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Brigalow Catchment Study - LTSE

Relationships
Publications: 
The Brigalow Catchment Study: I. Overview of a 40-year study of the effects of land clearing in the brigalow bioregion of Australia
Publications: 
The Brigalow Catchment Study: II. Clearing brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) for cropping or pasture increases runoff
Publications: 
The Brigalow Catchment Study: III. Productivity changes on brigalow land cleared for long-term cropping and for grazing
Images: 
Brigalow Catchment Study aerial view
Data Holder: 
Cowie, Bruce
Location:
Australia
Latitude: -24.800000
Longitude: 149.783333
Background
Continent: 
Australia
Website: 
Queensland Government - Dept. Natural Resources and Water
Year LTSE Began: 
1965
On-going or Terminated?: 
On-going
Comments: 
Brigalow Research Station Via Theodore, Queensland, 4719, Australia Data archive consists of: Water balance - continuous rainfall and runoff record throughout (available for download), soil water (to 2m) from 1981 to present. Productivity - crop history and grain yield and quality (available for download), establishment and anthesis dry matter and cattle weight gain (available for download), pasture on offer. Resource condition - soil fertility, runoff water quality, ground cover, pasture sp composition, scrub botanical composition and spatial distribution. Sample archive consists of: Soil samples - surface soil (0-0.1m) sampled annually from 1981 (before clearing) to 1987, then in 1990, 1993, 1997, 2000 and 2003. Soil profile (0-2m or resistance) sampled biennially from 1981 to 1987 then in 1990, 1993, 1997, 2000 and 2003 at the same time as the surface samples. Soil samples have been analysed for a range of parameters including: CEC; exchangeable cations; 1:5 pH, EC, Cl; available and total N and P; particle size; organic carbon, minor elements and more. Crop grain samples have been analysed for N, P and K. Other data sets include: Distribution and load of pulled vegetation prior to burning. Pasture "Botanal" biannually 1982 - 1989 and annually 2000-2004. Botanical composition and distribution within scrub catchment using "TRAPS" techniques Soil water content has been measured monthly or bimonthly from 1981 to 1989, then triannually to present at planting, anthesis and harvest time of crops. A piezometer network and groundwater bore exist at the site.
Environment
Annual Precipitation (mm): 
400-800
Mean Annual Soil Temperature (C): 
Thermic: 15 to 22C
Is temperature regime isothermic? ie, do mean monthly temperatures deviate by <6C?: 
No
Soil moisture regime: 
Ustic
Is atmospheric deposition chemistry monitored?: 
No
Dominant plant species (latin genus and species): 
Vegetation at the site has structural forms that vary from medium open forest to medium woodland, usually shrubby. Acacia harpophylla (brigalow) is consistently present in the upper story which can also include Eucalyptus cambageana (blackbutt), and Casuarina cristata (belah) as co-dominant species. Geijera parviflora (wilga), Opuntia tomentose (Velvet Tree Pear), Myoporum deserti (ellangowan poison bush), Eremophila mitchellii (false sandalwood) and Carissa ovata (current bush) are present in varying proportions and dominate the shrubby layer. Ground flora consist of a wide range of graminoids (e.g. Cymbopogon refractus (lemon scented barbed wire grass), Cyperus gracilis (slender sedge)) and forbes (e.g. Enchylaena tomentosa (berry cotton bush) and Brunoniella australis (blue trumpet)) (Johnson 2004).
Landuse: 
Other
Ecoregion: 
Warm Subtropical
Landform (general description): 
The catchments are part of a plain of moderate relief of undulating to nearly flat plains with extensive depositional slopes.
Slope (%): 
2-5%
Elevation (m): 
0-200
Geological material: 
"The experimental site is located in the SE corner of the Bowen Basin geological zone on the Mimosa syncline, where isolated remnant tertiary sandstone and conglomerates overlie about 2,500 m of the Triassic Moolayember, Clematis and Rewan sediments of sandstone, siltstone and conglomerates of marine and non marine origin (Olgers 1966, Perry 1968). Sandstone from the Rewan formation outcrops in the area and is the likely parent material of soils at the site (R.J. Allen Geological Survey of Queensland pers. comm.) The depth to the sandstone varies from about 0.9 m under the duplex soils to 2-4 m beneath the clay soils (R.J. Tucker, pers. comm.)."
Experimental Design
Design (short description): 
In 1965, three adjoining catchments of virgin brigalow scrub were instrumented to record rainfall and runoff over a 17 year callibration period. In 1982, two catchments were cleared, one for cropping, the other for grazed (cattle) buffel grass pastures. Prior to clearing monitoring increased to include additional aspects of water balance (soil water, shallow ground water), resource condition (soil fertility and properties at three permanent monitoring sites per catchment), off-site impacts (runoff water quality - nutrients, sediments and pesticides) and productivity (various parameters of crop (establishment, anthesis dry matter, yield, grain quality), pasture (species, composition and availability) and cattle weight gains).
Number of permanent plots: 
3-10
Soil Classification
soilorder: 
Multiple
Soil taxa (ex, Great Group of Soil Taxonomy): 
Mollic Torrerts Typic Natrustalfs
Soil/Data Archive
Data Archive: 
Yes
Vegetative samples archived: 
Yes
Soil solid samples archived: 
Yes
Samples from multiple depths: 
Yes
Sample frequency: 
Annual
Year of first sampling for archive: 
1981
Year of last sampling for archive: 
2003
Soil Solid Data
pH and acidity: 
Yes
Organic Carbon: 
Yes
Nitrogen: 
Yes
Other macronutrients: 
Yes
Micronutrients: 
Yes
Chemical Contaminents: 
No
Water holding capacity: 
Yes
Bulk Density: 
Yes
Mineralogy: 
No
Soil Water Data
pH and alkalinity: 
No
Dissolved organic carbon: 
No
Other macronutrients: 
No
Soil Gas Data
Surface Fluxes: 
No
Concentrations belowground: 
No
Vegetation Data
Biomass above ground: 
Yes
Biomass below ground: 
No
Macronutrient contents: 
Yes
Micronutrient contents: 
No
Harvest mass: 
Yes
Harvest nutrient contents: 
Yes
Soil Biota Data
Macro-invertebrates: Biomass, Densities, Taxonomy: 
No
Micro-invertebrates: Biomass, Densities, Taxonomy: 
No
Microorganisms: Biomass, Densities, Taxonomy: 
No
Molecular biology studies: 
No