An inventory and condition survey of the Murchison River catchment, Western Australia

Authors

Peter James CurryFollow
A L. Payne
K A. Leighton
P HennigFollow
D A. Blood

Publication Date

1994

DPIRD Collections

Natural resources

Series Number

84

Publisher

Department of Agriculture

City

Perth

Abstract

The inventory and condition survey of the Murchison River catchment and surrounds, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture between 1985 and 1988, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed by field work during 1985-88 covers about 88 360 square kilometres of arid zone rangelands situated between Mt Magnet and Meekatharra in the east, and the catchments of the Greenough and Wooramel rivers in the west. This area includes most of the catchment of the Murchison River and its tributaries - the Sandford, Roderick, and Yalgar rivers, as well as most of the catchment of Lake Austin. The flora of the area is diverse, with about 830 recorded vascular species, of which 97% are native and about 4.5% endemic or near-endemic. Species have been objectively classified and described into 23 major vegetation types. All but three of these are shrublands or low woodlands, of which the majority are naturally depauperate in grasses. Mulga (Acacia aneura) and cotton bush (Ptilotus obovatus) are ubiquitous perennials.

Number of Pages

430

Keywords

Glenburgh region (WA), Belele region (WA), soil surveys, Cue region (WA), soil degradation, vegetation, Western Australia, erosion, Murgoo region (WA), Robinson Range region (WA), rangeland soils, Byro region (WA), Murchison region (WA), Murchison River (WA)

Disciplines

Agricultural and Resource Economics | Agricultural Economics | Agricultural Science | Agriculture | Desert Ecology | Environmental Education | Environmental Health | Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Environmental Monitoring | Geology | Geomorphology | Natural Resource Economics | Natural Resources and Conservation | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Physical and Environmental Geography | Soil Science | Sustainability | Systems Biology | Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology

Recommended Citation

Curry, P J, Payne, A L, Leighton, K A, Hennig, P, and Blood, D A. (1994), An inventory and condition survey of the Murchison River catchment, Western Australia. Department of Agriculture, Perth. Technical Bulletin 84.
https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/tech_bull/4

Maps

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