A framework relating soil surface condition to infiltration and sediment and nutrient mobilization in grazed rangelands of northeastern Queensland, Australia

Abstract

The effect of grazing-induced variation in soil surface condition on infiltration and runoff composition was studied at the small patch scale using a rainfall simulator. A range of sites was selected to represent soil surface conditions typical of the more widely distributed rangeland soils in northeastern Queensland. A simple soil surface condition classification scheme relates ground cover and a few easily recognizable surface features to mean infiltration, sediment and nutrient concentration data. Earthworm activity was identified as being a significant factor in recovery of soil hydrological function. A broader framework is proposed that encapsulates past, current and future trends in soil surface condition in relation to landscape hydrological response and that provides a basis for future research. © 2004 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.