Skip links and keyboard navigation

Wet Tropics (WET) IBRA bioregion

Access wetland mapping in PDF and KML format by selecting the desired 100K map tile below or download the data via the Queensland Government Information Service.

The below map is for visual representation purposes only. For more detailed mapping, please download the boundary KML.

Drag this bar to relocate the map on your screen

Open WetlandMaps interactive map server

Download boundary KML metadata

How to use KMLs?

Catchment stories info

Wetland extents info metadata

Based on wetland mapping version 5.0

Wet Tropics (WET) IBRA bioregion wetland area by system 2017
System Area (km²) % wetlands area % total area
Total 1,185.5 100.0% 6.0%
Artificial and highly modified 94.9 8.0% 0.5%
Estuarine 506.2 42.7% 2.5%
Lacustrine 3.1 0.3% 0.0%
Palustrine 328.9 27.7% 1.7%
Riverine 252.4 21.3% 1.3%
Wet Tropics (WET) IBRA bioregion wetland area by habitat 2017
Habitat Area (km²) % wetlands area % total area
Total 1,185.4 100.0% 6.0%
Estuarine - mangroves and related tree communities 456.7 38.5% 2.3%
Estuarine - salt flats and saltmarshes 49.6 4.2% 0.2%
Coastal and sub-coastal saline swamp 18.8 1.6% 0.1%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree swamp—Melaleuca spp. and Eucalypus spp. 63.9 5.4% 0.3%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 4.9 0.4% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass sedge and herb swamp 36.0 3.0% 0.2%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree swamp—Melaleuca spp. and Eucalypus spp. 136.1 11.5% 0.7%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, herb swamp 34.2 2.9% 0.2%
Coastal and sub-coastal tree swamp—Palm 35.0 3.0% 0.2%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0.2 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 1.6 0.1% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 1.3 0.1% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid tree swamp (non-floodplain) 0.0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid grass, sedge and herb swamp (non-floodplain) 0.0 0.0% 0.0%
(modified natural) Estuarine - mangroves and related tree communities 0.3 0.0% 0.0%
(modified natural) Estuarine - salt flats and saltmarshes 0.0 0.0% 0.0%
Artificial and highly modified wetlands (dams, ring tanks, irrigation channels) 73.3 6.2% 0.4%
(modified natural) Coastal and sub-coastal saline swamp 0.1 0.0% 0.0%
(modified natural) Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree swamp—Melaleuca spp. and Eucalypus spp. 0.3 0.0% 0.0%
(modified natural) Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 0.1 0.0% 0.0%
(modified natural) Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass sedge and herb swamp 4.7 0.4% 0.0%
(modified natural) Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree swamp—Melaleuca spp. and Eucalypus spp. 9.2 0.8% 0.0%
(modified natural) Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, herb swamp 2.2 0.2% 0.0%
(modified natural) Coastal and sub-coastal tree swamp—Palm 3.9 0.3% 0.0%
(modified natural) Riverine 0.7 0.1% 0.0%
Riverine 252.4 21.3% 1.3%

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

Wetland extent changes

Wet Tropics (WET) IBRA bioregion wetland extent change by system
System 2017 area
(km²)
2013 area
(km²)
2009 area
(km²)
2005 area
(km²)
2001 area
(km²)
2017/pre-clear
percentage
Total 1,185.5 1,186.2 1,186.2 1,186.5 1,187.5 * 66.2%
Artificial and highly modified 94.9 94.7 94.5 93.8 92.4 n/a
Estuarine 506.2 506.2 506.3 506.3 506.7 93.3%
Lacustrine 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.0 103.1%
Palustrine 328.9 329.7 329.8 330.7 332.4 46.5%
Riverine 252.4 252.5 252.5 252.6 253.0 61.7%

* Total 2017/pre-clear percentage excludes artificial and highly modified

Wet Tropics (WET) IBRA bioregion wetland extent change by habitat
Habitat 2017 area
(km²)
2013 area
(km²)
2009 area
(km²)
2005 area
(km²)
2001 area
(km²)
Total 1,185.4 1,186.1 1,186.0 1,186.4 1,187.5
Estuarine - mangroves and related tree communities 456.7 456.7 456.7 456.8 457.0
Estuarine - salt flats and saltmarshes 49.6 49.6 49.6 49.6 49.8
Coastal and sub-coastal saline swamp 18.8 18.8 18.8 18.8 18.9
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree swamp—Melaleuca spp. and Eucalypus spp. 63.9 64.0 64.0 64.2 64.6
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.9
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass sedge and herb swamp 36.0 36.0 36.0 36.0 36.1
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree swamp—Melaleuca spp. and Eucalypus spp. 136.1 136.5 136.5 136.7 137.4
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, herb swamp 34.2 34.5 34.5 35.0 35.4
Coastal and sub-coastal tree swamp—Palm 35.0 35.0 35.1 35.1 35.1
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3
Arid and semi-arid tree swamp (non-floodplain) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Arid and semi-arid grass, sedge and herb swamp (non-floodplain) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
(modified natural) Estuarine - mangroves and related tree communities 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3
(modified natural) Estuarine - salt flats and saltmarshes 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Artificial and highly modified wetlands (dams, ring tanks, irrigation channels) 73.3 73.1 72.9 72.2 70.9
(modified natural) Coastal and sub-coastal saline swamp 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
(modified natural) Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree swamp—Melaleuca spp. and Eucalypus spp. 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3
(modified natural) Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
(modified natural) Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass sedge and herb swamp 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.7
(modified natural) Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree swamp—Melaleuca spp. and Eucalypus spp. 9.2 9.2 9.2 9.2 9.2
(modified natural) Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, herb swamp 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2
(modified natural) Coastal and sub-coastal tree swamp—Palm 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.9
(modified natural) Riverine 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7
Riverine 252.4 252.5 252.5 252.6 253.0

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

Wildlife

Kingdom
Class
Native Introduced Wetland
indicator
species
Rare or
threatened
species
All
TOTAL 7256 762 623 423 8018
Animals 1168 39 280 95 1207
Mammals 144 13 7 29 157
Birds 497 10 99 31 507
Reptiles 203 2 23 11 205
Amphibians 73 1 22 18 74
Ray-finned fishes 97 8 100 5 105
Cartilaginous fishes 14 0 14 0 14
Insects 132 5 15 1 137
Malacostracans 6 0 0 0 6
Arachnids 2 0 0 0 2
Bacteria 38 0 0 0 38
Chromists 35 0 0 0 35
Fungi 961 0 0 0 961
Plants 5052 723 343 328 5775
Protozoans 2 0 0 0 2

Note: Wildlife statistics are based on information that has been submitted to the DES WildNet database and converted to a 10km² grid. The grid information has been intersected with the mapping polygons to determine the species lists. Click here to view the species grid metadata.

Information from WildNet can also be accessed via Wildlife Online and WetlandMaps.

Rare or threatened includes species listed as extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or conservation dependent under either the Nature Conservation Act or Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act

Disclaimer: While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this product, the Queensland Government and Australian Government make no representations or warranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaim all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which might be incurred as a consequence of reliance on the product, or as a result of the product being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason.

AreaType-ibra-bioregion

This page should be cited as:

Department of Environment and Science, Queensland (2013) Wet Tropics (WET) IBRA bioregion — facts and maps, WetlandInfo website, accessed 13 April 2023. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/ibra-bioregion-wet-tropics-wet/

Queensland Government
WetlandInfo   —   Department of Environment and Science