Regional ecosystem details for 5.3.22
| Regional ecosystem | 5.3.22 |
|---|---|
| Vegetation Management Act class | Least concern |
| Wetlands | Lacustrine |
| Biodiversity status | No concern at present |
| Subregion | 2, 5, 12, 10, 8, 9, (7), (3), (4), (1), (11), (6), (4.1), (4.2) |
| Estimated extent1 | Pre-clearing 594000 ha; Remnant 2021 594000 ha |
| Short description | Sparse herbland, open water or bare areas on flood plain lakes and interdune clay pans and lakes |
| Structure code | Sparse Herbland |
| Description | Open water, bare areas or sparse herbland of variable floristic and structural composition. Locally Eleocharis pallens and/or Eragrostis setifolia may predominate. An ephemeral herbland will often dominate bare areas exposed by receding water. Very occasional low shrubs such as Chenopodium auricomum, Duma florulenta and Tecticornia spp. may be present. Bare areas, water or scattered ephemeral vegetation of variable floristic and structural composition. Locally Eleocharis pallens and/or Eragrostis setifolia may predominate. An ephemeral herbland will often dominate bare areas exposed by receding water. Very occasional low shrubs such as Chenopodium auricomum, Duma florulenta and Tecticornia spp. may be present. Occurs on or fringing lakes and clay pans on flood plains, within interdunes or on sandplains minor occurrences on clay plains. Soils very deep, grey cracking clays. Lacustrine. (BVG1M: 34a). Vegetation communities in this regional ecosystem include: 5.3.22a: Bare areas, water or scattered ephemeral vegetation of variable floristic and structural composition. Locally Eleocharis pallens and/or Eragrostis setifolia may predominate. An ephemeral herbland will often dominate bare areas exposed by receding water. Very occasional low shrubs such as Chenopodium auricomum, Duma florulenta and Tecticornia spp. may be present. Occurs on lakes and larger clay pans (area generally greater than 8 ha) in interdunes or on sandplains or less frequently on clay plains. Soils very deep, grey cracking clays. Lacustrine. (BVG1M: 34a). 5.3.22b: Bare areas, open water or scattered ephemeral vegetation of variable floristic and structural composition. An ephemeral herbland will often dominate bare areas exposed by receding water. Very occasional low shrubs such as Chenopodium auricomum, Duma florulenta and Tecticornia spp. may be present. Occurs on or fringing lakes on flood plains. Soils very deep, grey cracking clays. Lacustrine. (BVG1M: 34a). 5.3.22c: [RE not in use]²: This vegetation community is now mapped as 5.3.22a, 5.3.22b. Scattered ephemeral vegetation of variable floristic and structural composition. Bare areas, water, sedges or grasses may predominate. Occurs on lakes usually fed by drainage lines. Lacustrine. (BVG1M: 34a). 5.3.22d: Bare areas, water or scattered ephemeral vegetation of variable floristic and structural composition. Locally Eleocharis pallens and/or Eragrostis setifolia may predominate. An ephemeral herbland will often dominate bare areas exposed by receding water. Very occasional low shrubs such as Chenopodium auricomum, Duma florulenta and Tecticornia spp. may be present. Occurs on smaller clay pans (area generally less than 8 ha) in interdunes or on sandplains or less frequently on clay plains. Soils very deep, grey cracking clays. Palustrine. (BVG1M: 34b). |
| Supplementary description | Neldner (1991), 51b; Boyland (1984), 32; Wilson and Purdie (1990a), L1 |
| Protected areas | Diamantina NP, Munga-Thirri NP |
| Special values | 5.3.22: Provides wetland habitat for flora and fauna. 5.3.22a: Provides wetland habitat for flora and fauna. 5.3.22b: Provides wetland habitat for flora and fauna. 5.3.22d: Provides wetland habitat for flora and fauna. |
| Fire management guidelines | INTERVAL: Fire return interval not relevant. INTERVAL_MIN: 100. INTERVAL_MAX: 100. STRATEGY: Exclude fire (not a very flammable ecosystem in any case). ISSUES: Unlikely to burn in any case due to low fuel loads. |
| Comments | 5.3.22: Threatened by trampling of regeneration and high total grazing pressure. 5.3.22a: RE 5.3.22c was amalgamated into this RE. Claypans with areas generally <8 ha are classified as palustrine wetland and captured by 5.3.22d. Threatened by trampling of regeneration and high total grazing pressure. 5.3.22b: RE 5.3.22c was amalgamated into this RE. Threatened by trampling of regeneration and high total grazing pressure. 5.3.22d: RE 5.3.22c was amalgamated into this RE. Areas generally >8 ha are classified as lacustrine and captured by 5.3.22a. Threatened by trampling of regeneration and high total grazing pressure. |
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.
