The landscape condition of Western Australia’s vast Southern Rangelands has been captured by two landmark publications that will help to manage and conserve the region for future generations.
The ‘Pasture condition guides for the southern rangelands’ and the ‘Land systems, soils and vegetation of the Southern Goldfields and Great Western Woodlands of WA’ technical bulletin were launched today by Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis to mark World Soil Day.
These valuable references are vital for land managers, government agencies, advisers and administrators to make informed decisions to responsibly manage these fragile outback environments.
The southern rangelands cover more than 815,000 square kilometres across the Gascoyne, Murchison, Goldfields and Nullarbor.
The publications were prepared by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), following countless hours of land assessments by its scientists in, often, challenging and remote locations.
WA Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation Melanie Strawbridge said the publications would provide crucial baseline information to monitor and measure the changing landscape, supporting the goals of the WA Soil Health Strategy.
“These two publications provide a unique and detailed insight into the current state of the soil health, vegetation and pasture conditions in the southern rangelands,” Dr Strawbridge said.
“DPIRD officers have worked tirelessly to compile this information over the past decade, supported by detailed analysis to ensure its practical application.
“This invaluable information will support maintenance, improvement and recovery or rehabilitation of the diverse habitats of WA’s southern rangelands.”
The ‘Pasture condition guides for the southern rangelands’ fill gaps in knowledge about the pasture condition in the southern rangelands, while updating information from a previous publication 30 years ago.
It includes descriptions and images of 23 pasture groups across three broad groups of chenopod shrublands, such as saltbush and bluebush, other shrublands, including acacia hardpan, and grasses.
This information will assist pastoralists and government agencies to determine suitable stocking rates, with detailed descriptions of vegetation condition to support sustainable rangeland management.
The ‘Land systems, soils and vegetation of the Southern Goldfields and Great Western Woodlands of WA’ technical bulletin provides a comprehensive description and mapping of the biophysical resources of the region.
The southern Goldfields survey area of 151,753 square kilometres stretched between Balladonia, Beacon, Hyden and Southern Cross, including Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie, Kambalda and Norseman.
The area features the world’s largest and most intact Mediterranean-climate woodland, known as the Great Western Woodlands, which includes mallee, shrubland and grassland across 160,000 square kilometres.
The extensive technical bulletin, encompassing two volumes, includes information on 69 WA soil groups, belonging to 12 soil supergroups, as well as 88 habitat types split between 13 groups, and 101 land systems grouped into 41 broad land types.
The free ‘Pasture condition guides for the southern rangelands’ and the ‘Land systems, soils and vegetation of the Southern Goldfields and Great Western Woodlands of WA’ technical bulletin are available on the DPIRD website https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/bulletins/288/ and https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/tech_bull/
