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Regional ecosystem details for 11.3.24

Regional ecosystem 11.3.24
Vegetation Management Act class Endangered
Wetlands Contains Palustrine
Biodiversity status Endangered
Subregion 31
Estimated extent1 Pre-clearing 26000 ha; Remnant 2021 100 ha
Short description Themeda avenacea grassland on alluvial plains. Basalt derived soils
Structure code Tussock Grassland
Description Themeda avenacea +/- Eleocharis pallens tussock grassland sometimes with scattered Duma florulenta shrubs. Occurs on depressions on Cainozoic alluvial plains. Contains Palustrine. (BVG1M: 30a).

Vegetation communities in this regional ecosystem include:
11.3.24a: Grassland +/- Eleocharis pallens grassland sometimes with scattered Duma florulenta shrubs. Occurs on depressions on alluvial plains. Palustrine. (BVG1M: 34c).
Supplementary description Fensham (1998a); Fensham and Fairfax (1997)
Fire management guidelines SEASON: Late wet to early dry season when there is good soil moisture. Early storm season or after good spring rains. a: n/a. INTENSITY: Various. Mainly low, but also moderate. a: n/a. INTERVAL: >3 years. a: n/a. INTERVAL_MIN: 3. INTERVAL_MAX: 50. STRATEGY: Low to moderate burns can help limit the spread of fires. Burn less than 30% in any year. Burn under conditions of good soil moisture and when plants are actively growing. a: Depending on position in the landscape, protection depends on broad-scale management of surrounding country, with numerous small fires throughout the year so that wildfires will be very limited in extent. ISSUES: Fire can be used to control weed invasions, although there are also risks of promoting weeds. a: If burning is to occur then implement when water level is deep enough to protect the bases of aquatic plants. Sedges are disadvantaged by repeated fires. Impact of fire on rare and threatened plants associated with mound springs that include Arthraxon hispidus and Dimeria sp. (Salvator Rosa R.J.Fensham RJF3643) should be considered. Boggomosses/springs can bounce back following fire but care should be taken where a dry peat layer has developed (particularly in degraded situations). Fire is an option for control of weeds (possibly in ungrazed situations). If riparian areas need to be burnt to reduce fuel loads then burning should occur when there is good soil moisture and active growth.
Comments 11.3.24: Themeda avenacea tends to grow on hummocks and Eleocharis pallens in hollows. Most of the previous extent of this ecosystem has been utilised for intensive cropping.

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.

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Licence
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Last updated
16 November 2023