km in extent with slopes less than 0.5%, marginally dissected up to 9m into narrow spurs with slopes up to 5%, discontinuous sand mantles and local outcrop. Shallow, gravelly, reddish skeletal soil (24). Some reddish sandy soils: Yabbagoddy family (1). Some outcrop. Open woodlands and patches of pindan with Triodia bitextura - Chrysopogon spp. ground storey. Adansonia gregorii and C. dichromophloia alliances (31, 10); locally 57 and 54. PINP 4 27 Low-lying sandplains: up to 1.6km wide; slopes less than 0.3% but attaining 1% Yellowish, mottled, sandy soils: Tableland family (5). Complex of grassy woodlands and pindan vegetation with Chrysopogon spp., and Triodia bitextura. Bauhinia cunninghamiii and RGRP 50% PINP 50%
Image of moderate to gentle slopes on basalt are a major part (unit 2) of the Frayne land system, here supporting inland bloodwood (Corymbia opaca), annual sorghum (Sorghum spp.) and tussock grasses. Photo: Noel Schoknecht, DAFWA Stylised block diagram showing location of land units for the Frayne land system (numbers on diagram represent land units in table below) Table of Frayne land system – land units. + Pastures 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 10 Rounded hills or structural benches in the east; bouldery rugged hills in the west Mostly rock outcrops and basalt boulders, with pockets of skeletal soil. Deciduous sparse low woodland with upland tall grass. Snappy gum sparse low woodland (Eucalyptus brevifolia) or trees absent with soft spinifex (Triodia pungens). ASHP 2 65 Moderate to gentle slopes Mostly Frayne - brown loam merging into dark red clay; some brown clay skeletal soils and small areas of Elliott. Bloodwood-southern box sparse low woodland (Corymbia opaca, E. limitaris and E. tephrodes) or silver leaved box sparse low woodland (E. pruinosa) with Tippera tall grass (Themeda triandra, Sehima nervosum, Chrysopogon fallax). TTGP 3 10 Gentle slopes Cununurra and Barkly - grey and brown cracking heavy clay. Downs sparse low woodland (Terminalia arostrata, T. volucris), or trees absent with bluegrass tall grass (Dichanthium spp., Astrebla squarrosa) or Mitchell and other BGAP MGAP
mid-height grasses (A. pectinata, Dichanthium fecundum, Panicum spp., Aristida latifolia). 4 10 Moderate to gentle slopes adjacent to alluvial floors Tobermorey - shallow grey to calcareous loamy soils. Bloodwood-southern box sparse low woodland (C. opaca) with arid short grass (Enneapogon spp., Tragus australianus). ASGP 5 3 Alluvial floors along streamlines Variable light – to alluvial soils. Frontage woodland (C. opaca) with frontage grass (Themeda triandra). FRGP 6 2 Steam channels Fringing communities. FRIP Comparable with Barton land system of the North Kimberley survey (NKY) area. Geebee land system (Gbe), size: 2642km2, publication source: OVC Many small and large areas of gently undulating gravelly red 'deserts' with shrub or woodland vegetation scattered throughout the southern half of the Ord-Victoria survey area. Location map showing coverage of Geebee land system defined by black region. State land type: Undulating plains and uplands with eucalypt woodlands and spinifex. Geology: Tertiary laterite and associated soils overlie Lower Cambrian volcanics, Adelaidean sediments, and Lower Proterozoic granite, gabbro, and metamorphic rocks. Geomorphology: Elevated lateritic plain (lateritic red earth and lateritic podzolic surface horizon). Drainage: Widely spaced insequent headwater tributaries of both coastal rivers and the inland-draining Hooker and Sturt Creeks.
Gidgia land system (Gia), size: 306km2, publication source: WKY Plains on deeply weathered granitic rocks, red sandy to loamy soils, woodlands with shrubs and spinifex. Location map showing coverage of Gidgia land system defined by black region. State land type: Plains with low woodlands and spinifex/tussock grasslands. Geology: Lateritized granite, gneiss, and schist of lower Proterozoic and Archaeozoic age. Geomorphology: Part of the Kimberley surface: gently sloping lateritized plains forming divides up to 19km in extent; surface drainage absent except for moderately dense branching pattern of incised channels on marginal stripped surfaces. Land management: Spinifex pastures not very attractive to livestock; system is stable and not prone to erosion. Image of nearly level gravelly plains (unit 1) with low woodlands of snappy gum (Eucalyptus brevifolia) are a major part of Gidgia land system. Curly spinifex (Triodia bitextura) is usually the dominant grass, although soft spinifex (T. pungens) is dominant in this photo. The unit is common to other land systems such as Geebee but Gidgia differs in that it has stripped margins and low breakaways which are absent in Geebee. Photo: DAFWA Stylised block diagram showing location of land units for the Gidgia land system (numbers on diagram represent land units in table below) Table of Gidgia 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 85 Stable plains: slopes less than 1%; sandy surfaces sparsely with ironstone gravel. Reddish, sandy to loamy soils, with variable amounts of lateritic gravels: Woodlands with dense patches of Acacia shrubs and Triodia bitextura Eucalyptus brevifolia alliance (1d); areas 1a. CSPP 60% HSPP 40%
to 1m high and 275m wide; gradients 1 in 200 to 1 in 500. of variable depth: Elliott family (6). Some local areas of clayey alluvial soils: Fitzroy family (22). (22a); also 19, 27. 5 15 Channels: up to 30m wide and 6m deep, locally incised in bedrock. Channels, bed-loads range from sands to cobbles. Banks, brownish loamy alluvial soils: Robinson family (21). Fringing forests and woodlands. E. camaldulensis - Terminalia platyphylla fringing communities (40, 42, 43). FRIP Gogo land system (Gog), size: 1966km2, publication source: WKY Active floodplains with broad levee zones and moderately extensive back plains of cracking clays with grasslands and grassy woodlands. Location map showing coverage of Gogo land system defined by black region. State land type: River plains with grassy woodlands and tussock grasslands. Geology: Quaternary alluvium. Geomorphology: alluvial plains - active flood-plains: extensive levee zones, locally flanked by broad flat-bottomed depressions; restricted back plains with billabongs, traversed by minor channels; meandering anastomosing channels; gradients 1 in 2000 to 1 in 4000. Land management: Parts are subject to regular flooding and consequent poor accessibility. A high value system for pastoralism supporting pastures which are highly attractive to cattle; levee crests and backslopes (units 2 & 3) are moderately to highly susceptible to erosion if vegetative cover is lost. Controlled stocking is essential.
Unit Approx. area (%) Landforms Soils Vegetation Pasture type+ 1 70 Sandplains: up to 7km in extent and gently dipping to the west. Earthy sands; dark red loamy sand topsoil over red loamy sand to coarse sandy loam subsoil. Sparse low-tree steppe dominated by Triodia pungens with minor Triodia bitextura and Chrysopogon fallax. Trees dominated by Corymbia setosa and Grevillea pyramidalis and Acacia spp. shrubs. SSPP 2 16 Lateritic interfluves: up to 1km wide undulating interfluves and gullies with laterite and sandstone outcrop common. Lithosols; lateritic gravels and rock outcrop with patchy thin sand cover. Steppe grassland dominated by Triodia pungens with a few Grevillea sp. aff. angulata shrubs. SSPP 3 14 Gullies and cliffs: up to 2.5km long with steep sided gullies and cliffs opening westward onto coast; saline gully floors with tidal influence. Lithosols and Solonchak; sandstone outcrop with consolidated Quaternary sands. Little vegetation with some Triodia pungens on gully sides, and Tecticornia spp. Sporobolus virginicus and Melaleuca acacioides on gully floors. XXNP 50% SMPP 25% MACP* 25% Great sandy land system (Gts), size: 2094km2, publication source: BRM (Modified from McKenzie 1985.) Extensive dunefields of linear dunes supporting spinifex grasslands with scattered shrubs and trees. Location map showing coverage of Great Sandy land system defined by black region. State land type: Sandplains and dunes with acacia shrublands and spinifex. Geology: Quaternary aeolian sands.
laterite outcrop. shrubs. 3 2 Depressions receiving run-on with pans: salt pans with run-on areas extending up to 5km either side; pans mostly 1 - 2km in length but up to 4km. Earthy sands; brown silty clay surface horizon on brown sandy loam; surrounding soils are dark brown sandy loams overlying red to strong brown sandy loams to sands; Uc 5.22. Pans bare: margins dominated by Melaleuca acacioides. Acacia and Tecticornia spp. shrubs plus Xerochloa spp. grasses; isolated Eucalyptus sp. (white gum). XXNP 80% SMPP 20% Landscape image of Spinifex, as it ages, forms characteristic rings and provides good habitat for native animals such as marsupial mice and reptiles in the red sandy swales of the Little and Great Sandy deserts.