BREC Releases Preliminary Subregional Ecosystem Trends Report
Lowland vegetation and Murray Darling under greatest threat
Date:27-Feb-02
The Brisbane Regional Environment Council has just completed an anlaysis of the ecosystems status and trends at sub-regional scales. Researchers at BREC used the latest ecosystem trend information from the Qld Herbarium. While the State government recognises ecosystem status at the regional level no status has been assigned at the sub-regional level. Calculating status at the sub-regional level gives better information for those working to conserve local landscapes. The study uses the same classifications of Endangered(<=10% remaining), Of Concern(<=30% remaining) and No Concern at present(>30% remaining) as the Vegetation Management Act. Using 97-99 clearing rates, predicted local extinction dates were also calculated.
The preliminary study showed that
105 Regional Ecosystems across 37 LGAs could be locally extinct by 2020
With 581,000 ha remaining they were being cleared at 113,000ha or 19.5% of their remaining extent between 97-99.
161 Regional Ecosystems across 39 Sub-Bioregions could be locally extinct by 2020
With 673,000 ha remaining they were being cleared at 133,000ha or 19.9% of their remaining extent 1997-99
65 Regional Ecosystems across 20 Major Watersheds could be locally extinct by 2020
With 550,000 ha remaining they were being cleared at 112,000ha or 20.3% of their remaining extent 1997-99
Between 550,000 and 580,000 ha threatened …. all unprotected by the Qld VM Act
These ecosystems had 19.5-20.3% of their remaining subregional extent cleared between 1997 and 1999
The Moonie(9), Condamine-Culgoa(7), Suttor(6), Mackenzie(5), Warrego(4), Dawson(4) & Comet(4) Rivers had the highest numbers of ecosystems facing local extinction.
The clearest picture comes when the subregions within bioregions are examined.
This clearly shows that Of Concern Ecosystems on lowlands, plains and coastal areas are being the hardest hit. The Lowland subregions of the Murray Darling have the highest clearing rates and the most ecosystems facing local extinction.
To get the full data for this preliminary report(1MB Zip file containing 3 Speadsheets) click here
|
TABLE ONE Numbers of Ecosystems threatened with local extinction and total clearing rate |
Number of Not Of Concern REs |
Number of Of Concern REs |
|||
|
Grand Total |
95 |
66 |
161 |
133,898 |
|
|
Subregion Name |
MapRef |
VMA Not of Concern |
VMA Of Concern |
Grand Total |
Clearing 97-99 ha |
|
Southern Downs |
11.26 |
10 |
6 |
16 |
27,882 |
|
North Eastern Plains |
06.04 |
7 |
6 |
13 |
4,509 |
|
West Balonne Plains |
06.01 |
6 |
5 |
11 |
16,927 |
|
Weribone High |
11.29 |
3 |
7 |
10 |
7,007 |
|
Claude River Downs |
11.15 |
9 |
9 |
1,048 |
|
|
Isaac - Comet Downs |
11.11 |
4 |
4 |
8 |
7,727 |
|
Southern Wooded Downs |
04.04 |
6 |
2 |
8 |
7,061 |
|
Balonne - Culgoa Fan |
11.35 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
25,183 |
|
Nebo - Connors Ranges |
11.12 |
5 |
2 |
7 |
298 |
|
Moonie - Barwon Interfluve |
11.34 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
17,223 |
|
Dawson River Downs |
11.21 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
1,190 |
|
Upper Belyando Floodout |
11.08 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
3,578 |
|
Taroom Downs |
11.25 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
1,368 |
|
Barakula |
11.27 |
5 |
5 |
1,240 |
|
|
Carnarvon |
11.24 |
4 |
4 |
1,244 |
|
|
Woorabinda |
11.16 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
222 |
|
Southern Drummond Basin |
11.13 |
3 |
3 |
3,425 |
|
|
Macintyre - Weir Fan |
11.36 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
2,241 |
|
Tara Downs |
11.30 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
411 |
|
Southern Coastal Lowlands |
12.04 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
23 |
|
Nebine Plains |
06.03 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
308 |
|
Callide Creek Downs |
11.19 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
85 |
|
Marlborough Plains |
11.14 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
23 |
|
Banana - Auburn Ranges |
11.22 |
2 |
2 |
11 |
|
|
Great Sandy |
12.09 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
|
Wyarra Hills |
11.05 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
|
|
Belyando Downs |
11.07 |
1 |
1 |
2,592 |
|
|
Alice Tableland |
10.02 |
1 |
1 |
402 |
|
|
Arcadia |
11.20 |
1 |
1 |
314 |
|
|
Boomer Range |
11.17 |
1 |
1 |
164 |
|
|
Anakie Inlier |
11.09 |
1 |
1 |
70 |
|
|
Basalt Downs |
11.10 |
1 |
1 |
46 |
|
|
Broken River |
09.04 |
1 |
1 |
40 |
|
|
Eastern Darling Downs |
11.31 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
|
|
Southeast Hills and Ranges |
12.03 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
|
|
Eastern Mulga Plains |
06.02 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
|
Dulacca Downs |
11.28 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
|
Burnett - Curtis Hills and Ranges |
12.10 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
Northern Bowen Basin |
11.06 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
TABLE TWO Local Extinction dates Regional Ecosystems by Subregion |
VMA Status |
|||
|
RE Desc |
Subregion Name |
NOC |
OC |
Clearing97-99 ha |
|
Local Extinction Date |
||||
|
Acacia aneura +/- Eucalyptus cambageana +/- E. thozetiana +/- Eremophila latrobei tall shrubland on residuals |
North Eastern Plains |
2007 |
253 |
|
|
Southern Downs |
2006 |
72 |
||
|
Acacia aneura +/- Eucalyptus populnea +/- E. melanophloia +/- Brachychiton populneus low woodland on sand plains |
Southern Downs |
2015 |
27 |
|
|
Southern Wooded Downs |
2015 |
64 |
||
|
Acacia aneura +/- Eucalyptus populnea +/- E. melanophloia +/- Eremophila mitchellii low open woodland on plains |
North Eastern Plains |
2006 |
3181 |
|
|
Southern Downs |
1999 |
649 |
||
|
Acacia aneura, Eucalyptus populnea +/- E. melanophloia shrubby low woodland on Quaternary sediments |
Southern Downs |
2007 |
1261 |
|
|
Acacia aneura, Eucalyptus populnea, E. melanophloia open forest on undulating lowlands |
Moonie - Barwon Interfluve |
2000 |
636 |
|
|
Acacia argyrodendron woodland on Cainozoic clay plains. |
Belyando Downs |
2011 |
2592 |
|
|
Acacia cambagei +/- Eucalyptus ochrophloia woodland on alluvium |
West Balonne Plains |
2014 |
109 |
|
|
Acacia cambagei low woodland on braided channels or alluvial plains |
West Balonne Plains |
2001 |
96 |
|
|
Acacia cambagei low woodland with scattered shrubs such as Eremophila mitchellii and Geijera parviflora on fresh Cretaceous sediments |
Southern Downs |
2016 |
72 |
|
|
Acacia cambagei woodland on alluvial plains. |
Southern Downs |
2003 |
76 |
|
|
Acacia catenulata or A. shirleyi open forest on Cainozoic coarse-grained sedimentary rocks. Crests and scarps. |
North Eastern Plains |
2015 |
3 |
|
|
Acacia harpophylla +/- A. cambagei low woodland on undulating clay plains |
Southern Wooded Downs |
2004 |
5029 |
|
|
Acacia harpophylla +/- Eucalyptus cambageana open woodland on clays |
Claude River Downs |
2004 |
71 |
|
|
Southern Downs |
1999 |
350 |
||
|
Southern Wooded Downs |
2003 |
40 |
||
|
Acacia harpophylla and/or Casuarina cristata and Eucalyptus thozetiana or E. microcarpa woodland on lower scarp slopes on Cainozoic lateritic duricrust. |
Callide Creek Downs |
2017 |
35 |
|
|
Southern Wooded Downs |
2002 |
93 |
||
|
Acacia harpophylla or A. argyrodendron, Terminalia oblongata low open forest on deformed and metamorphosed sediments and interbedded volcanics. |
Isaac - Comet Downs |
2005 |
181 |
|
|
Nebo - Connors Ranges |
2011 |
14 |
||
|
Southern Drummond Basin |
2018 |
2484 |
||
|
Upper Belyando Floodout |
2014 |
76 |
||
|
Acacia harpophylla shrubland on Cainozoic fine-grained sedimentary rocks. |
Southern Downs |
2010 |
10635 |
|
|
Southern Wooded Downs |
2007 |
1348 |
||
|
Acacia harpophylla tall shrubland with scattered emergent Atalaya hemiglauca +/- Eucalyptus spp. on Cretaceous sediments |
North Eastern Plains |
2002 |
485 |
|
|
Acacia harpophylla, Eucalyptus populnea open forest on Cainozoic fine-grained sedimentary rocks. |
Dawson River Downs |
2008 |
8 |
|
|
Nebine Plains |
2010 |
280 |
||
|
North Eastern Plains |
2015 |
58 |
||
|
Southern Downs |
2018 |
5965 |
||
|
Taroom Downs |
2008 |
300 |
||
|
Weribone High |
2001 |
917 |
||
|
Acacia spp. woodland on Cainozoic lateritic duricrust. Scarp retreat zone. |
Nebine Plains |
2009 |
28 |
|
|
Astrebla lappacea, A. pectinata +/- A. elymoides grassland on alluvium |
Southern Wooded Downs |
2005 |
22 |
|
|
Atalaya hemiglauca, Flindersia maculosa, Acacia spp. open woodland with Tripogon loliiformis on alluvial plains. |
West Balonne Plains |
2012 |
30 |
|
|
Atriplex sp., Sclerolaena spp., species of Asteraceae and/or short grasses open herbland on alluvial plains |
Southern Wooded Downs |
2000 |
312 |
|
|
Callitris glaucophylla woodland on Cainozoic coarse-grained sedimentary rocks. |
Taroom Downs |
2014 |
107 |
|
|
Weribone High |
2001 |
212 |
||
|
Callitris glaucophylla, Corymbia spp. and/or Eucalyptus melanophloia woodland on Cainozoic alluvial plains. Deep sands. |
Weribone High |
2005 |
190 |
|
|
Casuarina cristata +/- Eucalyptus coolabah open woodland on alluvial plains. |
Balonne - Culgoa Fan |
2014 |
5353 |
|
|
Macintyre - Weir Fan |
2008 |
1857 |
||
|
Weribone High |
2012 |
772 |
||
|
Corymbia citriodora-Eucalyptus crebra open forest on sedimentary rocks. |
Southern Coastal Lowlands |
2016 |
10 |
|
|
Dichanthium sericeum grassland on Cainozoic igneous rocks. Lowlands. |
Isaac - Comet Downs |
2007 |
1024 |
|
|
Dichanthium spp., Astrebla spp. grassland on Cainozoic fine-grained sedimentary rocks. |
North Eastern Plains |
2019 |
49 |
|
|
Eleocharis pallens +/- short grasses +/- Eragrostis australasica open herbland on clays, associated with ephemeral lakes, billabongs and permanent waterholes |
West Balonne Plains |
1999 |
202 |
|
|
Eucalyptus acmenoides +/- Corymbia citriodora open forest on sedimentary rocks. |
Great Sandy |
2011 |
1 |
|
|
Eucalyptus brownii woodland on alluvial plains. |
Broken River |
2006 |
40 |
|
|
Eucalyptus camaldulensis and/or E. coolabah woodland to open woodland on channels, levees and floodplains |
Claude River Downs |
2005 |
71 |
|
|
Eucalyptus cambageana, Acacia harpophylla woodland on old sedimentary rocks with varying degrees of metamorphism and folding; lowlands. |
Southern Drummond Basin |
2015 |
557 |
|
|
Eucalyptus coolabah fringing woodland on alluvial plains. |
Northern Bowen Basin |
2007 |
1 |
|
|
Eucalyptus coolabah open woodland on drainage lines/plains |
Southern Downs |
2010 |
78 |
|
|
Eucalyptus coolabah woodland on alluvial plains. |
Balonne - Culgoa Fan |
2003 |
14687 |
|
|
Nebo - Connors Ranges |
2010 |
24 |
||
|
North Eastern Plains |
2015 |
66 |
||
|
Southern Downs |
2020 |
512 |
||
|
Taroom Downs |
2016 |
321 |
||
|
Weribone High |
2011 |
218 |
||
|
West Balonne Plains |
2012 |
408 |
||
|
Woorabinda |
2008 |
98 |
||
|
Eucalyptus coolabah, Acacia stenophylla low open woodland on alluvium |
Eastern Mulga Plains |
2012 |
4 |
|
|
Southern Wooded Downs |
2004 |
153 |
||
|
West Balonne Plains |
2003 |
65 |
||
|
Eucalyptus coolabah, Acacia stenophylla, Muehlenbeckia cunninghamii open woodland - woodland on alluvial plains. |
Macintyre - Weir Fan |
2012 |
337 |
|
|
Eucalyptus crebra woodland on Cainozoic coarse-grained sedimentary rocks. |
Barakula |
2007 |
1139 |
|
|
Eucalyptus crebra woodland on Cainozoic fine-grained sedimentary rocks. Lowlands. |
Banana - Auburn Ranges |
2005 |
5 |
|
|
Nebo - Connors Ranges |
2008 |
85 |
||
|
Eucalyptus crebra woodland on deformed and metamorphosed sediments and interbedded volcanics; undulating plains. |
Nebo - Connors Ranges |
2004 |
111 |
|
|
Eucalyptus crebra, Callitris glaucophylla, Angophora leiocarpa, Allocasuarina luehmannii woodland on Cainozoic sand plains/remnant surfaces. |
Dawson River Downs |
2008 |
156 |
|
|
Isaac - Comet Downs |
2004 |
2545 |
||
|
Moonie - Barwon Interfluve |
2001 |
544 |
||
|
Eucalyptus crebra, Corymbia spp., with E. moluccana on lower slopes of Cainozoic sand plains/remnant surfaces. |
Dawson River Downs |
2012 |
907 |
|
|
Eucalyptus fibrosa open forest on metamorphics and interbedded volcanics. |
Southern Coastal Lowlands |
2010 |
11 |
|
|
Eucalyptus intertexta +/- E. populnea +/- Acacia aneura +/- Callitris glaucophylla woodland on Quaternary sediments |
West Balonne Plains |
2013 |
8886 |
|
|
Eucalyptus melanophloia +/- E. chloroclada woodland on undulating plains and valleys with sandy soils |
Barakula |
2002 |
51 |
|
|
Taroom Downs |
2007 |
74 |
||
|
Eucalyptus melanophloia +/- E. orgadophila woodland on Cainozoic fine-grained sedimentary rocks. |
Arcadia |
2016 |
314 |
|
|
Weribone High |
2008 |
390 |
||
|
Eucalyptus melanophloia open woodland to woodland on flat to gently sloping terrain with yellow earth and duplex soils on sandy alluvial fans formed from outwash from sandstone hills |
Carnarvon |
2002 |
2 |
|
|
Claude River Downs |
2010 |
31 |
||
|
Eucalyptus melanophloia woodland on alluvial plains. |
Dawson River Downs |
2006 |
104 |
|
|
North Eastern Plains |
2000 |
57 |
||
|
Woorabinda |
2013 |
15 |
||
|
Eucalyptus melanophloia woodland on Cainozoic igneous rocks. Hillsides. |
Barakula |
2013 |
23 |
|
|
Eucalyptus melanophloia woodland on deformed and metamorphosed sediments and interbedded volcanics. |
Callide Creek Downs |
2004 |
50 |
|
|
Dawson River Downs |
2013 |
10 |
||
|
Upper Belyando Floodout |
2011 |
125 |
||
|
Eucalyptus melanophloia woodland on igneous rocks. |
Boomer Range |
2014 |
164 |
|
|
Isaac - Comet Downs |
2015 |
177 |
||
|
Eucalyptus melanophloia, Callitris glaucophylla woodland on Cainozoic sand plains/remnant surfaces. Deep red sands. |
Balonne - Culgoa Fan |
2009 |
69 |
|
|
Macintyre - Weir Fan |
2002 |
47 |
||
|
Tara Downs |
2018 |
184 |
||
|
Upper Belyando Floodout |
2011 |
1260 |
||
|
West Balonne Plains |
2004 |
519 |
||
|
Eucalyptus moluccana or E. microcarpa open forest on Cainozoic fine-grained sedimentary rocks |
Banana - Auburn Ranges |
2008 |
6 |
|
|
Eucalyptus moluccana or E. microcarpa woodland to open forest on margins of alluvial plains. |
Eastern Darling Downs |
2007 |
7 |
|
|
Eucalyptus orgadophila woodland on deformed and metamorphosed sediments and interbedded volcanics. |
Anakie Inlier |
2005 |
70 |
|
|
Isaac - Comet Downs |
2003 |
2 |
||
|
Upper Belyando Floodout |
2003 |
73 |
||
|
Eucalyptus platyphylla, Corymbia clarksoniana woodland on alluvial plains. |
Isaac - Comet Downs |
2000 |
855 |
|
|
Eucalyptus populnea +/- Acacia aneura +/- E. melanophloia woodland on Cainozoic sand plains/remnant surfaces. |
Moonie - Barwon Interfluve |
2005 |
14266 |
|
|
Southern Downs |
2013 |
3246 |
||
|
West Balonne Plains |
2009 |
71 |
||
|
Eucalyptus populnea +/- E. melanophloia +/- Callitris glaucophylla +/- Acacia aneura woodland on sand plains |
Balonne - Culgoa Fan |
2004 |
93 |
|
|
Eucalyptus populnea +/- Eremophila mitchellii +/- Acacia aneura +/- Callitris glaucophylla woodland on Quaternary sediments |
North Eastern Plains |
2009 |
13 |
|
|
Eucalyptus populnea +/- Eremophila mitchellii +/- Acacia aneura +/- E. melanophloia woodland on flat alluvial plains |
Southern Downs |
2011 |
34 |
|
|
Eucalyptus populnea and/or Archidendropsis basaltica low open woodland on flat to undulating terrain with sandy clay to clayey alluvial soil |
Carnarvon |
2007 |
1 |
|
|
Claude River Downs |
2005 |
145 |
||
|
Eucalyptus populnea and/or E. melanophloia and/or Corymbia clarksoniana on Cainozoic sand plains/remnant surfaces. |
Alice Tableland |
2016 |
402 |
|
|
Carnarvon |
2000 |
1229 |
||
|
Eucalyptus populnea open woodland to woodland on undulating terrain with sandy loam to sandy clay soils |
Carnarvon |
2006 |
12 |
|
|
Claude River Downs |
2003 |
352 |
||
|
Eucalyptus populnea or E. brownii woodland on deformed and metamorphosed sediments and interbedded volcanics. |
Barakula |
2015 |
22 |
|
|
Basalt Downs |
2000 |
46 |
||
|
Wyarra Hills |
2019 |
2 |
||
|
Eucalyptus populnea woodland on alluvial plains. Texture contrast and deep clay soils. |
Balonne - Culgoa Fan |
2007 |
1749 |
|
|
Moonie - Barwon Interfluve |
2006 |
656 |
||
|
Taroom Downs |
2014 |
566 |
||
|
Upper Belyando Floodout |
2016 |
2044 |
||
|
Weribone High |
2009 |
889 |
||
|
West Balonne Plains |
2009 |
670 |
||
|
Eucalyptus populnea woodland on eroding edge of Cainozoic clay plains. |
Moonie - Barwon Interfluve |
2005 |
676 |
|
|
Weribone High |
2003 |
345 |
||
|
Eucalyptus populnea woodland with shrubby Acacia harpophylla and/or Casuarina cristata on alluvial plains. |
Balonne - Culgoa Fan |
2013 |
2426 |
|
|
Dawson River Downs |
2005 |
5 |
||
|
Moonie - Barwon Interfluve |
2014 |
445 |
||
|
Southern Drummond Basin |
2010 |
384 |
||
|
Tara Downs |
2011 |
156 |
||
|
Weribone High |
2008 |
2814 |
||
|
Eucalyptus populnea, Acacia aneura +/- Eremophila mitchellii woodland |
North Eastern Plains |
2003 |
17 |
|
|
Eucalyptus populnea, Acacia aneura and/or E. melanophloia woodland on Quaternary sediments |
Balonne - Culgoa Fan |
2004 |
806 |
|
|
Eucalyptus populnea, Callitris glaucophylla, Allocasuarina luehmannii shrubby woodland on alluvial plains. Texture contrast soils. |
Claude River Downs |
2006 |
95 |
|
|
North Eastern Plains |
2000 |
38 |
||
|
Eucalyptus populnea, Casuarina cristata or Acacia harpophylla +/- Geijera parviflora woodland on clay plains |
North Eastern Plains |
2015 |
65 |
|
|
West Balonne Plains |
2015 |
5871 |
||
|
Eucalyptus populnea-Eremophila mitchellii shrubby woodland on Cainozoic fine-grained sedimentary rocks. |
Isaac - Comet Downs |
2017 |
279 |
|
|
North Eastern Plains |
2008 |
224 |
||
|
Southern Downs |
2017 |
4753 |
||
|
Weribone High |
2005 |
260 |
||
|
Eucalyptus similis woodland or open woodland on deep red earths |
Claude River Downs |
2001 |
10 |
|
|
Eucalyptus tereticornis and/or E. camaldulensis tall woodland on alluvial plains. |
Dulacca Downs |
2016 |
3 |
|
|
Eucalyptus thozetiana or E. cambageana, Acacia harpophylla woodland on scarps |
Southern Downs |
2006 |
72 |
|
|
Eucalyptus whitei or E. melanophloia +/- E. populnea and bloodwood woodland on loamy yellow earths and texture contrast soils |
Claude River Downs |
2004 |
256 |
|
|
Eucalyptus-Corymbia grassy or shrubby woodland on Cainozoic clay plains. |
Isaac - Comet Downs |
2009 |
2664 |
|
|
Woorabinda |
2000 |
55 |
||
|
Freshwater wetlands. |
Nebo - Connors Ranges |
2008 |
5 |
|
|
Southern Downs |
2008 |
80 |
||
|
Tara Downs |
2011 |
71 |
||
|
Melaleuca leucadendra and M. fluviatilis +/- Eucalyptus camaldulensis woodland to open forest on banks and channels of larger watercourses |
Claude River Downs |
2003 |
17 |
|
|
Melaleuca nodosa low open forest on sedimentary rocks. |
Southeast Hills and Ranges |
2001 |
5 |
|
|
Samphire forbland on marine clay plains. |
Nebo - Connors Ranges |
2011 |
6 |
|
|
Semi-evergreen vine thicket in sheltered habitats on Cainozoic medium to coarse-grained sedimentary rocks. |
Marlborough Plains |
2002 |
21 |
|
|
Woorabinda |
2000 |
54 |
||
|
Semi-evergreen vine thicket on Cainozoic igneous rocks. Steep hillsides |
Barakula |
2017 |
5 |
|
|
Wyarra Hills |
2007 |
5 |
||
|
Simple notophyll vine forest often with abundant Archontophoenix cunninghamiana ("gully vine forest") on metamorphics and interbedded volcanics |
Southern Coastal Lowlands |
2002 |
2 |
|
|
Sporobolus virginicus grassland on marine clay plains. |
Nebo - Connors Ranges |
2012 |
53 |
|
|
Swamps with Baumea spp., Juncus spp. and Lepironia articulata. |
Burnett - Curtis Hills and Ranges |
2000 |
2 |
|
|
Marlborough Plains |
2015 |
2 |
||
|
Swamps with Cyperus spp., Schoenoplectus spp. and Eleocharis spp. |
Great Sandy |
2003 |
6 |
|
|
Grand Total |
133898 |
|||