Regional ecosystem details for 8.12.31
| Regional ecosystem | 8.12.31 |
|---|---|
| Vegetation Management Act class | Least concern |
| Wetlands | Not a Wetland |
| Biodiversity status | No concern at present |
| Subregion | 3, (4) |
| Estimated extent1 | Pre-clearing 29000 ha; Remnant 2021 28000 ha |
| Short description | Eucalyptus resinifera and/or E. portuensis and/or E. acmenoides and/or Allocasuarina spp. open forest on moist upper slopes of ranges on Mesozoic to Proterozoic igneous rocks |
| Structure code | Open Forest |
| Description | Eucalyptus resinifera and/or E. portuensis and/or E. acmenoides and/or Allocasuarina littoralis and/or A. torulosa closed forest to low open forest (to closed scrub) (4-40m tall). Other associated species in the canopy may include Corymbia intermedia, Syncarpia glomulifera subsp. glomulifera, Banksia integrifolia subsp. compar, C. trachyphloia and occasionally E. exserta, E. suffulgens and Lophostemon confertus. There is often a very sparse to mid-dense secondary tree layer consisting of species such as Allocasuarina spp., Acacia aulacocarpa, A. spirorbis subsp. solandri, Corymbia intermedia, Banksia integrifolia subsp. compar and A. flavescens. The very sparse to sparse shrub layer typically includes species such as Grevillea banksii, Allocasuarina torulosa, Lophostemon confertus and Xanthorrhoea latifolia subsp. latifolia. The ground layer ranges from mid-dense to sparse, and often includes species such as Xanthorrhoea latifolia subsp. latifolia, Themeda triandra, Acrotriche aggregata, Hardenbergia violacea, Desmodium gunnii, Desmodium rhytidophyllum, Glycine cyrtoloba and Lepidosperma laterale var. laterale. Occurs on moist slopes, tablelands, ridges, crests and small scarps on rolling to steep mountains, mainly above 400m, on Mesozoic to Proterozoic igneous rocks. Geologies mapped include CKr (Urannah Igneous Complex), CPgpg (Pisgah Igneous Complex), Pc/s (Carmila beds/s), CKgu/g (Urannah Batholith) and Cvw (Whelan Creek Volcanics). Early Cretaceous - Late Carboniferous acid, intermediate and basic plutonic rocks. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 9d). Vegetation communities in this regional ecosystem include: 8.12.31a: Eucalyptus resinifera and/or E. portuensis and/or E. acmenoides closed forest to low open forest (to closed scrub) (4-40m tall). Associated canopy species may include Corymbia intermedia, Syncarpia glomulifera subsp. glomulifera, Banksia integrifolia subsp. compar, C. trachyphloia and occasionally E. exserta, E. suffulgens and Lophostemon confertus. There is often a very sparse to mid-dense secondary tree layer (and sometimes a tertiary layer) consisting of species such as Allocasuarina littoralis, A. torulosa, Acacia aulacocarpa, Corymbia intermedia, Banksia integrifolia subsp. compar, A. flavescens and Lophostemon confertus. The very sparse to sparse shrub layer typically includes species such as Grevillea banksii, Allocasuarina torulosa, Lophostemon confertus, Xanthorrhoea latifolia subsp. latifolia, Bursaria tenuifolia, Cassinia subtropica, Leptospermum polygalifolium and Acacia falcata. The ground layer ranges from mid-dense to sparse, and often includes species such as Xanthorrhoea latifolia subsp. latifolia, Themeda triandra, Acrotriche aggregata, Hardenbergia violacea, Desmodium gunnii, Desmodium rhytidophyllum and Glycine cyrtoloba. Occurs on moist slopes, tablelands, ridges, crests and small scarps on rolling to steep mountains, mainly above 500m, on Mesozoic to Proterozoic igneous rocks. Geology is mapped as CKr (Urannah Igneous Complex), CPgpg (Pisgah Igneous Complex), Pc/s (Carmila beds/s), CKgu/g (Urannah Batholith) and Cvw (Whelan Creek Volcanics). Early Cretaceous - Late Carboniferous acid, intermediate and basic plutonic rocks. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 9d). 8.12.31b: Allocasuarina littoralis and/or A. torulosa closed forest to closed scrub (to open forest). Occasional associated species may include Corymbia intermedia and Banksia integrifolia subsp. compar. Xanthorrhoea latifolia subsp. latifolia may form a prominent mid-dense to sparse shrub layer, or may be a part of the ground layer. Other associated shrub layer species may include Acacia spirorbis subsp. solandri, Banksia integrifolia subsp. compar, and Duboisia myoporoides. The ground layer may include species such as Xanthorrhoea latifolia subsp. latifolia, Lepidosperma laterale var. laterale and Oplismenus spp. Occurs on slopes, tablelands, ridges and crests on rolling to steep mountains, mainly above 400m. Geologies mapped include Cvw (Whelan Creek Volcanics), CKgu/g (Urannah Batholith), CPgsc (Stony Creek Granite), Kgms (Mount Scott Granite) and Kgcc (Cameron Creek Granite). Early Cretaceous - Late Carboniferous rhyolitic ignimbrite, biotite granite and biotite-hornblende. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 28e). |
| Supplementary description | Bean (1992b), Et (in part), Lo (in part); Brushe et al. (in prep), Map Unit c86 |
| Protected areas | Crediton FR, Eungella NP, Homevale NP, Kelvin NP, Pioneer Peaks NP, Connors FR, Kelvin FR |
| Special values | 8.12.31: Potential habitat for NCA listed species: Bertya sharpeana, Ozothamnus eriocephalus, Parsonsia larcomensis. 8.12.31a: Habitat for the Glossy Black Cockatoo and Ozothamnus eriocephalus, both listed as "Vulnerable" in the Queensland Nature conservation Act 1992. Also habitat for Eucalyptus acmenoides which is uncommon in Central Queensland Coast and is mostly confined to higher altitudes and/or higher rainfall areas. Northern limit for the plant species Glossodia major, Sprengelia sprengelioides and Austrostipa rudis. Habitat for a large number of herbaceous species that are locally rare (restricted to the higher altitudes) and are more typical of southern cooler climates, including Leucopogon juniperinus, Cassinia subtropica, Acacia falcata, Acacia melanoxylon, Eucalyptus resinifera, Desmodium gunnii, Glycine microphylla, Ranunculus lappaceus, Geranium homeanum, Hydrocotyle acutiloba, Clematis glycinoides, Lobelia gibbosa, Plantago debilis, Senecio prenanthoides, Veronica plebeia and Viola hederacea. Also habitat for restricted or poorly known species in the Central Queensland Coast such as Banksia spinulosa, Hibbertia cistoidea, Acacia penninervis var. penninervis, Caustis recurvata, Chorizema parviflorum, Gleichenia dicarpa, Hibbertia velutina, Ophioglossum reticulatum, Oplismenus imbecillis, Pomaderris ferruginea, Pultenaea retusa and Zieria minutiflora. 8.12.31b: Habitat for the threatened species Glossy Black Cockatoo, which is listed as "Vulnerable" in the Queensland Nature conservation Act 1992. |
| Fire management guidelines | SEASON: Burn when dry enough to carry a fire. b: Late wet to early dry season, with occasional storm burns (Nov-Dec). Winter burns may be acceptable if conditions have not been appropriate for burning until winter. INTENSITY: Low to moderate with occasional high intensity fire to manage overabundant rainforest recruits. b: Mainly low, but with some moderate and high. INTERVAL: 5-7 years. b: 3-7 years. INTERVAL_MIN: 3. INTERVAL_MAX: 7. STRATEGY: It is critical to respond to opportunities to burn these forests when suitable weather conditions prevail. Mosaic burning leaving 20% of an area unburnt. Different localities containing these communities should be targeted in different years to ensure a continuum of habitat availability across the broader landscape. b: Apply mosaic burns across the landscape at a range of intervals. At a fine scale attempt to create a spatial mosaic with multiple burn patches 20 ha or less; aim for a 30-50% burnt area. At the bioregion scale do not burn more than 20% within the same year. ISSUES: Main issue is overabundance of rainforest species recruiting and presence of Lantana camara which can contribute to increased fire risk. Transition from wet forest to rainforest can be compounded by application of repeated low to moderate intensity fires, as this reduces fuels which can carry higher intensity fires necessary to impact rainforest pioneer species. It is important to create fires that reduce rainforest recruitment but enhances canopy tree recruitment. b: Lack of fire promotes overabundant pioneer rainforest species. Too frequent fire or inappropriately timed fire promotes weeds, including high-biomass grasses that lead to inappropriate fires. At least 7 years between burns is required to permit obligate seeding shrubs to reproduce. |
| Comments | 8.12.31a: Closely related to 8.12.31b but is dominated by Eucalyptus spp. instead of Allocasuarina spp. Also closely related to 8.12.32 which does not include E. resinifera and which usually occurs at slightly lower altitudes, and lower rainfall, and often has a more prominent presence of Corymbia intermedia. Scattered along the Clarke and Connors Ranges from Pine Mountain (west of Bloomsbury) to Fort Arthur (20km south-west of Clairview) in subregion3. In subregion 4 it is found on the Polygon Range and Coast Range. Often in relatively good condition, but has been impacted by timber harvesting in many areas, leading to a reduction in tree basal area. Occasional areas are subject to removal of Allocasuarina for pasture improvement purposes. The weed *Lantana camara is a problem at some sites. Mechanical disturbance and grazing by cattle may have assisted the spread of weeds. Some herbaceous weed species present include *Bidens pilosa, *Triumfetta pilosa, *Triumfetta rhomboidea, *Melinis repens, *Passiflora suberosa, *P. pallida, *Crassocephalum crepidioides, *Conyza sumatrensis, *Asclepias curassavica, *Passiflora subpeltata and *Cirsium vulgare. 8.12.31b: Closely related to 8.12.31a and 8.12.32, but distinguished from these by the clear dominance of Allocasuarina spp. in the canopy. Distinguished from 8.12.29a by occurring in mountainous areas on the mainland (8.12.29a occurs on islands and headlands). Occurs in subregion 3, scattered along the Clarke and Connors Ranges from Mt Pinnacle near Finch Hatton to an area 16km west of Clairview. Also mapped at Mt Blackwood (east of Kuttabul). Largely unknown but probably reasonably good given the remoteness of most of this vegetation community. |
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.
