Regional ecosystem details for 11.3.38
| Regional ecosystem | 11.3.38 |
|---|---|
| Vegetation Management Act class | Endangered |
| Wetlands | Not a Wetland |
| Biodiversity status | Endangered |
| Subregion | 14 |
| Estimated extent1 | Pre-clearing 38000 ha; Remnant 2021 9000 ha |
| Short description | Eucalyptus tereticornis, Melaleuca viridiflora, Corymbia tessellaris and Eucalyptus fibrosa subsp. fibrosa woodland with a grassy ground layer on alluvial plains and broad drainage lines derived from serpentinite |
| Structure code | Woodland |
| Description | Eucalyptus tereticornis, Corymbia tessellaris, C. dallachiana +/- E. fibrosa subsp. fibrosa, +/- Melaleuca spp. woodland to open forest. Includes areas dominated by Melaleuca bracteata low woodland. The grassy ground layer includes Arundinella nepalensis and Themeda triandra. Occurs on alluvial plains and broad drainage lines overlying magnetite deposits derived from serpentinite. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 16c). Vegetation communities in this regional ecosystem include: 11.3.38a: Melaleuca bracteata low woodland. Occurs on alluvial plains and broad drainage lines overlying magnetite deposits derived from serpentinite. Usually occurs on heavy clays with some gilgai micro-relief. Riverine. (BVG1M: 22c). |
| Supplementary description | Forster and Barton (1995), Kunwarara and Tungamul (in part); Batianoff and Singh (2001) |
| Protected areas | Baga NP |
| Special values | 11.3.38: Habitat for threatened plant species including Bursaria reevesii, Capparis thozetiana and Hakea trineura and the near threatened species Stackhousia tryonii and Pimelea leptospermoides. |
| Fire management guidelines | SEASON: Early dry season when there is good soil moisture, with some later fires in the early storm season or after good spring rains. a: Primarily early dry season. INTENSITY: Primarily low to moderate, with occasional high intensity fires. a: Low. INTERVAL: Typically 2 - 7 years, with some areas longer unburnt. a: 3-5 years. INTERVAL_MIN: 2. INTERVAL_MAX: 7. STRATEGY: A predominance of early dry season fires is recommended, although there is value in occasional late dry season fires, or storm burns, over small areas. Burning should begin very soon after the wet season, to secure boundaries and adjacent fire-sensitive vegetation. Subsequent repeat ignitions can be used within the same section of land weeks or months after the boundaries have been secured by early burning, to produce a mixture of burnt areas with multiple ignition dates. Use topographical features to ignite areas as soon as they dry out. This will create a mosaic of areas that were burnt at different dates and unburnt sections within the same area of woodland. Burn away from riparian communities, which can be critical habitat for some species. Approximately 25% of the grassy woodlands within a landscape should receive patchy fires in most years. a: Protection from intense fires burning into this RE relies on broad-scale management of surrounding country. Burn away from the outer edges of riparian forests, under mild conditions, and create a mosaically burnt surrounding woodland landscape. ISSUES: These woodlands have a diverse native grass and herb layer that is maintained and promoted by regular fire. Burning that starts immediately after the wet season, with follow up small fires ignited progressively over multiple dates can increase the availability of grass and herb seed, which is a critical food source for many birds and small mammals. Recently burnt grass clumps tend to produce more seed than unburnt clumps and the earlier burnt grass usually seeds earlier than later burnt grass. Maintaining a fire mosaic will help ensure protection of habitat and mitigate against wildfires. Low to moderate intensity burns with good soil moisture minimise the risk of losing hollow trees. An occasional late season burn will promote grasses and legumes. a: Fringing communities, especially with hollow trees, are critical fauna habitat. Restrict the extent and intensity of fires. In some situations it may be best not to burn, but normally burning away from the edge of this forest is valuable to reduce the intensity of any wildfires burning into this community, which can degrade vegetation structure and destroy fauna habitats. This RE is subject to weed invasion, especially of Lantana camara, Green panic and Guinea grass. Fire is an important complement to herbicide programs to control Lantana by improving access and efficiency of herbicide spraying. A herbicide program or intensive grazing for very short periods may be required to reduce the fuel loads produced by Green panic and Guinea grass. |
| Comments | 11.3.38: Mining exploration permits have been issued for most of this area with smaller areas under mining lease. Extensively cleared. 11.3.38a: Extensively cleared. Mining exploration permits have been issued for most of this area with smaller areas under mining lease. |
1 Estimated extent is from version 13 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.
