Regional ecosystem details for 3.11.6
| Regional ecosystem | 3.11.6 |
|---|---|
| Vegetation Management Act class | Of concern |
| Wetlands | Not a Wetland |
| Biodiversity status | Of concern |
| Subregion | 2, (5), (7.9) |
| Estimated extent1 | Pre-clearing 7000 ha; Remnant 2021 6000 ha |
| Short description | Eucalyptus platyphylla +/- E. leptophleba +/- Corymbia nesophila open forest to woodland on hill slopes |
| Structure code | Open Forest |
| Description | Eucalyptus platyphylla (poplar gum) woodland. This species may be completely leafless at the end of the dry season. Scattered trees of Corymbia clarksoniana (Clarkson's bloodwood), C. nesophila (Melville Island bloodwood) and Erythrophleum chlorostachys (Cooktown ironwood) are often present in the canopy. A few sub-canopy trees may be present. Isolated low shrubs of Melaleuca viridiflora (broad-leaved teatree), Planchonia careya (cocky apple) and Eucalyptus spp. or Corymbia spp. may be present but rarely form a conspicuous layer. The ground layer is mid-dense to dense and dominated by grass species predominantly Heteropogon contortus (black speargrass) and Themeda triandra (kangaroo grass). Occurs on metamorphic hills. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 9b). Vegetation communities in this regional ecosystem include: 3.11.6a: [RE not in use]²: This vegetation community is now mapped in as 7.11.21a. Eucalyptus platyphylla (poplar gum) dominates the mid-dense canopy (15-20m tall). E. leptophleba (Molloy red box) is usually codominant, and Corymbia intermedia (pink bloodwood), C. tessellaris (Moreton Bay ash) and Erythrophleum chlorostachys (Cooktown ironwood) occur frequently. A mid-dense sub-canopy layer (4-13m tall) is usually present with Planchonia careya (cocky apple) and Acacia flavescens (powder puff wattle) often present in this layer. A mid-dense shrub layer (0.5-4m tall) is present, and frequently contains rainforest pioneer species. The ground layer is mid-dense and dominated by the grasses, Themeda triandra (kangaroo grass), Imperata cylindrica (blady grass) and Arundinella setosa (cockatoo grass). Occurs on slopes and crests of metamorphic hills. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 9b). 3.11.6b: [RE not in use]²: This vegetation unit is now mapped as 3.11.6. Eucalyptus platyphylla (poplar gum) woodland. This species may be completely leafless at the end of the dry season. Scattered trees of Corymbia clarksoniana (Clarkson's bloodwood), C. nesophila (Melville Island bloodwood) and Erythrophleum chlorostachys (Cooktown ironwood) are often present in the canopy. A few sub-canopy trees may be present. Isolated low shrubs of Melaleuca viridiflora (broad-leaved teatree), Planchonia careya (cocky apple) and Eucalyptus spp. or Corymbia spp. may be present but rarely form a conspicuous layer. The ground layer is mid-dense to dense and dominated by grass species predominantly Heteropogon contortus (black speargrass) and Themeda triandra (kangaroo grass). Occurs on slopes of metamorphic hills. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 9b). 3.11.6c: [RE not in use]²: This vegetation community is now mapped as 3.11.5. Corymbia tessellaris (Moreton Bay ash) dominates the sparse to mid-dense canopy (7-26m tall), usually with C. clarksoniana (Clarkson's bloodwood) codominant. Acacia crassicarpa (spoon tree), Lophostemon suaveolens (swamp mahogany) and other Eucalyptus spp. or Corymbia spp. may be present as subdominant trees. A very sparse to mid-dense sub-canopy tree layer (3-15m tall) is dominated by Acacia flavescens (powderpuff wattle), A. crassicarpa, C. tessellaris and Parinari nonda (nonda). At some sites either Melaleuca viridiflora (broad-leaved teatree) or M. dealbata (silver-leaved paperbark) forms a conspicuous sub-canopy layer. The shrub layer (0.5-5m tall) varies from very sparse to sparse. Antidesma ghaesembilla (black currant), Flueggea virosa subsp. melanthesoides (white currant), Canarium australianum (scrub turpentine) and Acacia leptocarpa (wattle) are the most commonly encountered species in this layer. The ground layer is very sparse to dense, with Imperata cylindrica (blady grass), Heteropogon triticeus (giant speargrass), Scleria spp. and Mnesithea rottboellioides (northern cane grass) frequent dominant species. Occurs on metamorphic hills & slopes. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 9c). |
| Protected areas | Annan River (Yuku Baja-Muliku) NP, Juunju Daarrba Nhirrpan NP (CYPAL), Annan River (Yuku Baja-Muliku) RR, Endeavour River NP, Mount Cook NP, Keatings Lagoon CP |
| Fire management guidelines | SEASON: Commence planned burns early in the dry season, after the wet season when dry enough to burn. Use occasional storm burns but generally avoid periods of extremely hot, dry conditions. INTENSITY: Low to moderate with occasional high during storm burns. INTERVAL: 1-5 years. INTERVAL_MIN: 1. INTERVAL_MAX: 5. STRATEGY: Apply a mosaic across the landscape at a range of intervals to create varying stages of post-fire response. Burn 30-60% at the property level. ISSUES: To mitigate against the impact of late dry season fires, commence burning early in the season and continue through the dry to break up continuity of fuels across the landscape. Planned fire applied repeatedly early in the dry season may lead to woody thickening because fires are not of sufficiently high intensity; this may be exacerbated by stock grazing. Manage extent, intensity and frequency of fires judiciously, to avoid habitat tree loss. |
| Comments | 3.11.6: South-east of Cape York Peninsula bioregion and adjacent to the Wet Tropics bioregion. 3.11.6a: Moved to the Wet Tropics Bioregion. South-east of Cape York Peninsula bioregion and adjacent Wet Tropics bioregion. 3.11.6b: In south-east of bioregion. 3.11.6c: Altanmoui Range and south of Lockhardt River. |
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.
2 Superseded: Revision of the regional ecosystem classification removed this regional ecosystem code from use. It is included in the regional ecosystem description database because the RE code may appear in older versions of RE mapping and the Vegetation Management regulation.
