Managing biodiversity in our cotton 'landscapes'

Carrathool local government area

Area of cotton landscape:
755,700 ha

Area of cotton properties:
357,000 ha

Area of remnant vegetation in the cotton landscape:
304,000 ha (40%)

Area of remnant vegetation on cotton properties:
145,900 ha (41%)

Area of threatened ecological communities in the cotton landscape:
62,800 ha (218%)

Area of threatened ecological communities on cotton properties:
35,900 ha (27%)

Area of priority zones for native vegetation restoration and enhancement:
40,410 ha

Area of priority zones for vegetation:
36,850 ha


Main vegetation types on cotton properties:

Mallee woodlands, Black Box woodlands, Belah woodlands, Acacia woodlands, River Red Gum forests, Gum Coolibah woodlands, Dirty Gum/Dwyer’s Red Gum low woodlands, Lignum woodlands, White Cypress woodlands, Chenopod shrublands, Native grasslands.

Main threatened ecological communities on cotton properties:

Natural grasslands of the Murray Valley Plains (CE).
Lowland Lachlan River aquatic ecological community (N).


Named wetlands in the cotton landscape:

Lake Ballyrogan/Lake Brewster, Polygonum Swamp, Black Stump Well, Bullocks Head Swamp, Mulga Hut Swamp.

Area of wetlands in the cotton landscape:
92,700 ha (12%)

Area of wetlands in the cotton properties:
49,500 ha (14%)

Length of major rivers in the cotton landscape:
748 km

Length of major rivers on cotton properties:
525 km

Length of minor water courses in the cotton landscape:
800 km

Length of minor streams on cotton properties:
418 km

Main rivers in the cotton landscape:

Lachlan River, Murrumbidgee River, Box Creek, Merrowie Creek, Middle Creek, Moolbong Creek, Mountain Creek, Willandra Creek, Yangellawah Creek.


Area of national park in the cotton landscape:
39,080 ha

Area of state forests in the cotton landscape:
663 ha

Area of travelling stock routes in the cotton landscape:
31,034 ha

Examples of public land reserves in the cotton landscape:

Nombinnie Nature Reserve, Willandra National Park, Benerembah State Forest, Binya State Forest, Hillston State Forest, Willbriggie State Forest, Yarradda State Forest.


Examples of iconic species in the cotton landscape:

Animals: Barking Owl, Echidna, Emu, Malleefowl, Pelican, Plains Wanderer, Red Kangaroo, Shingleback, Superb Parrot, Tawny Frogmouth, Western Blue-tongued Lizard, Yellow-belly, Zebra Finch.

Plants: River Red Gum, Slender Darling Pea, Weeping Myall.

Examples of threatened species in the cotton landscape:

Animals: Australasian Bittern (E), Barking Owl (N), Chestnut Quail-thrush (N), Diamond Firetail (N), Dusky Woodswallow (N), Glossy Black Cockatoo (N), Grey Falcon (N), Little Pied Bat (N), Little Eagle (N), Malleefowl (V), Marbled-faced Delma (N), Painted Honeyeater (V), Pied Honeyeater (N), Red-lored Whistler (V), Red-necked Stint (M), Shy Heathwren (N), Speckled Warbler (N), Spotted Harrier (N), White-fronted Chat (N).

Plants: Austral Pillwort (N), Lank Buttons (N), Mossgiel Daisy (V), Winged Peppercress (E).

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