Regional ecosystem details for 8.12.17
| Regional ecosystem | 8.12.17 |
|---|---|
| Vegetation Management Act class | Of concern |
| Wetlands | Not a Wetland |
| Biodiversity status | Of concern |
| Subregion | 3, 1, 4 |
| Estimated extent1 | Pre-clearing 5000 ha; Remnant 2021 5000 ha |
| Short description | Evergreen microphyll to notophyll mossy forest to thicket of ridges and plateaus on highlands to foothills on Mesozoic to Proterozoic igneous rocks |
| Structure code | Closed Forest |
| Description | Evergreen microphyll to notophyll mossy forest. Common species in the canopy are Cryptocarya densiflora, C. glaucescens, C. grandis, C. vulgaris, Acmena resa, Endiandra discolor, Balanops australiana, Endiandra muelleri subsp. bracteata and Archontophoenix cunninghamiana. sub-canopy (and occasionally canopy) trees include Beilschmiedia collina, Polyosma alangiacea, Endiandra discolor, Sloanea langii, Syzygium cryptophlebium, Polyosma rhytophloia, Synoum glandulosum and Litsea leefeana. Lower tree and shrub layers commonly include Alyxia magnifolia, Cordyline murchisoniae, Wilkiea macrophylla, Cyathea rebeccae and Myrsine porosa. Epiphytes and lithophytes are common, and include Asplenium australasicum, Bulbophyllum newportii and Platycerium bifurcatum. Vines may include Arthropteris tenella, Smilax glyciphylla, Hypserpa decumbens and Melodinus australis. Mosses are often common and conspicuous, especially on tree branches. The ground layer is very sparse and may be dominated by species such as Exocarya scleroides, Blechnum cartilagineum, Lomandra spicata and Adiantum silvaticum. Occurs on ridges, upper slopes, plateaus and crests on rolling hills to steep mountains of foothills to highlands. Geologies mapped as CKr (Urannah Igneous Complex), CPgfh (Finch Hatton Granite), Pc/s (Carmila beds/s), Kw (Whitsunday Volcanics) and Kp (Proserpine Volcanics). Early Cretaceous - Late Carboniferous acid, intermediate and basic plutonic rocks. Numerous dykes. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 6b). Vegetation communities in this regional ecosystem include: 8.12.17a: Evergreen microphyll mossy forest to thicket. Common species in the canopy are Cryptocarya densiflora, Cryptocarya glaucescens, Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, Helicia glabriflora, Cinnamomum oliveri and Balanops australiana. sub-canopy (and occasionally canopy) trees include Beilschmiedia collina, Polyosma alangiacea, Polyosma rhytophloia, Synoum glandulosum, Bleasdalea bleasdalei, Diospyros pentamera, Litsea leefeana and Mischocarpus macrocarpus. Typical lower tree and shrub species are Alyxia magnifolia, Cordyline murchisoniae, Wilkiea macrophylla, Cyathea rebeccae and Myrsine porosa. Epiphytes and lithophytes are common, and include Asplenium australasicum, Bulbophyllum newportii and Platycerium bifurcatum. The most common vines are Arthropteris tenella, Smilax australis, Smilax glyciphylla, Cissus penninervis and Embelia australiana. Mosses are often conspicuous, especially on tree branches. The ground layer is very sparse and may be dominated by species such as Exocarya scleroides, Lomandra spicata, Adiantum silvaticum and Carex brunnea. Occurs on slopes, ridges, plateaus and crests on rolling to steep mountains of uplands and highlands on Mesozoic to Proterozoic igneous rocks. Geologies mapped mainly as CKr (Urannah Igneous Complex), CPgfh (Finch Hatton Granite), Pc/s (Carmila beds/s) and Kgsw (Swayneville Granite). Early Cretaceous - Late Carboniferous acid, intermediate and basic plutonic rocks. Includes biotite syenogranite and siltstone. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 6b). 8.12.17b: Evergreen notophyll mossy closed forest. There may be emergents such as Acmena resa, Sloanea macbrydei and Argyrodendron actinophyllum subsp. diversifolium. The canopy may be dominated by species such as Acmena resa, Endiandra discolor, Balanops australiana, Syzygium papyraceum, Elaeocarpus eumundi, Pleioluma queenslandica, Cryptocarya corrugata and Syzygium johnsonii. The sub-canopy typically includes Endiandra discolor, Balanops australiana, Syzygium cryptophlebium, Synoum glandulosum and Diospyros pentamera. Lower strata may contain species such as Cyathea rebeccae, Tasmannia insipida, Calamus australis and Alyxia ruscifolia. Occasional ground layer species include Blechnum cartilagineum, Carex horsfieldii and Adiantum hispidulum. Epiphytes such as Platycerium bifurcatum, Tmesipteris truncata, Drynaria rigidula and Dendrobium speciosum are present. Mosses are often common and conspicuous, especially on tree branches. Vines sometimes present are Hypserpa decumbens, Smilax glyciphylla, Dioscorea transversa, Flagellaria indica and Melodinus australis. Occurs on slopes, gullies, crests and ridges on rolling mountains of foothills and uplands. Geologies mapped as PKgb (Bayfield Granite), CKr (Urannah Igneous Complex) and Pla (Carmila Beds). Early Cretaceous - Late Carboniferous undivided acid, intermediate and minor basic plutonic rocks. Includes Leucocratic biotite granite and biotite-hornblende adamellite. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 6b). 8.12.17c: Evergreen microphyll fern forest. Common species in the canopy are Cryptocarya grandis, Cryptocarya vulgaris, Argyrodendron sp. (Whitsundays W.J.McDonald+ 5831), Endiandra muelleri subsp. bracteata, Xanthophyllum octandrum, Elaeocarpus grandis, Elaeocarpus eumundi, Calophyllum australianum and Ptychosperma elegans. sub-canopy species may include Sloanea langii, Litsea leefeana, Antidesma erostre, Backhousia citriodora, Archidendron grandiflorum, Chionanthus ramiflorus and Neolitsea brassii. Species in the lower strata include Antirhea tenuiflora, Calamus australis, Cordyline murchisoniae, Myrsine porosa, Wilkiea macrophylla and Polyscias australiana. The ground layer is very sparse with species such as Lastreopsis poecilophlebia. Common vines are Melodinus australis, Pandorea jasminoides, Ripogonum album, Rourea brachyandra and Smilax australis. Occurs on ridges, upper slopes, plateaus and crests on rolling hills and mountains of foothills and uplands. Geologies mapped as Kw and Kc (Whitsunday Volcanics), Kp (Proserpine Volcanics) and Pll (Airlie Volcanics). Early Cretaceous - Early Permian waterlaid acid to intermediate air-fall pyroclastics, minor pyroclastic flows and lavas. Includes rhyolite and andesite. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 6b). |
| Protected areas | Eungella NP, Conway NP, Kelvin NP |
| Special values | 8.12.17: Potential habitat for NCA listed species: Asplenium normale, Parsonsia larcomensis, Coleus eungellaensis. 8.12.17a: Habitat for vulnerable plant species Dryopteris sparsa, Asplenium normale, Phlegmariurus tetrastichoides, Phlegmariurus varius and the near threatened plant species Sarcotoechia heterophylla, Elaphoglossum callifolium and Acronychia eungellensis. Potential habitat for vulnerable plant species Trigonostemon inopinatus. Habitat for plant species at the northern limit of their range including Alyxia magnifolia, Dendrobium schneiderae and Lomandra spicata. Habitat for plant species at the southern limit of their range including Cryptocarya densiflora, Polyosma alangiacea, Polyosma rhytophloia, Beilschmiedia collina, Bleasdalea bleasdalei, Mischocarpus macrocarpus, Mischocarpus stipitatus, Syzygium cryptophlebium, Acmena resa and many others. Habitat for species poorly known from the bioregion including Lenwebbia lasioclada, Exocarya scleroides, Bulbophyllum newportii, Liparis nugentiae, Syzygium erythrodoxum, Calanthe triplicata, Abrodictyum caudatum and Elaphoglossum callifolium. 8.12.17b: Habitat for threatened plant species Parsonsia larcomensis. Habitat for plant species which are poorly known in the bioregion including Lenwebbia lasioclada, Syzygium papyraceum, Calanthe triplicata and Cymbidium suave. Habitat for plant species at the southern end of their range including Antidesma erostre, Sloanea macbrydei, Bleasdalea bleasdalei, Acmena resa, Syzygium cryptophlebium, Bubbia semecarpoides, Polyosma rhytophloia and many more. Habitat for plant species at the northern limit of their range such as Macrozamia miquelii, Alyxia magnifolia and Abrodictyum caudatum. 8.12.17c: Habitat for Argyrodendron sp. (Whitsundays W.J.McDonald+ 5831) which is restricted to the Conway Range, Gloucester Island and the northern Whitsunday islands. Also habitat for plant species at the southern limit of their range such as Antidesma erostre and Antirhea tenuiflora, and poorly known species such as Jasminum dallachii. |
| Fire management guidelines | INTERVAL: Fire return interval not relevant. INTERVAL_MIN: 100. INTERVAL_MAX: 100. ISSUES: Fire sensitive. |
| Comments | 8.12.17a: Distinguished from other microphyll rainforest regional ecosystems on land zone 12 by a combination of occurring on the main Clarke range (subregion 3) at moderate to high altitudes, and occurring in the cloudy moist to very wet rainfall zone (above 2000mm and often cloudy/misty). The vegetation community 8.12.17b is similar but tends to be more notophyll dominated. Occurs only in subregion 3, in the mountains at high altitude. It is found in Eungella National Park on Clarke Range, on Blue Mountain (30km south-west of Sarina) and in an area about 10km south of Sarina. 8.12.17b: Distinguished from other microphyll rainforest regional ecosystems on land zone 12 by a combination of occurring on the main Clarke range (subregion 3) or in the Shoalwater area (subregion 4) at moderate altitudes, and occurring in the cloudy moist to cloudy wet rainfall zone (above 2000mm and often cloudy/misty). The vegetation community 8.12.17a is similar but tends to be more microphyll dominated. Occurs in subregion 3 in small isolated patches on Mount Hector and Mount Quandong south of the Proserpine Dam. Also occurring more extensively on Coast Range to the north-west of Corio Bay, within subregion 4. 8.12.17c: Distinguished from other microphyll rainforest regional ecosystems on land zone 12 by a combination of occurring on the Conway Range only (subregion 1) at low to moderate altitudes (but along ridgelines and on plateaus) and occurring in the moist to wet rainfall zone (about 2000 to 2400mm). Occurs in subregion 1, entirely within Conway National Park, along the ranges from Mount Merkara (north of Shute Harbour), south to the tip of Cape Conway. |
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.
