The Brigalow Catchment Study: IV.* Clearing brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) for cropping or grazing increases peak runoff rate
C. M. Thornton A C and B. Yu B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Natural Resources and Mines, PO Box 1762, Rockhampton, Qld 4700, Australia.
B School of Engineering, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: Craig.Thornton@dnrm.qld.gov.au
Soil Research 54(6) 749-759 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR15121
Submitted: 27 April 2015 Accepted: 2 December 2015 Published: 25 July 2016
Abstract
In Queensland, Australia, large tracts of native vegetation have been cleared for agriculture, resulting in substantial hydrological changes in the landscape. Australia’s longest-running paired catchment study, the Brigalow Catchment Study (BCS), was established in 1965 to monitor hydrological changes associated with land development, particularly that of the 1960s Land Development Fitzroy Basin Scheme. The BCS has unequivocally shown that developing brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) for cropping or for grazing doubles runoff volume. However, to date little research had been undertaken to quantify the changes in peak runoff rate when brigalow is cleared for cropping or grazing. The present study compared peak runoff rates from three brigalow catchments, two of which were subsequently cleared for cropping and pasture. Prior to land development, average peak runoff rates from the three brigalow scrub catchments were 3.2, 5 and 2 mm h–1 for catchments 1 to 3 respectively. After development, these rates increased to 6.6 mm h–1 from the brigalow scrub control catchment (catchment 1), 8.3 mm h–1 from the cropping catchment (catchment 2) and 5.6 mm h–1 from the pasture catchment (catchment 3). Peak runoff rate increased significantly from both the cropping and pasture catchments after adjusting for the underlying variation in peak runoff rate due to climatic variation between the pre- and post-development periods. The average peak runoff rate increased by 5.4 mm h–1 (96%) for the cropping catchment and by 2.6 mm h–1 (47%) for the pasture catchment. Increases in peak runoff rate were most prevalent in smaller events with an average recurrence interval of less than 2 years under cropping and 4 years under pasture.
Additional keywords: Fitzroy Basin, hydrological change, land development, land use.
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