Regional ecosystem details for 9.3.11
| Regional ecosystem | 9.3.11 |
|---|---|
| Vegetation Management Act class | Least concern |
| Wetlands | Palustrine |
| Biodiversity status | Of concern |
| Subregion | 5, (6), (4), (2), (1) |
| Estimated extent1 | Pre-clearing 25000 ha; Remnant 2021 25000 ha |
| Short description | Wetlands (sometimes ephemeral) with aquatic species and fringed with Eucalyptus spp. communities within basalt plains and flows |
| Structure code | Sedgeland |
| Description | Wetlands (sometimes ephemeral), fringed by grasses and sedges or with a fringing woodland which can contain Eucalyptus camaldulensis (river red gum) or E. tereticornis (bluegum) or Melaleuca fluviatilis (teatree). Occurs in pockets surrounded by rocky basalt walls, run-on areas and areas of alluvial deposition on basalt geologies. Palustrine. (BVG1M: 34d). Vegetation communities in this regional ecosystem include: 9.3.11a: Wetlands (sometimes ephemeral), often with a fringing woodland which can contain Eucalyptus camaldulensis (river red gum) or E. tereticornis (bluegum) +/- Eucalyptus platyphylla (poplar gum) +/- E. leptophleba (Molloy red box). The fringing vegetation can also include a sub-canopy layer which can contain Melaleuca spp. (teatrees) Alternatively the fringing woodland species can occur as emergents +/- Casuarina spp. (sheoaks). Ground layer species present include Marsilea hirsuta (short-fruited nardoo), Schoenoplectus spp. (clubrush) and Eleocharis spp. (spike-rushes) This unit may have areas of grassland included. Occurs on run-on areas and areas of alluvial deposition on basalt geologies. Palustrine. (BVG1M: 34d). 9.3.11b: Permanent or ephemeral wetlands on dark basaltic clay with or without loose basalt rocks, surrounded by Quaternary basalt. This unit includes a mosaic of open areas and low rocky rises with Eucalyptus camaldulensis. Water bodies are fringed by Sesbania cannabina var. cannabina, grasses such as Paspalidium udum, and/or sedges such as Cyperus exaltatus, often with a zone of trees behind. Trees include Eucalyptus camaldulensis (river red gum) and/or Melaleuca fluviatilis (teatree). Open grassland areas include Eriochloa sp., Cyperus sp. and various other spp. Closed depressions in the great basalt wall surrounded by Quaternary basalt. Palustrine. (BVG1M: 34d). |
| Protected areas | Undara Volcanic NP, Great Basalt Wall NP, Dalrymple NP, Kinrara NP |
| Special values | 9.3.11: Seasonal wetlands significant for water bird feeding and breeding. 9.3.11a: Seasonal wetlands significant for water bird feeding and breeding. |
| Fire management guidelines | SEASON: Do not burn deliberately. INTENSITY: Do not burn deliberately. Can occasionally tolerate low intensity fire. INTERVAL: Fire return interval flexible. INTERVAL_MIN: 100. INTERVAL_MAX: 100. STRATEGY: Manage surrounding country when soil moisture is high; allow fire to occasionally carry into melaleuca community. ISSUES: Fringing forest can be damaged by fire. |
| Comments | 9.3.11: Occurs extensively though the McBride basalts and the Great Basalt Wall in the central and southern bioregion respectively. 9.3.11a: Occurs in scattered patches in the central and southern bioregion. 9.3.11b: Confined to within the Great Basalt Wall in the south of the bioregion. The naturalised grass Cynodon dactylon* is common in the ground layer. |
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.
