Table 5 : Cash and in-kind contributions summary June 2017 to June 2022 Monitoring techniques used on project sites
The majority of sites had drone generated imagery for the whole site , however due to the scale of the projects , representative areas were generated for Glenalpine , Sutherland and Hellsgate . A baseline image was generated at the start of the project for sites , where possible , and most sites were reflown in January 2022 . The imagery assisted in project planning and recorded observable changes in the project area landscape across time .
To help record project events , including natural conditions , fixed ( time lapse ) cameras were permanently stationed at representative sites on many project areas .
Graziers provided details of livestock treatments ( timing , stock numbers and classes , and duration of graze periods ) and these were noted for each project site . Fixed cameras provided supporting evidence of additional , generally unplanned , grazing events e . g . through flood fencing , open gates or other management actions .
The majority of sites had photo monitoring points at representative gully heads and other erosion or remediation features , if relevant , aimed at recording the effects of project treatments and climatic events .
Initial project sites ( the Tabletop Broodmare and black soil and the Strathalbyn black soil sites ) were monitored through DAF , led by Paul Jones . Transects at treatment and control sites , and reference ( analogue ) sites at Mt . Pleasant Station , were monitored using Landscape Function Analysis , PATCHKEY , pasture biomass , photo monitoring and Botanal . Representative soil sampling was undertaken at the DAF sites . In addition , a comparative Stocktake monitoring site was established at the Strathalbyn alluvial gully site . This monitoring aimed to measure changes in pastures , biomass production , groundcover and land condition .
CSIRO ’ s PATCHKEY technique ( see Appendix 2 ) was used for land condition assessments across the majority of project sites . PATCHKEY correlates strongly with the ABCD land condition framework . CSIRO ’ s Brett Abbott provided two days of PATCHKEY training for the Stomping out Sediment project in October 2017 .
PATCHKEY is used by NQ Dry Tropics for long-term land condition assessment ( since about 2010 ) and a number of the project properties have long-term sites which are included for comparative purposes . Monitoring was continued at the long-term NQ Dry Tropics PATCHKEY sites at Mt . Pleasant , Glenalpine and Hellsgate to complement the DAF reference sites .
The project established PATCHKEY sites , measured to the end of 2021 , at Tabletop ( Broodmare and black soil , DAF 2017 ), Mt . Pleasant ( DAF reference sites 2017 ), Strathalbyn ( black soil DAF 2018 and Dunn ’ s paddock 2019 ), Terry Creek ( 2018 ), Glenalpine ( NQDT Site 2 , 2012 and control 2019 ),
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