Australian Natural Resources Atlas

Natural Resource Topics

Rangelands - Overview

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Location map of Stony Plains bioregionphotograph

Stony Plains

Summary

ATSIC Boundaries

Catchment Basins

Statistical Local Areas

Introduction

The Stony Plains includes 134,200 sq. kms of land within and around the most arid part of Australia. The majority of the bioregion falls within South Australia with only the northern most tip of the area lying across the border in the Northern Territory. Lake Eyre lies to the east of the bioregion in the Simpson-Strzelecki Dunefields bioregion.

The population is extremely low, with only several small towns including Oodnadatta (pop.230) and Marla (pop. 240). Coober Pedy is the major service centre for the bioregion, with opal mining and tourism are major industries. Mintabie is another small opal mining community. Together Coober Pedy and Mintabie supply the majority of opals to the world's gemstone industry.

Natural Environment

Climate

The Stony Plains is one of the most arid parts of Australia. The region experiences extreme temperatures and climate change with hot dry spells for much of the summer period and mild dry winters.

Rainfall variability is high and annual rainfall averages are low. Rainfall variability in this bioregion is among the highest in Australia, and the average annual rainfall is, in total, the lowest (Marla - Oodnadatta Soil Conservation District).

The northern parts of the bioregion are weakly affected by the north-west monsoon, and occasionally warm, moist tropical air penetrates south producing thunderstorms with intense, but short lived, rain showers.

Climate averages are available for Oodnadatta and Coober Pedy at:

www.bom.gov.au/climate/map/climate_avgs/a17.shtml,

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/map/climate_avgs/a16.shtml.

For monthly rainfall and temperature graphs refer to Bureau of Meteorology website: www.bom.gov.au/climate/forms/map_forms/new_imagemaps/sa_name.html.

Current seasonal conditions and their historical context can be provided by satellite imagery. The Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a measure of the vegetation 'greenness'. The NDVI for the Stony Plains bioregion for this year and previous years can be found at: http://www.ea.gov.au/land/monitoring/ttrace/stp.html.

For background information and additional NDVI products refer to: http://www.ea.gov.au/land/monitoring.

Landforms and hydrology

A unifying theme of most of the Stony Plains region includes the dissected plateau or tablelands (e.g. the Sturt Stony Desert and Stuart Range) developed on Jurassic to Tertiary (1.8-205 million year old) sediments of the Eromanga Basins. The bioregion is characterised by lowland sand and stony plains. Late Quaternary (less 1.8 million years ago) red brown clays and soils formed over much of the uplands and lowlands. These are mantled by stone or gibber, giving rise to the name stony deserts.

The bioregion lies within part of the Great Artesian Basin, one of the world's largest groundwater basins. This provides vital water for the pastoral industry, mining and tourism.

Significant natural water discharge occurs through the central part of the bioregion, in the form of mound springs such as at Dalhousie Springs. Many of these springs have been damaged by stock and feral animal grazing pressures. Another significant impact on the springs has been the reduction in groundwater pressure and hence flow rates as a result of artesian bores. Most South Australian bores are now capped (Brandle, 1998).

For more detailed geological and map information refer to the Australian Geological Survey Organisation website: www.agso.gov.au/map/ and the Primary Industries and Resources South Australia: www.pir.sa.gov.au/dhtml/ss/section.php?sectID=5&tempID=18&force=1.

Soils

The sand plains are characterised by red siliceous sands. Alluvial plains are generally comprised of sandy loam soils and earthy sands. Saline sands and clays are associated with salt lakes.

For further information on soils refer to Kingoonya and Marla-Oodnadatta Soil Conservation District Board at:http://www.soil.pir.sa.gov.au/html/nav_dist.htm and the Digital Atlas of Australian Soils at: www.brs.gov.au/data/datasets/atlas/index.html

Vegetation

An important characteristic of the vegetation communities within the bioregion is the high proportion of species that are ephemeral and short-lived perennials or bi-annuals.

The gilgai gibber tableland supports chenopod shrubland vegetation. Gidgee (Acacia cambagei), coolibah (Eucalyptus coolabah) or river red gum (E. camaldudusus) follow the creek lines. Mulga (Acaciaaneura and A. stowardii.) woodland or sandhill canegrass (Zygochloa paradoxa)is associated with sandier soils and sand dunes. Annual vegetation in run-on areas is highly dynamic, ranging from a flush of brilliant green after rains to an appearance of parched land with seeds and dust waiting for suitable rain (Marla - Oodnadatta Soil Conservation District Board). The gilgaid and gibber covered tablelands support little vegetation regardless of seasonal conditions.

For detailed vegetation descriptions refer to Brandle (1998). Further vegetation descriptions are available at the Kingoonya and Marla-Oodnadatta Soil Conservation District Board web site: http://www.soil.pir.sa.gov.au/html/nav_dist.htm.

Fauna

The biological survey of the Stony Deserts of South Australia highlights the high variability in species richness and abundance at any one location over time, due to climate and availability of resources (Brandle, 1998). 157 bird species were recorded as part of the survey.

The survey also highlighted that there are 100 known reptile species in the stony desert area. Around 36 mammal species were present at the time of European settlement, ten are now considered regionally extinct including the quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii), golden bandicoot (Isoodon auratus), lesser bilby (Macrotis lesueur) and the short-tailed hopping-mouse (Notomys amplus) (Woinarski, et. al., in prep.).

Recent bird records suggest the australian bustard (Ardeotis australis) and the bush stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius) are definitely in decline (Woinarski, et. al., in prep.). However, there are increases in the black kite (Milvus migrans), crested pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), galah (Cacatua roseicapilla), magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca), magpie (Gymnorhina tibican), common bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera) and grey butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus) (Woinarski, et. al., in prep.).

For more information on fauna for the region, refer to Brandle (1998).

Land Tenure & Use

Land tenure

Pastoral leases cover much of the Stony Plains bioregion. Other tenures include Aboriginal land, mining leases and part of the Woomera Prohibited Area. About 5% of the bioregion is conservation reserves, including Witjira National Park and Wabma Kadarbu Conservation Park. For more information on South Australia's National Parks refer to the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service web site: http://www.atn.com.au/sa/south/parks-h.htm

Land use

p>The Stony Plains contains enormous natural resources in terms of water, coal and gas. Most of the world's opals come from within or on the margin of the bioregion, particularly from Coober Pedy (Brandle, 1998).

Grazing of stock is the most extensive form of land use, largely dependent on the supply of bore water from the Great Artesian Basin. Cattle grazing is more predominant in the northern part of the Stony Plains, and sheep grazing more common in the south.

Tourism is a growing industry, with attractions including the Witjira National Park, with its main feature being the extensive Dalhousie Springs complex.

Condition Of The Landscape

Land degradation

With an increase in the number of watering points, there has been an increase in total grazing pressure, impacting on vegetation and the soil resources. In some cases this has resulted in wind erosion, water erosion and scalding. The mound springs within the bioregion are under threat due to extraction of artesian waters, weed invasion and recreational use (Woinarski, et. al., in prep.).

There is now a better understanding of the limits of specific land types, and the Soil Conservation Board's District Plans provide management strategies for different land types.

Pest species

Rabbits have traditionally been a problem, but the release of the Rabbit Calicivirus Disease (RCD) has at present significantly reduced the extent of the problem. However, ongoing rabbit control including baiting, fumigation, warren destruction and biological control is required.

Other pest species include feral horses, donkeys and camels. The extended water network has dramatically increased the breeding capability, population size and distribution of red kangaroos.

In terms of pest plant species, rice flower is a weed of concern due to its toxicity. It is responsible for the spread of St.Georges disease. Athel pine (Tamarix aphylla) is also a weed species of minor significance in this bioregion.

Social & Economic Aspects

People

This bioregion is extremely remote, with many of the pastoral properties in the region linked to telecommunication services in 1987. The Stuart Highway provides the main transport and service route for the bioregion.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service has a regular service within the area and hospitals are located at Oodnadatta, Coober Pedy and Mintabie. Primary schools are in Marla, Oodnadatta, Indulkana and Mintabie and outlying stations are supported through Open Access and School of the Air.

The South Australian section of the bioregion is covered by the Marla-Oodnadatta Soil Conservation District Board, in the northern part of the bioregion, and the Kingoonya Soil Conservation District Board covers the southern part of the bioregion.

The bioregion lies within the ATSIC region of Port Augusta and the associated regional council of Nulla Wimila Kutja (McLennan, 1997). Aboriginal land within the bioregion includes Finnis Springs and a small part of the Anangu Pitjantjatara lands. For more information on the Aboriginal people of this region refer to Horton (1994) and the relevant websites in the reference list.

Land management activities are occurring at a number of scales, from on-ground Landcare activities such as feral animal control, to large-scale catchment planning being undertaken across state boundaries by the Lake Eyre Basin Catchment Co-ordinating Group.

Resources, References & Contacts

Publications

Brandle, R. 1998, A Biological Survey of the Stony Deserts of South Australia, Department of Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs, South Australia.

McLennan, W. 1997, 1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey: Social Atlas, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, ACT.

Morton, S. R., Short, J. & Barker, R. D. with an Appendix by Griffin, G. F. & Pearce, G. 1995, Refugia for Biological Diversity in Arid and Semi-arid Australia, Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories, Canberra, ACT.

Thackway R. and Cresswell I.D. (eds.) 1995, An Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia: A framework for setting priorities in the National Reserves System Cooperative Program, Version 4.0. Australian Nature Conservation Agency, Canberra, ACT.

Woinarski J., Fensham, R., Whitehead, P. & Fisher, A., with map production by Verhagen, C. in prep., Biodiversity in the Australian Rangelands: a Review of Changes in Status and Threatening Processes. Draft report prepared as a resource document for Project 3: Developing an Adaptive Framework for Monitoring Biodiversity in Australia's Rangelands, of the National Land and Water Resources Audit, Theme 4 (Rangelands monitoring) by the Tropical Savannas Cooperative Research Centre, Darwin, Northern Territory.

Websites and contacts

Aboriginal languages of Australia:

http://www.dnathan.com/VL/

Aboriginal Studies WWW Virtual Library:

http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-Aboriginal.html

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC):

www.atsic.org.au/about_atsic/board_regional_councillors/regional_information.htm

Australian Geological Survey Organisation, Geology of Australia:

www.agso.gov.au/map/

Bureau of Meteorology, Climate averages:

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/map/climate_avgs/a16.shtml

www.bom.gov.au/climate/map/climate_avgs/a17.shtml

Bureau of Meteorology, Temperature/rainfall graphs:

www.bom.gov.au/climate/forms/map_forms/new_imagemaps/sa_name.html

Bureau of Rural Sciences, Digital Atlas of Australian Soils:

www.brs.gov.au/data/datasets/atlas/index.html

Connors G., Oliver B., & Woinarski, J., 1996. Bioregions in the Northern Territory: conservation values, reservations status and information gaps.

www.nt.gov.au/paw/fauna/bau/intro.htm.

Environment Australia, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) information including bioregional information:

www.ea.gov.au/land/monitoring

Landcare South Australia

http://www.landcaresa.org.au/open.htm

Marla-Oodnadatta and Kingoonya Soil Conservation District Boards:http://www.soil.pir.sa.gov.au/html/nav_dist.htm.

Primary Industries and Resources South Australia: www.pir.sa.gov.au/dhtml/ss/section.php?sectID=5&tempID=18&force=1.

South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service:

http://www.atn.com.au/sa/south/parks-h.htm

Link to the Map Maker to make a map using this information.

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