Monitoring the Rangelands - Photographic Sequences for Victoria Bonaparte
The Rangelands Information System Photographic Sequences is a tool which allows the user to view a photographic record of particular areas in the Rangelands. The photographs and other information for Victoria Bonaparte has been provided by
The Audit is grateful to Gary Bastin (CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems) for making the Kidman Springs photo collection available. Gary specifically acknowledges the contribution of others to this work. Barney Foran (CSIRO) and Brian Hill (former manager of Kidman Springs) initiated the exclosure study and commenced data collection back in 1973. Gary also acknowledges the managers since Brian who have maintained the exclosures. Many staff within the NT Department of Primary Industry & Fisheries collected data over the years but Gary (formerly NTDPIF, now with CSIRO) is perhaps the scientist with the longest association with them. John Ludwig (another CSIRO scientist) has taken a very keen interest in the exclosures in recent years and initiated the latest photos and data collection. Graham Pearce (CSIRO) scanned all available photos and produced the CD.
There are 36 locations of photosequences for this bioregion held by the Audit. For access please contact the Audit.
The following photographic sequence products are available for the Victoria Bonaparte bioregion:
- Location 1
- Location 2
- Location 3
- Location 4
- Photo Pairs Research Article (relates to Locations 3 and 4)
Return To The Photosequences Home Page
Location 1
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January 1973
Prior to exclosure in 1973, this area of calcareous red soil was considered in poor condition. Measurement sites had either extensive areas of bare soil or a sparse covering of annual grasses and forbs. Site 1 was fenced into the exclosure and Site 2 continued to be grazed.
January 1976
By 1976 pastures had started to recover within the exclosure.
January 1978
The exotic shrub, rubberbush (Calotropis procera), erupted by 1978 and reached a high density within the Poor Condition exclosure. Despite this high shrub density, native perennial grasses had also established and total herbage biomass in the Poor exclosure equaled that on the adjacent Good Condition exclosure.
January 1989
Rubberbush was replaced by native trees and shrubs within exclosures during the 1980s. A diversity of perennial grasses had by now established.
January 2000
Native tree species have continued to increase in size and density on both exclosed and grazed sites through the 1990s.
Location 2
Click on the image to see a larger version
January 1973
Prior to exclosure in 1973, this area of calcareous red soil was considered in poor condition. Measurement sites had either extensive areas of bare soil or a sparse covering of annual grasses and forbs. Site 1 was fenced into the exclosure and Site 2 continued to be grazed.
January 1976
There was less change on areas that continued to be grazed.
January 1978
Rubberbush was also present outside both exclosures in 1978 but grazing restricted its growth.
January 1989
Rubberbush also declined on grazed areas and much of the formerly bare soil was colonized by black spear grass, Heteropogon contortus.
January 2000
Black spear grass continues to dominate on grazed areas. The establishment and growth of native trees and perennial grasses both within exclosures and in the presence of light to moderate grazing means that this area is now vastly different to the bare and eroded soil surface present when the study commenced in 1973.
Location 3
1973
2000
Another study site was located on cracking clay (black) soil adjacent to the calcareous red soil area. This 1973 photo shows golden beard or ribbon grass (Chrysopogon fallax) and Flinders grass (Iseilema spp.) in a treeless landscape at the time this pho
Location 4
1973
2000
Adjacent areas of black soil that continued to be grazed had similar pasture amount and composition, although this photopoint shows some native trees and shrubs present. Rosewood has thickened appreciably at this photopoint in the 27 years since the firs
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