Regional ecosystem details for 11.2.5
| Regional ecosystem | 11.2.5 |
|---|---|
| Vegetation Management Act class | Least concern |
| Wetlands | Contains Palustrine |
| Biodiversity status | No concern at present |
| Subregion | 1, 14, (2) |
| Estimated extent1 | Pre-clearing 21000 ha; Remnant 2021 13000 ha |
| Short description | Corymbia-Melaleuca woodland complex of beach ridges and swales |
| Structure code | Woodland |
| Description | Beach ridge woodland with Melaleuca dealbata in swales and Corymbia tessellaris woodland on Quaternary dune systems. Ridges: Usually a woodland to open forest of Corymbia tessellaris with occasional Acacia crassicarpa, Cupaniopsis anacardioides, Pleiogynium timorense and Terminalia muelleri. A sparse to dense shrub layer may include Acacia oraria, A. crassicarpa, Planchonia careya, Alphitonia excelsa, Exocarpos latifolius, Senna surattensis and Dodonaea viscosa. Ground layer includes Aphyllodium biarticulatum, Themeda triandra, Heteropogon contortus, Elionurus citreus, Aristida holathera var. holathera, Cymbopogon refractus and Perotis rara. Swales: Open forest of Melaleuca dealbata, (sometimes M. leucadendra or M. viridiflora), Livistona decora, with shrubs of Pandanus spiralis. Ground layer of Chrysopogon filipes, Imperata cylindrica, Sporobolus virginicus and Lepturus repens. In some areas sedges are common, including Cyperus javanicus, Fimbristylis dichotoma, F. polytrichoides. Small vines are commonly present including Vincetoxicum carnosum, Abrus precatorius, and Jasminum didymum. Occurs on Quaternary undulating stabilised dunes with narrow linear depressions. Associated soils are generally well drained siliceous sands, swales with humic hydrosols. Contains Palustrine. (BVG1M: 28b). Vegetation communities in this regional ecosystem include: 11.2.5a: Woodland to open forest of Eucalyptus tereticornis x platyphylla with Corymbia tessellaris and occasional Melaleuca viridiflora. Beach sands of Quaternary Holocene age. Often siliceous or calcareous. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 28b). 11.2.5b: Swales: Open forest of Melaleuca dealbata, (sometimes M. leucadendra or M. viridiflora), Livistona drudei or L. decora, with shrubs of Pandanus spiralis. Ground layer of Chrysopogon filipes, Imperata cylindrica, Sporobolus virginicus and Lepturus repens. In some areas sedges are common, including Cyperus javanicus, Fimbristylis dichotoma, F. polytrichoides. Small vines are commonly present including Vincetoxicum carnosum, Abrus precatorius and Jasminum didymum. Seasonally inundated humic sands of Quaternary Holocene origin. Palustrine. (BVG1M: 22b). |
| Supplementary description | Christian et al. 1953, Bowling Green, Littoral; Cumming (2000), 28; Pollock (1995); Bean (1992) |
| Protected areas | Bowling Green Bay NP, Townsville Town Common CP, Bowling Green Bay CP, Cape Upstart NP, Abbot Bay CP, Keppel Sands CP, Broad Sound Islands NP, Causeway Lake CP, Capricorn Coast NP, Cape Pallarenda CP |
| Fire management guidelines | INTERVAL: Fire return interval not relevant. INTERVAL_MIN: 100. INTERVAL_MAX: 100. STRATEGY: Do not deliberately burn beach ridge communities. Burn adjacent fire adapted ecosystems under conditions where fire does not penetrate beach ridge communities or only trickles in at low intensity. ISSUES: This can be a heavily weed infested ecosystem. Fire can promote other weeds in the woodland, e.g. buffel and Tridax daisy. Rubbervine infestations are common within this ecosystem. Introduction of fire to control rubbervine may cause problems with other weeds and ecosystem degradation. |
| Comments | 11.2.5: The swale portion of this RE is generally not mappable at 1:100 000 scale, and usually occurs as a narrow linear strip between the dune and a saltmarsh/saltpan. RE 11.2.4 always occurs between two or more dune swales, and does not usually abut saline vegetation. Swales have been heavily invaded by *Cryptostegia grandiflora (rubber vine) in some localities. Mechanical disturbance has facilitated an increase in weeds such as buffel grass *Cenchrus ciliaris and *Tridax procumbens. Other common weeds include Mesosphaerum suaveolens, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis and Jatropha gossypiifolia, which are associated with high total grazing pressure. Other areas have infestations of giant rats tail Sporobolus pyramidalis. The invasive red Natal grass Melinis repens has been present in this community since the early 1950's (Christian et al. 1953). Extensively cleared for coastal development. Naturalised species associated with this regional ecosystem include *Passiflora foetida. 11.2.5b: Naturalised species associated with this regional ecosystem include *Passiflora foetida. |
1 Estimated extent is from version 13.1 pre-clearing and 2021 remnant regional ecosystem mapping. Figures are rounded for simplicity. For more precise estimates, including breakdowns by tenure and other themes see remnant vegetation in Queensland.
