Regional ecosystem details for 7.3.9
| Regional ecosystem | 7.3.9 |
|---|---|
| Vegetation Management Act class | Endangered |
| Wetlands | Not a Wetland |
| Biodiversity status | Endangered |
| Subregion | 1, (9), (2) |
| Estimated extent1 | Pre-clearing 11000 ha; Remnant 2021 1000 ha |
| Short description | Corymbia tessellaris, Acacia spp., Melaleuca spp. open forest on poorly drained alluvial plains (some soils with marine plain and dune influence) |
| Structure code | Open Forest |
| Description | Corymbia tessellaris (Moreton Bay ash), Acacia spp. (wattle), Melaleuca spp. (paperbark) open forest. Poorly drained alluvial plains. May include areas with some mixing with marine sediments and dune sands. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 9e). Vegetation communities in this regional ecosystem include: 7.3.9a: Melaleuca dealbata, Lophostemon suaveolens, Corymbia tessellaris, Acacia mangium +/- Livistona drudei open forest. Coastal flats and broad drainage lines. May include areas with some mixing with marine sediments and dune sands. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 9e). 7.3.9b: Corymbia tessellaris, Acacia crassicarpa, Melaleuca leucadendra, M. viridiflora woodland to open forest. Coastal flats and broad drainage lines. May include areas with some mixing with marine sediments and dune sands. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 9e). |
| Supplementary description | Stanton and Stanton (2005), A149, A151; Kemp et al. (1999), 9, 10, 19; Tracey and Webb (1975), 19 |
| Protected areas | Halifax Bay Wetlands NP, Hinchinbrook Island NP |
| Fire management guidelines | SEASON: Early to mid-dry season in normal season (March-May). Early to late-season in wet year (March-Sep). INTENSITY: Low to moderate. INTERVAL: 3-10 years. INTERVAL_MIN: 3. INTERVAL_MAX: 10. STRATEGY: Patch burn (<30% of area) early in the dry season to limit the extent and intensity of wildfires. Fires may, depending on the conditions and type of vegetation, burn areas larger than just the melaleuca ecosystem. Ensure secure boundaries from non fire-regime adapted ecosystems. Use topography to restrict spread of fire. Consider the needs of melaleuca ecosystems based on understorey (i.e., heath dominated, sedge dominated or mixed grass/shrub) when planning burns. High soil moisture (or presence of water on the ground) is required, as avoidance of peat-type fires must be maintained. ISSUES: Restrict extent and intensity of fires. High intensity and extensive fires degrade vegetation structure and destroy animal habitats. Melaleuca forests are fire-adapted, but too high an intensity or frequent fire will slow or prevent regeneration and lead to lower species richness (since these communities contain numerous obligate seed regenerating species that require sufficient fire intervals to produce seed). High intensity fires may kill trees and lead to whipstick regeneration. Too frequent fire may result in a net loss of nutrients over time from an already nutrient poor system. Fire associations are significantly influenced by understorey composition. |
| Comments | 7.3.9: Formerly extensive, particularly on the Herbert River floodplain. Very little remains, with less than half of this in protected tenures. Scattered across the full extent of the coastal lowlands of the Wet Tropics. 7.3.9a: Scattered across the lowlands of the Wet Tropics, especially common in eastern parts of the Herbert River floodplain adjacent to marine and dunal systems. 7.3.9b: Herbert River floodplain. |
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.
