Regional ecosystem details for 6.5.13
Regional ecosystem | 6.5.13 |
---|---|
Vegetation Management Act class | Least concern |
Wetlands | Not a Wetland |
Biodiversity status | No concern at present |
Subregion | 4, 6, 3, (5), (8), (4.4), (2), (11.26) |
Estimated extent1 | Pre-clearing 408000 ha; Remnant 2021 190000 ha |
Short description | Acacia aneura +/- Eucalyptus populnea, E. melanophloia, Brachychiton populneus low woodland on undulating gravelly sandy deposits |
Structure code | Low Woodland |
Description | Acacia aneura low woodland. Emergent Eucalyptus populnea and E. melanophloia may occur. Infrequent scattered Brachychiton populneus trees occur. A low shrub layer is occasionally present. The ground layer is dominated by the perennial grasses Aristida jerichoensis and Thyridolepis mitchelliana. The short grasses Digitaria spp. and Eragrostis lacunaria are frequent and may be locally abundant, while Panicum effusum and the perennials Eragrostis eriopoda, Monachather paradoxus and Themeda triandra are frequent. The forb species include Calotis cuneata, Cheilanthes sieberi, Sida sp. (Musselbrook M.B.Thomas+ MRS437) and Solanum ferocissimum. Occurs on undulating plains of gravelly Quaternary cover overlying the Tertiary land surface. Associated soils are shallow to moderately deep, loamy red earths with gravel through the profile. Surfaces are hard setting. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 23a). |
Supplementary description | Mills and Lee (1990) H1 (LU 40); Neldner (1984), 39 (92) |
Fire management guidelines | SEASON: Various (wet season or winter). INTENSITY: Low to moderate. INTERVAL: Fire return interval not relevant. INTERVAL_MIN: 100. INTERVAL_MAX: 100. STRATEGY: Aim to exclude fire by fuel reduction in adjacent vegetation communities where possible. Undertake partial burns when necessary to reduce fuel loads and protect against severe wildfire. Burn with high soil moisture (i.e., after rain/storms) or in winter. ISSUES: Acacia aneura may be killed by high intensity fire. There is rarely enough fuel load to burn in these ecosystems. |
Comments | 6.5.13: This regional ecosystem is dominated by the A. aneura low woodland to open woodland stratum with scattered emergent eucalypts (25 sometimes up to 50 trees /ha) which differentiates it from 6.5.2 which is dominated by a eucalypt open woodland to woodland (50-75 trees /ha) with an A. aneura subcanopy tree layer, generally occurs on soils with no gravel cover and is generally restricted to subregions 2 and 3. Occurs predominantly east of the Warrego River (subregions 3 and 4). Highly modified structural and floristic composition. There is a wide variation in Acacia aneura density with disturbance/clearing history. Low shrubs are sparse except in disturbed situations. With disturbance an A. aneura, E. populnea, E. melanophloia open woodland to wooded tussock grassland develops, sometimes with a sparse low A. aneura shrub stratum. |
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.