Regional ecosystem details for 4.5.2
| Regional ecosystem | 4.5.2 |
|---|---|
| Vegetation Management Act class | Least concern |
| Wetlands | Not a Wetland |
| Biodiversity status | No concern at present |
| Subregion | 4, (5.5), (5.4) |
| Estimated extent1 | Pre-clearing 57000 ha; Remnant 2021 53000 ha |
| Short description | Acacia aneura low woodland on Quaternary sand sheets |
| Structure code | Low Woodland |
| Description | Acacia aneura low woodland (primarily A. aneura var. major). A variable shrub layer may occur, including Eremophila spp., Senna spp. and Acacia spp. The ground layer is dominated by tussock grasses and forbs. Occurs on flat to gently undulating tops of dissected residual tablelands and associated plains. Soils shallow, gravelly red clays, gravelly red earths and loamy red earths. Lateritic gravel common on surface. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 23a). |
| Supplementary description | Mills (1980), M3; Neldner (1991), 24b (10) |
| Protected areas | Lochern NP, Welford NP |
| Special values | 4.5.2: Potential habitat for threatened fauna species including night parrot Pezoporus occidentalis. |
| Fire management guidelines | SEASON: Wet to early dry season when soil is moist. INTENSITY: Low. INTERVAL: Mulga should be left long unburnt often for >10 years. There is rarely enough fuel load to burn in these ecosystems. INTERVAL_MIN: 10. INTERVAL_MAX: 50. STRATEGY: Patchy, within the 20-30% range of area burnt. ISSUES: Acacias (e.g., mulga) germinate infrequently following high rainfall events, mature slowly and are long-lived. Acacias are vulnerable to frequent and high-severity fires. Fire in surrounding fire-adapted communities can be used to mitigate against wildfire. Fuel loads within Acacia communities can sometimes also require infrequent patchy burns, particularly following years of good rain, to protect them from wildfire and promote diversity at the ground layer. Long absence of fire can result in canopy closure by Acacias and lead to self-protection of these communities. Introduced invasive grasses (e.g., buffel Cenchrus ciliaris) may increase the risk and severity of fires. |
| Comments | 4.5.2: A. aneura is fire sensitive, and fire may act with effects of soil and micro topography variations to determine current distribution (Neldner, 1991). |
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.
