Intertidal substrate of unknown consolidation outside channel

Long description

Intertidal area outside of a channel where consolidation, energy, biota and texture are unknown. Tidal extent may be poorly differentiated. Potentially includes brackish and freshwater wetlands, tidally inundated pools and flats, tidal areas without remnant vegetation (e.g. agricultural cultivation). See also ecosystem type (119).

Special values

May contain pools (Terrain morphology 'pit' or depression') with intermittent hydrological connections of tidal and freshwater flows which are potential fish nurseries for barramundi[1] This connectivity can contribute to genetic diversity and provide refugia.

Diagnostic attributes

Inundation 'Intertidal – Lower low', 'Intertidal – Mid low', 'Intertidal – Upper low', 'Intertidal – Low undifferentiated', 'Intertidal – Lower medium', 'Intertidal – Upper-medium', 'Intertidal – Medium undifferentiated', 'Intertidal – High', 'Intertidal – Undifferentiated', 'Intertidal – High undifferentiated'

Consolidation 'Unknown'

Sediment texture 'Unknown'

Terrain morphology 'Plane', 'Ridge', 'Crest', 'Crest (undifferentiated)', 'Pit', 'Depression (undifferentiated)'

Structural macrobiota 'Unknown'

Qualifiers

The Naturalness qualifier may be relevant where artificial ridges and crests modify tidal inundation. Artificial pools and depressions will also alter hydrology and potentially activate acid sulfate soils.

Distribution

The following relates to distribution of this ecosystem type within the Central Queensland mapping area:

• Unmapped as all consolidation mapping was allocated to either consolidated or unconsolidated (i.e. including unknown). Allocated to higher ranked ecosystem types first.

Comments

None.

References

1. ^ Davis, B, Johnston, R, Baker, R & Sheaves, M (2012), 'Fish Utilisation of Wetland Nurseries with Complex Hydrological Connectivity', PLoS ONE. [online], vol. 7, no. 11. Available at: Scopus.

Last updated: 12 July 2019