Regional ecosystem details for 3.12.8
| Regional ecosystem | 3.12.8 |
|---|---|
| Vegetation Management Act class | Least concern |
| Wetlands | Not a Wetland |
| Biodiversity status | No concern at present |
| Subregion | 1, 3, (6) |
| Estimated extent1 | Pre-clearing 19000 ha; Remnant 2021 18000 ha |
| Short description | Corymbia clarksoniana +/- C. tessellaris open forest on coastal granite ranges and lowlands |
| Structure code | Open Forest |
| Description | Woodland to open forest of Corymbia clarksoniana (Clarkson's bloodwood) often with C. tessellaris (Moreton Bay ash) as a subdominant. Corymbia dallachiana (Dallachy's gum), C. novoguinensis or C. nesophila (Melville Island bloodwood) can also occur, along with Welchiodendron longivalve (yellow box penda), which is usually more common in the sparse subcanopy where it occurs. The shrublayer is generally sparse though mid-dense groves of Cycas badensis can occur. The grassy groundlayer often contains Heteropogon triticeus (giant spear grass) and Themeda triandra (kangaroo grass). Another variant of this is Corymbia clarksoniana (Clarkson's bloodwood) with E. leptophleba (molloy red box) and C. nesophila (Melville Island bloodwood) subdominants. W longivalve (yellow box penda), Livistona muelleri (cabbage palm), and Deplanchea tetraphylla are common in the subcanopy. The shrub layer contains scattered Acacia simsii (Sim's wattle) and Coelospermum reticulatum (medicine bush) while the ground layer is made up of various grasses and sedge species. Occurs on granite coastal ranges and lowlands. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 9c). |
| Supplementary description | Neldner and Clarkson (in prep), 37, 41-12; Stanton, Fell & Gooding (2008), G5b, MG5b, R5b, GD5s, R5s, R5e. |
| Protected areas | KULLA (McIlwraith Range) NP (CYPAL), Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) NP (CYPAL), Oyala Thumotang NP (CYPAL) |
| Special values | 3.12.8: The near threatened plant species Margaritaria indica and Pandanus zea occur in this ecosystem. |
| 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 | 3.12.8: McIlwraith Range and Iron Range, with extensive patches on some Torres Strait islands. |
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.
