Regional ecosystem details for 12.8.15
| Regional ecosystem | 12.8.15 |
|---|---|
| Vegetation Management Act class | Of concern |
| Wetlands | Not a Wetland |
| Biodiversity status | Endangered |
| Subregion | 6, (11.31), (1), (2) |
| Estimated extent1 | Pre-clearing 800 ha; Remnant 2021 700 ha |
| Short description | Poa labillardierei var. labillardierei grassland on Cainozoic igneous rocks |
| Structure code | Tussock Grassland |
| Description | Poa labillardierei var. labillardierei grassland. Occurs on Cainozoic igneous rocks. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 32b). |
| Supplementary description | Bean et al. (1998), G42 |
| Protected areas | Bunya Mountains NP, Main Range NP |
| Special values | 12.8.15: Habitat for threatened plant species including Bothriochloa bunyensis, Thesium australe, Haloragis exalata subsp. velutina. |
| Fire management guidelines | SEASON: Anytime, following rain. INTENSITY: Low to high. INTERVAL: Biennial to 3 yearly burns where woody invasion has occurred. Longer time periods are required when woody weeds are in check. INTERVAL_MIN: 2. INTERVAL_MAX: 3. STRATEGY: Fire frequency is probably more critical than season or intensity. ISSUES: In the absence of fire this RE usually turns into RE 12.8.4, 12.8.13, 12.8.14 or 12.8.16. Given the fire-tolerance of eucalypts and the typically low intensity fires of sub-tropical coastal montane grasslands or grassy woodlands, conversion to RE 12.8.14 or 12.8.16 is somewhat inevitable. Where acacias have colonised the grassland, expect fire after a long fire-free interval to precipitate germination or suckering of acacias; from 3 to 6 fires within the following decade seems necessary to alleviate this issue. A frequency less than this may not be enough to prevent acacias from shading the grass fuel such that it never cures or fails to live and fire is no longer possible. There is a need for monitoring the extent of these grassy areas with respect to the encroachment of woodland. The grassy balds of the Bunya Mountains are thought to be a cultural landscape produced by indigenous burning regimes. |
| Comments | 12.8.15: Mostly found in Bunya Mountains. Other minor occurrence south of Bunya Mountains along Great Dividing Range. This is a rare ecosystem (pre-clear extent is less than 1000ha) and is subject to threatening processes, including shrub/vine forest encroachment (due to lack of fire) and invasion by exotic species. |
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.
