Regional ecosystem details for 8.12.1
| Regional ecosystem | 8.12.1 |
|---|---|
| Vegetation Management Act class | Least concern |
| Wetlands | Not a Wetland |
| Biodiversity status | No concern at present |
| Subregion | 3, 1 |
| Estimated extent1 | Pre-clearing 23000 ha; Remnant 2021 20000 ha |
| Short description | Evergreen notophyll feather palm vine forest of uplands and highlands, on Mesozoic to Proterozoic igneous rocks |
| Structure code | Closed Forest |
| Description | Evergreen notophyll feather palm vine forest. Emergents are sometimes present, including species such as Acmena resa or Argyrodendron actinophyllum subsp. diversifolium. The canopy may be dominated by Cryptocarya corrugata, Archontophoenix spp., Argyrodendron actinophyllum subsp. diversifolium, Acmena hemilampra, Acmenosperma claviflorum, Cryptocarya angulata, Ackama paniculosa and Cryptocarya hypospodia. Typical sub-canopy species include Archontophoenix spp., Myristica globosa subsp. muelleri, Dysoxylum alliaceum, Syzygium cryptophlebium, Steganthera laxiflora and Ptychosperma elegans. Lower tree and shrub layers may include Wilkiea macrophylla, Bosistoa pentacocca, Neolitsea dealbata and Cordyline murchisoniae. The ground layer may have scattered plants of Arachniodes aristata, Lastreopsis poecilophlebia and Blechnum cartilagineum. Common vines include Cissus antarctica, Freycinetia excelsa, Palmeria scandens and Embelia australiana. Epiphytes are often abundant and species include Asplenium australasicum, Arthropteris tenella and Platycerium bifurcatum. Occurs on high mountain plateaus, slopes, ridges and crests on rolling mountains of foothills, uplands and highlands. Geologies mapped as CKr (Urannah Igneous Complex), CPgpl (Palms Lookout Granodiorite), Kp (Proserpine Volcanics), CKgu (Urannah Batholith) and CPn. Early Cretaceous - Late Carboniferous acid, intermediate and basic plutonic rocks. Includes granodiorite to tonalite. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 5b). Vegetation communities in this regional ecosystem include: 8.12.1a: Evergreen notophyll feather palm vine forest. Emergents are sometimes present, including Acmena resa and Argyrodendron actinophyllum subsp. diversifolium. The canopy is dominated by species such as Cryptocarya corrugata, Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, Cryptocarya angulata, Ackama paniculosa, Argyrodendron actinophyllum subsp. diversifolium, Cryptocarya glaucescens, Litsea leefeana, Syzygium wesa, Elaeocarpus foveolatus, E. largiflorens and Sloanea macbrydei. Typical sub-canopy species are Archontophoenix alexandrae, A. cunninghamiana, Syzygium cryptophlebium, Steganthera laxiflora and Endiandra muelleri subsp. bracteata. Lower tree and shrub layers may include Wilkiea macrophylla, Neolitsea dealbata, Cordyline murchisoniae, Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, Syzygium cryptophlebium, Polyosma rhytophloia and Cyathea spp. The ground layer may have scattered plants of Arachniodes aristata, Blechnum cartilagineum and Alpinia caerulea. Common vines are Cissus antarctica, Freycinetia excelsa, Palmeria scandens and Melodinus australis. Epiphytes are abundant and species include Arthropteris tenella, Asplenium australasicum and Platycerium bifurcatum. Occurs on high mountain plateaus, slopes, ridges and crests on rolling mountains of foothills, uplands and highlands. Geologies mapped include CKr (Urannah Igneous Complex), CPgpl (Palms Lookout Granodiorite), CKgu (Urannah Batholith), CPn and CPgfh (Finch Hatton Granite). Early Cretaceous - Late Carboniferous acid to intermediate and basic plutonic rocks. Includes granodiorite to tonalite. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 5b). 8.12.1b: Evergreen notophyll feather palm vine forest. Occasional emergents include Argyrodendron actinophyllum subsp. diversifolium and Alstonia scholaris. The canopy is dominated by species such as Argyrodendron actinophyllum subsp. diversifolium, Archontophoenix alexandrae, Acmena hemilampra, Acmenosperma claviflorum, Endiandra cowleyana, Cryptocarya hypospodia, Litsea leefeana and Pleioluma queenslandica. The sub-canopy may be dominated by Archontophoenix alexandrae, Myristica globosa subsp. muelleri, Dysoxylum alliaceum, Ptychosperma elegans and Pleioluma queenslandica. Lower tree and shrub layers may include Wilkiea macrophylla, Bosistoa pentacocca, Aglaia brownii, Polyscias australiana and Cordyline murchisoniae. The ground layer is very sparse and includes species like Lastreopsis poecilophlebia, Arachniodes aristata and Blechnum cartilagineum. Vines are abundant, such as Cissus antarctica, Embelia australiana, Ripogonum album and Cissus sterculiifolia. Epiphytes may include Asplenium australasicum, Platycerium bifurcatum and Arthropteris tenella. Plateaus and upper slopes on rolling mountains of foothills and uplands. Geologies mapped as Kp (Proserpine Volcanics) and Kg. Lower Cretaceous rhyolite, andesite, minor pyroclastics, leucocratic alkali granite, granophyre and quartz syenite. Not a Wetland. (BVG1M: 5b). |
| Supplementary description | McDonald (1995), Group 9 (in part), 11 |
| Protected areas | Eungella NP, Crediton FR, Conway NP, Dryander NP, Kelvin NP, Connors FR |
| Special values | 8.12.1: Potential habitat for NCA listed species: Acronychia eungellensis, Aphyllorchis anomala, Asplenium normale, Ozothamnus eriocephalus, Coleus eungellaensis. 8.12.1a: Habitat for threatened plant species Trigonostemon inopinatus, Asplenium normale, Coleus eungellaensis, Ozothamnus eriocephalus, Dryopteris sparsa. Habitat for near threatened plant species Diteilis simmondsii, Elaphoglossum callifolium, Sarcotoechia heterophylla and Acronychia eungellensis. Also habitat for plant species poorly known in the Central Queensland Coast bioregion such as Lenwebbia lasioclada, Dendrobium schneiderae var. majus, Diplopterygium longissimum, Palmeria hypotephra, Dictymia brownii, Quintinia quatrefagesii, Dendrobium gracilicaule and Alyxia magnifolia (and many others). Habitat for many plant species at limits of their known range. Habitat for threatened fauna species including Eungella Honeyeater and Eungella Tinker Frog (Liem's Frog) which are both listed as "Near Threatened" under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 and the Eungella Day Frog which is list as "Endangered". 8.12.1b: Habitat for plant species at the southern limit of their range such as Acmena resa, Dysoxylum papuanum and Vavaea amicorum, and species poorly known from the Central Queensland Coast bioregion such as Corymborkis veratrifolia, Dockrillia teretifolia and Marsdenia glandulifera. |
| Fire management guidelines | INTERVAL: Fire return interval not relevant. INTERVAL_MIN: 100. INTERVAL_MAX: 100. ISSUES: Fire sensitive. |
| Comments | 8.12.1a: Distinguished from other regional ecosystems on land zone 12 by occurring at high altitudes on the main Clarke Range and by the dominance of species such as Acmena resa, Syzygium wesa, Argyrodendron actinophyllum and Archontophoenix spp. Can be similar to 8.12.17 but is notophyll dominated, rather than microphyll dominated, and 8.12.17 tends to occur more specifically on exposed windswept ridgelines. Occurs only in subregion 3 on mountains. Mapped on the Clarke Range from 20km west of Bloomsbury to Credition. Also found to the north-west of Sarina on Pine Mountain, Mount Turnor and Black Mountain. A large proportion has been logged in the past and other threats include fungal disease (Phytophthora, Armillaria) and feral pigs. 8.12.1b: Distinguished from most other land zone 12 regional ecosystems by occurrence on the mainland, and by the common presence of Myristica globosa subsp. muelleri and/or Archontophoenix alexandrae in the subcanopy or canopy, and the usual presence of Argyrodendron actinophyllum in the canopy or as emergents. The most similar RE however is 8.12.19 which has a very similar species composition and tends to occur with (and grade into) 8.12.1b. The best way to distinguish these regional ecosystems is by landform, with moist gullies and sheltered aspects more likely to contain 8.12.19 whilst the ridges and spurs will contain 8.12.1b. May also be similar to 8.12.1a, but in this vegetation community Myristica globosa is either not present or is rare, and the higher altitude species Acmena resa and Syzygium wesa are much more common in 8.12.1a (absent or very low abundance in 8.12.1b). Another similar RE is 8.12.18 which tends to occur in lower altitude areas (including islands) which lack the frequent cloud and fog and therefore have a lower proportion of moisture loving species such as Archontophoenix alexandrae. Restricted to two patches in subregion 1. It is mapped on Mount Dryander approximately 15km east of Airlie Beach and on the Conway Range just south of Airlie Beach. A large proportion has been logged in the past and other threats include fungal disease (Phytophthora, Armillaria) and feral pigs. |
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.
