The Brigalow Catchment Study (24°48’S and 149°47’E) is a paired, calibrated catchment study located near Theodore in central Queensland, Australia (Figure 1). It was established in 1965 to quantify the impact of land development for agriculture on hydrology, productivity and resource condition. The study site was selected to represent the Brigalow Belt Bioregion which covers an area approximately 36.7 Mha from Townsville in north Queensland to Dubbo in central-western New South Wales.
The site in its native state was dominated by brigalow (Acacia harpophylla), either in a monoculture or in association with other species, such as belah (Casuarina cristata) and Dawson River blackbutt (Eucalyptus cambageana). The extant uncleared vegetation at the Brigalow Catchment Study is classified as regional ecosystems 11.4.8, woodland to open forest dominated by Eucalyptus cambageana and Acacia harpophylla, and 11.4.9, open forest and occasionally woodland dominated by Acacia harpophylla.
Slope of the land averages 2.5% (range from 1.8 to 3.5%) and soils are an association of black and grey Vertosols, black and grey Dermosols, and black and brown Sodosols. The region has a semi-arid, subtropical climate and mean annual hydrological year (October 1965 to September 2014) rainfall at the site was 661 mm.
