Regional ecosystem details for 8.12.23
| Regional ecosystem | 8.12.23 |
|---|---|
| Vegetation Management Act class | Of concern |
| Wetlands | Not a Wetland |
| Biodiversity status | Of concern |
| Subregion | 3 |
| Estimated extent1 | Pre-clearing 3000 ha; Remnant 2021 3000 ha |
| Short description | Eucalyptus moluccana woodland on elevated tablelands on Mesozoic to Proterozoic igneous rocks |
| Structure code | Woodland |
| Description | Eucalyptus moluccana woodland to open forest. Common to occasional associated canopy species may include E. drepanophylla and Corymbia citriodora. Other occasional species in the canopy which may be present include E. portuensis, C. intermedia, E. tereticornis, Lophostemon suaveolens and E. exserta. There is rarely a secondary tree layer consisting of isolated trees of species similar to the canopy. The shrub layer is very sparse to absent, with species sometimes including Xanthorrhoea latifolia subsp. latifolia and Breynia oblongifolia. The ground layer is often sparse to very sparse, and common dominants include Eremochloa bimaculata, Themeda triandra, Chrysopogon fallax, Lomandra longifolia, Sarga leiocladum, Xanthorrhoea latifolia subsp. latifolia, and Flemingia parviflora. Occurs on undulating plateaus on rolling mountains of uplands and highlands, on Mesozoic to Proterozoic igneous rocks on the drier western edge of the bioregion. Geology types mapped include CKr (Urannah Igneous Complex), CPvl (Leura Volcanics), Kh (Hecate Granite) and Cvm (Mountain View Volcanics). Early Cretaceous - Late Carboniferous undivided acid, intermediate and minor basic plutonic rocks. Also Tb - mostly Tertiary olivine basalt. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 13d). |
| Supplementary description | Bean (1992b), Vegetation type Ec (in part) |
| Protected areas | Eungella NP, Homevale RR, Homevale NP |
| Special values | 8.12.23: Habitat for some species which are uncommon in the bioregion and are outliers from more southern or high altitude areas including Polygala japonica, Dichelachne micrantha, Hardenbergia violacea, Microlaena stipoides, Ranunculus lappaceus and Veronica plebeia. Important as habitat for Eucalyptus moluccana which is relatively uncommon in the bioregion. The Eungella Honeyeater, (listed as "Near Threatened" in the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992), feeds in this ecosystem (targeting E. moluccana) for a few weeks of the year before nesting. Also Koala habitat. |
| Fire management guidelines | SEASON: Autumn - Winter. INTENSITY: Low to moderate. INTERVAL: 3 - 6 years. INTERVAL_MIN: 3. INTERVAL_MAX: 6. STRATEGY: Aim to retain 70% in any given year. ISSUES: Most areas of this ecosystem have a long history of grazing. Fire should not be applied in areas adjacent to Eungella honey-eater habitat, prior to the nesting season (app August to September). |
| Comments | 8.12.23: Easily distinguished from all other vegetation communities on land zone 12 by the dominance of E. moluccana. Occurs in subregion 3 scattered on the western edge of the Clarke and Connors Range from Proserpine Dam to 35km south of St Lawrence. It is most extensive on Dick's Tableland and Connors Range west of St Lawrence. Has been subject to some selective timber harvesting. Most areas are grazed and southern examples are moderately degraded with some weed invasion. Common weed species include *Sporobolus jacquemontii and *Ageratum conyzoides subsp. conyzoides. |
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.
