think climate. think change.
Department of Climate Change
Brian Murphy, Andrew Rawson, Loren Ravenscroft, Madeleine Rankin and Russell Millard, January 2003
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Changes in soil carbon density following clearing of native vegetation in the major areas of clearing in New South Wales (NSW) were compared at 10 locations. The study was conducted on a belt of land extending from 40 to 50 km west of Condobolin in the south, to Walgett in the north. The soil carbon densities to 30 cm were estimated using a grid of five soil cores in 25 x 25 metre quadrats. Locations were selected on the basis of soil type and IBRA Region, land management history and the condition and composition of the native vegetation sites.
Native vegetation communities included in the study were Bimble Box (Eucalyptus populnea) woodlands and Bimble Box/White Cypress Pine (Callitris glaucophylla) woodlands on the Cobar Peneplain. On the Darling Riverine Plain, Myall (Acacia pendula), Belah (Casuarina cristata)/Black Box (E. largiflorens), Coolabah (E. microtheca) and Black Box woodlands were included.
Soils on the Cobar Peneplain were largely red earths with well-structured deeper subsoils. On the Darling Riverine Plain, soils were cracking clays, with massive and self-mulching surfaces. This is the major belt of clearing of native vegetation in NSW during the past 30 years. Soil samples were bulked to 30 cm and analysed for carbon using a LECO furnace in the CSIRO laboratories in Adelaide. The percentage soil carbon results were converted to carbon density in tonnes/hectare using the bulk densities estimated from 15 cm diameter soil cores. Vegetation data were also recorded for each uncleared native vegetation site including species dominance, ground cover as percentage and type, canopy cover and mass of dry matter and litter.
