Land Theme Report

Australia State of the Environment Report 2001 (Theme Report)
Prepared by: Ann Hamblin, Bureau of Rural Sciences, Authors
Published by CSIRO on behalf of the Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2001
ISBN 0 643 06748 5

Figures and Photographs

Figures

Figure 1 - NOAA images of flush difference, 1993-1994 and 1998-1989, showing differences in seasonal greening between dry and wet phases of the Southern Oscillation
Figure 2 - Areas of increasing and decreasing bare ground compared with lowest previous value (1991-2000) located in conservation estates
Figure 3 - Areas of increasing and decreasing bare ground compared with lowest previous value (1991-2000) located in little altered but grazed agricultural lands
Figure 4 - Fluctuations in the Southern Oscillation Index from 1876 to 2000.
Figure 5 - Trigger-transfer-reserve-pulse sequences in rangeland rehabilitation
Figure 6 - Changes in sheep and cattle numbers in the Intensive Land-use Zone, 1990-1998
Figure 7 - Total area used for grazing and dry matter production (improved and unimproved) in the ILZ, 1983-1998
Figure 8 - Mean and range (standard error) of dry matter production from grazed lands in statistical local areas within the Intensive Land-use Zone, 1983-1997
Figure 9 - Mean and range (standard error) in dry sheep equivalents of domestic stock in statistical local areas within the Intensive Land-use Zone, 1983-1997
Figure 10 - Domestic stock densities in 1997
Figure 11 - Reductions and increases in stocking densities (DSE/km²) in the Extensive Land-use Zone, 1996 and 1999
Figure 12 - Locations of soil profile sites in Australia
Figure 13 - Continental sheet erosion estimates, based on 1997 land use distributions, and 1990-1999 seasonal greenness (NDVI) and rainfall regimes
Figure 14 - Ratio of current to pre-1750 vegetation sheet erosion rates
Figure 15 - Burdekin River plumes in 1974 (the largest flood ever modelled) and 1995 (an average year) at 63 and 65 days after the event
Figure 16 - Dust storm index (natural erosion) and accelerated erosion index (anthropogenically related) for the decade 1986-1996
Figure 17 - Dust storm index for the El Nio year 1994
Figure 18 - Dust storm index with 300 mm and 500 mm median rainfall lines, and accelerated erosion index for 1996-1999
Figure 19 - Stocking rates of sheep in the three major zones, compared with the performance of growers (decile 10 = highest profitability)
Figure 20 - Relationship between return per animal and stocking density (all regions)
Figure 21 - Distribution of periods of exceptional drought (less than 5% of long-term average rainfall for 12 months or more) from January 1990 to December 1994 and January 1995 to December 2000
Figure 22 - Total applications for exceptional circumstances by regions
Figure 23 - Successful applications for exceptional circumstances by regions
Figure 24 - Number of Landcare groups operating in farming regions nationally during the decade 1990-2000
Figure 25 - Land preparation methods used by grain farmers
Figure 26 - Location of Australian forest types and the regions covered by Regional Forest Agreements
Figure 27 - Land disturbance calculated by remoteness from settlement, 1995
Figure 28 - Land disturbance calculated by accessibility, 1995
Figure 29 - Land use in Australia
Figure 30 - Trends in shire wheat yields, 1982-1997
Figure 31 - Area of crops and pastures irrigated in states and territories, 1984-1998
Figure 32 - Changes in total area of irrigated crops and pastures, 1984-1998
Figure 33 - Maximum, minimum and average land use intensity 1983-1997
Figure 34 - Broadacre farm total factor productivity growth, 1978-1998
Figure 35 - Area assessed for land cover change, 1990-1995
Figure 36 - Percentage cover of remaining native woody vegetation, 1990
Figure 37 - Extent of clearing in biogeographical regions, 1990-1995
Figure 38 - Losses and gains of carbon from clearing versus other agricultural and forestry activities
Figure 39 - Seasonal occurences of fires (hot spots) across Australia for 1998 to 2000
Figure 40 - Land tenure in the extensive Land-use Zone, 1999
Figure 41 - Changes in woody vegetation in states and territories since European settlement
Figure 42 - Total reports of plant-related incursions, 1970-2000
Figure 43 - Trend in verified plant-related incursions, 1995-2000
Figure 44 - Total number of air and sea traffic movements at all shipping and air ports in Australia, 1991-1999
Figure 45 - Agro-ecological regions of Australia
Figure 46 - Threatened habitat areas in south-eastern South Australia, with simplified land use legend and categories
Figure 47 - Percentage of native vegetation types that have less than 1% representation in reserves, and more than 75% of the vegetation types on agricultural land disturbed, in various agro-ecological regions.
Figure 48 - Means of introduction and regions of origin of plant species naturalised in Australia between 1971 and 1995
Figure 49 - Torres Strait Protected Zone and Special Quarantine Zone
Figure 50 - perennial and annual vegetation and percentages by drainage basin
Figure 51 - percentage perennial vegetation cover across catchments of south-west Western Australia, calculated from 1996 landsat TM imagery
Figure 52 - Estimated area of vegetation and lengths of streams and roads affected by dryland salinity in Australia, 2000-2050
Figure 53 - Forecast areas of high risk (predicted) or hazard (estimated) of dryland salinity by 2050 in Australia
Figure 54 - Surface soil (0-0.1m) pH distribution in agricultural soils of the Intensive Land-use Zone
Figure 55 - Water utilisation by vegetation, derived from NDVI and rainfall data 1991-1999
Figure 56 - Area of new commercial plantations, 1995-2000
Figure 57 - Areas at current risk of dryland salinity in south-western Western Australia
Figure 58 - Existing saline areas and potential areas in the Cranbrook region
Figure 59 - Predicted increases in water salinity if no action is taken
Figure 60 - Locations of algal blooms in Australia, 1991-1998
Figure 61 - Effect of wet and dry seasons on the balance of point sources and diffuse sources of land-derived total phosphorus and nitrogen into the river system of the Murray-Darling Basin
Figure 62 - Export of total N and P, and Nitrate-N from different land uses in the South Johnstone catchment, Queensland
Figure 63 - Surface water quality in 2000, significant nutrient exceedances
Figure 64 - Increases in the consumption of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilisers between 1980 and 1999
Figure 65 - Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertiliser application rates for crops and pastures, 1992-1996
Figure 66 - Continental soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus simulations using the BIOS model, with and without the effect of current levels of fertiliser and legume inputs
Figure 67 - Number of soil test samples from farms analysed, 1987-1999
Figure 68 - Continental estimate of net primary productivity extrapolated from 183 undisturbed natural habitats
Figure 69 - Logarithmic plot of carbonJ pools computed from BIOS model compared with measured values from Barrett(1999)
Figure 70 - Biomass stores of above and below ground carbon (kg C/m/year) for Australia's 12 drainage basins, with and without agriculture
Figure 71 - Total pesticide expenditure on herbicides, insecticides, fungicides/plant growth regulants, 1987-1997
Figure 72 - Off-target pathways of agricultural pesticides
Figure 73 - Proportion of all bores in surveyed aquifers that have any detectable pesticide
Figure 74 - Percentage samples analysed that did not exceed the Maximum Residue Level (MRL) or Maximum Permitted Concentration Level (MPC) as percentages of total number of samples
Figure 75 - Antarctica and Southern Ocean

State of the Environment

2001

Environment home

SoE themes

Land Theme Report

Figures and Photographs

Figures

Photographs