You are here: ANRA home » Natural resource topics » Rangelands » Overview » Queensland
This web site is no longer being updated
In this section you will find detailed information, including national overviews and state and regional level assessments, from the 2000-2002 National Land and Water Resources Audit theme assessments.
Rangelands - Overview
Gulf Plains
Summary
- Extends along the southern and eastern shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland.
- Characterised by extensive alluvial plains and coastal areas.
- The main centres are Burketown, Normanton, Karumba and Doomadgee Aboriginal Community
- Numerous freshwater wetlands are important for bird conservation. Extensive river system and associated delta deposits are important habitats for dugongs and loggerhead turtles.
- Karumba is a main port for exporting live cattle to South-east Asia.
- The dominant land use is for cattle grazing on native pastures. The estuarine wetlands support a fishing industry.
ATSIC Boundaries
Catchment Basins
Statistical Local Areas
Introduction
The Gulf Plains bioregion covers an area of 219, 400 sq km of the gulf country. The bioregion is largely within Queensland (99%) and only a small area extends into the Northern Territory. The Gulf Plains bioregion extends across the southern and eastern shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria and up the Cape York Peninsula as far as the Mitchell River. The Wellesley Islands are included in the bioregion. The bioregion is characterised by extensive alluvial plains and includes coastal areas, tablelands and ranges. The main centres are Burketown, Normanton, Croydon, Karumba and Doomadgee Aboriginal Community. The climate of the bioregion is monsoonal.
Natural Environment
Climate
The climate of the Gulf Plains bioregion is distinctly monsoonal with a winter dry season and summer wet season. The rainfall pattern varies across the bioregion generally with higher rainfall towards the coast and in the north-east where it meets the Cape York bioregion.
Average summer rainfall ranges between 400 mm in the south up to 800 mm in the north with moderate to high variability each year. Thunderstorms are common and occur from 20 — 40 days per year. The monsoon season can fail and there is a high rainfall variability particularly in the drier southern regions.
The summer temperatures range from 24.4? C to about 36? C. The winter dry season is characterised by stable southeast trade winds. Winter dry-season temperatures range from 14? C to 27? C. The skies are mainly clear with little chance of rain.
Climate averages are available for Karumba: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/map/climate_avgs/a27.shtml.
Temperature and rainfall graphs are available for Georgetown: www.bom.gov.au/climate/forms/map_forms/new_imagemaps/qld_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 Gulf Plains bioregion for this year and previous years can be found at: http://www.environment.gov.au/erin/ndvi/ttrace/gup.html.
For additional climate information the Queensland Department of Natural Resources ‘The Long Paddock’ at: www.dnr.qld.gov.au/longpdk provides seasonal variability information and the latest El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) information. ‘Silo’ at: www.dnr.qld.gov.au/resourcenet/climate/#silo provides agro meteorological data, such as rainfall, temperature, radiation, climate outlook products. The Queensland Department of Natural Resources’ Patched Point Dataset and Data drill at: www.dnr.qld.gov.au/resourcenet/silo/index.html, provides information on climatic risk management in agriculture, pastoralism, water resources and natural resource management.
The Gulf Plains bioregion is within the Mesozoic to Cainozoic (>200 million years ago) Carpentaria Basin. The oldest rocks are Middle Jurassic to Late Cretaceous (65-200 million year ago) sediments, which are overlain by Tertiary (>65 million years ago) fluvial and shallow marine sediments.
This bioregion is defined to a large extent by the river systems that drain northward to the Gulf of Carpentaria. The major rivers include the Einasleigh, Norman, Gregory and Leichhardt Rivers. The saline plains are a feature of the river deltaic deposits around the Gulf. The rivers also produced inland alluvial plains of erosion deposits from the sloping sandstone tablelands of the Einasleigh Uplands bioregion in the east and the ranges of the Mt Isa Inlier bioregion.
There are also some large islands included in this bioregion that are part of the Wellesley Islands group. The largest of these is Mornington Island. There are numerous major freshwater wetlands throughout the bioregion and it is an important area for waterbird conservation.
The bioregion has been divided into 10 provinces on the basis of geology, landform, soils and vegetation. For more information on these provinces refer to Sattler & Williams (1999).
For more detailed geological information and map refer to the Australian Geological Survey Organisation website: www.agso.gov.au/map/ and the Department of Mines and Energy, Queensland: www.dme.qld.gov.au/gsd/index.htm.
The soils of the Gulf Plains bioregion are highly variable. The relatively infertile saline coastal plains consist of saline muds and siliceous sands. Calcareous clays and alluvial soils occur along the floodplains of major rivers such as the Leichhardt River. Areas of coarse-textured brown soils, earths, sands and podzolics are associated with Cainozoic (less than 65 million years ago) deposits.
For further information on soils refer to Christian et al (1954), Galloway et al (1970), Perry et al (1964) and Sattler & Williams (1999) and the Digital Atlas of Australian Soils.
The Gulf of Carpentaria is known as one of the major tropical savannas of northern Australia. The vegetation comprises mainly open woodlands and grasslands. The most extensive grasslands and open woodlands occur on clay plains and associated major rivers. The grasslands are predominantly blue grasses (Dichanthium spp.) in the north and Mitchell grass (Astrebla spp.) in the drier southern areas. The open woodlands are associations of eucalypts (Eucalyptus spp.)and tea tree (Melaleuca spp.).. The coast estuaries have extensive mangroves and saline herbfields, which do not occur elsewhere. For detail vegetation description of the Gulf Plains bioregion refer to Christain et al (1954), Galloway et al (1970), Nelder, 1991, Nelder & Clarkson (1995), Perry et al (1964) and Sattler & Williams, (1999).
There are 6 rare and 1 vulnerable flora species within the bioregion. For a list of rare and threatened flora and vegetation descriptions of the bioregion refer to Sattler & Williams (1999).
The Gulf Plain bioregion provides an important off shore environment for dugongs (Dugong dugon), loggerhead turtles and a large number of waders. Spring fed upper tributaries contain a resident population of fresh water crocodiles (Crocodylus johnstoni).
This extensive bioregion has not been heavily cleared of native vegetation and large areas of relatively undisturbed habitat remain. Only one species recorded in the bioregion is now presumed extinct, the western quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii geoffroii). Seven species are regarded as endangered, among these are the Julia Creek dunnart (Sminthopsis douglasi) and the Pacific ridley turtle (Lapidochelys olivacea). There are 13 vulnerable and 15 rare species also reported within the bioregion. For a full list of rare and threatened fauna species refer to Sattler & Williams (1999).
Land Tenure & Use
The bioregion comprises pastoral leases, Aboriginal land and nature reserves. Pastoral leases cover most of the bioregion. Aboriginal Land within the bioregion includes Doomadgee and the Wellesley Islands. There are four large nature reserves, Lawn Hill Resources Reserve (19 400 ha), The Mitchell-Alice Rivers National Park (37 100 ha), Staaten River National Park (470 000 ha) and Bulleringa National Park (54 400 ha).
The main industry in this bioregion is cattle grazing on native pastures. Karumba is the main port for exporting cattle from the bioregion to South East Asia. The mouth of the Norman River at Karumba is the base of a major prawn fishing industry. Mining is of economic importance while tourism is now a major industry in this bioregion. The main centres catering for tourists are Burketown, Normanton and Karumba.
Condition Of The Landscape
Land degradation
Main threats to biodiversity are unsustainable grazing pressures, weed infestation and the development of ponded pastures (Sattler & Williams, 1999). There has been extensive degradation of riverine environments because cattle concentrate in these areas towards the end of the dry season when feed is scarce. Higher stocking rates have been achieved with more tick-tolerant Brahman cattle, and combined with their heat tolerance and ability to survive in drought, may be having a more adverse impact than has occurred in the past with British breed cattle such as Shorthorns which were once the predominant breed in the bioregion.
A major land issue in this bioregion is the use of fire. The extensive grasslands and woodlands that occur here are largely a result of past fire regimes that are no longer in place. A combination of traditional Aboriginal burning and natural fires started from lightning shaped the vegetation and kept a mosaic of grassland and open woodland. The reduction in seasonal burning under patoralism is resulting in an increase (thickening) of the woody stratum.
The feral pig is a major problem throughout this bioregion. It causes major damage to wetlands by rooting out vegetation during the dry season with insufficient bulbs and other vegetative material left to regenerate during the wet. The presence of a large feral pig population also presents a major problem should there be an outbreak of exotic diseases such as foot and mouth disease.
Feral horses have been brought under control on many of the pastoral properties. However, large populations of feral horses are still found in the coastal marine plains and rocky ranges that border the bioregion.
The cane toad is now found throughout the bioregion.
The main weed species threatening both biodiversity and pastoralism is rubber vine (Cryptostegia grandiflora). It spreads along river systems but also gets established in dunes. Dense infestations of noogoora burr (Xanthium pungens) occur along river systems and are extremely difficult and expensive to control. Prickly acacia (Acacia nilotica) is now a major problem on the black soil downs country. It was introduced to Australia as a shade tree and is now regarded as a major weed of this bioregion. There are a number of weeds such as mesquite (Prosopis spp.) and parkinsonia (Parkinsonia aculeata) that are now present in the bioregion and have the potential to spread and become major problems.
Two introduced aquatic species, salvinia (Salvinia molesta) and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) have infested freshwater wetlands and continue to spread. The advent of ponded pasture has the potential to introduce other grass species that may invade natural wetlands.
Social & Economic Aspects
People
There is a significant Aboriginal population in this bioregion. Although pastoralism has displaced many Aboriginal people from their traditional lands, there are now a number of pastoral properties under Aboriginal ownership, and Aboriginal communities located at Doomadgee near Burketown, Mornington Island and at Kowanyama near the northern border of the bioregion. Apart from these major communities there is a high Aboriginal population in all the towns within the bioregion. The main Aboriginal organisation servicing the region is the Carpentaria Land Council based in Burketown. The bioregion within the Mt Isa ATSIC region and is managed by the regional council of Mount Isa and Gulf (McLennan, 1997). For more information on the Aboriginal people of this region refer to Horton, (1994) and the relevant websites in the reference list.
Overall this bioregion has a low population. Apart from the approximately 200 pastoral properties there are only a few small settlements. The main centres are Normanton (pop. 1328), Karumba (pop.1043), Doomadgee Aboriginal Community (pop. 754), Croydon (pop. 223) and Burketown (pop. 232).
Karumba is the main port for live export cattle trade to Indonesia, Philippines and other South East Asian destinations. Around 50 000 head were loaded there in 1996. The beef development road-building program has made these towns easily accessible by vehicle. There is also daily air service to each of these, and other towns, in the bioregion.
Resources, References & Contacts
Publications
Christian, C.S., Noakes, L.C., Perry, R.A., Slatyer, R.O., Stewart, G.A. and Traves, D.M. 1954. Survey of the Barkly Region, Northern Territory and Queensland, 1947-48. Land Research Series No. 3. CSIRO, Melbourne.
Galloway, R.W., Gunn, R.H. and Storey, R. (1970). Lands of the Mitchell-Normanby Area, Queensland. Land Research Series No. 26. CSIRO, Australia.
Horton, D. R. 1994, The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia, Aboriginal Studies Press for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra, ACT.
Kerle, J.A. 1996, Bioregions of the Northern Territory. Draft report Conservation Commission of Northern Territory, Palmerston, Northern Territory.
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.
Nelder, V.J. 1991. Vegetation Survey of Queensland - Central Western Queensland. Botany Bulletin No. 9, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane.
Nelder, V.J. and Clarkson, J.R. 1995. Vegetation Survey and Mapping of Cape York Peninsula. Cape York Peninsula Land Use Strategy, Office of the Co-ordinator General and Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage
Perry, R.A., Sleeman, J.R., Tindale, C.R., Prichard, C.E., Slatyer, R.O., Lazarides, M. and Collins, F.H. 1964. General Report on Lands of the Leichhardt-Gilbert Area, Queensland, 1953-54. Land Research Series No. 11. CSIRO, Melbourne.
Sattler, P. & Williams, R. (eds.) 1999, The Conservation Status of Queensland’s Bioregional Ecosystems, Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane, Queensland.
Thackway, R. & Cresswell I.D. 1995, An Interim Biogeographical Regionalisation for Australia: a Framework for Setting Priorities in the National Reserves System Cooperative Program, Australian Nature Conservation Agency, Canberra, ACT.
Woinarski J., Fensham, R., Whitehead, P. & Fisher, A., with map production by Verhagen, C. in preparation, 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.
Aboriginal languages of Australia:
Aboriginal Studies WWW Virtual Library:
http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-Aboriginal.html
Australian Landcare Council:
www.dpie.gov.au/agfor/landcare/org/alc.html.au
Australian Geological Survey Organisation, Geology of Australia:
www.agso.gov.au/map/
Bureau of Meteorology, Climate averages:
www.bom.gov.au/climate/map/climate_avgs/a17.shtml
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/map/climate_avgs/a37.shtml
Bureau of Meteorology, Temperature and rainfall graphs: www.bom.gov.au/climate/forms/map_forms/new_imagemaps/qld_name.html
Bureau of Rural Sciences, Digital Atlas of Australian Soils:
http://adl.brs.gov.au/anrdl/php/full.php?fileidentifier=a_daaslr9abd_00111a00.xml
Connors G., Oliver B., & Woinarski, J. 1996, Bioregions in the Northern Territory: Conservation Values, Reservations Status and Information Gaps. Final report to ANCA National Reserves System Cooperative Program (Project N607), Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory, Palmerston, Northern Territory:
www.nt.gov.au/paw/fauna/bau/intro.htm
Department of Mines and Energy, Queensland:
www.dme.qld.gov.au/gsd/index.htm
Department of Environment and Heritage, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) information including bioregional information:
www.environment.gov.au/erin/ndvi/index.html
National Property Management Planning Campaign, The Future profit program:
www.dpi.qld.gov.au/ruraldev/futureprofit/Welcome.html
Queensland Department of Natural Resources. ‘Long Paddock’:
www.dnr.qld.gov.au/longpdk
Queensland Department of Natural Resources. ‘Silo’:
www.dnr.qld.gov.au/resourcenet/climate/#silo
Queensland Department of Natural Resources. Patched Point Dataset and Data drill:
www.dnr.qld.gov.au/resourcenet/silo/index.html,
Queensland’s Environmental Protection Agency. National Park information, animal and plant species information including rare and threatened species:
www.env.qld.gov.au
Queenslands Parks and Wildlife Service:
www.env.qld.gov.au/environment/park/discover/
Rural Lifestyles Queensland:
www.rlq.dcilgp.qld.gov.au
State-wide Land cover and Tree Study (SLATS) Vegetation cover and cover change information using Landsat Thematic Mapper ™ satellite imagery:
www.dnr.qld.gov.au/resourcenet/veg/slats/index.html
Tropical Savanna Co-operative Research Centre:
www.savanna.ntu.edu.au/information/savannaexplorer.html
Link to the Map Maker to make a map using this information.
Before you download
Most publications are downloadable as PDF files. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view PDF files.
If you are unable to access a publication, please contact us to organise a suitable alternative format.
Key
Links to an another web site
Opens a pop-up window