Changes in gully erosion along the Upper Burdekin River frontage in north Queensland.
Changes in gully erosion along the Upper Burdekin River frontage in north Queensland. Conference Paper
16th Australian Rangeland Society Biennial Conference
- Author(s): Shepherd, R.
- Published: 2010
- Publisher: Australian Rangeland Society
Abstract: Gully erosion has been identified as a significant source of sediment in the seasonally dry tropical savannas of the Burdekin catchment with the upper Burdekin subcatchment having the highest incidence of gullies. A simple method of calculating changes in gullied areas is provided. A 22% expansion of one gully network over a 58-year period was calculated using a time series of aerial photographs and satellite imagery. This work supported by mid-19th century explorer diaries clearly indicates that gully erosion in this area commenced well before the introduction of domestic livestock in the 1860s. The need for wider-scale quantification of gully erosion is also highlighted.