Connecting Lowland Subtropical Rainforest in the Mooloolah Valley: Gehlert

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Australian Government (Caring for our Country program)

Landholder

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On-ground work

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Australian Government (Caring for our Country program)

Landholder

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13 February 2013

31 May 2013

In November 2011, lowland subtropical rainforest (LSR) was listed as a critically endangered ecological community under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Within the Upper Stanley and Mooloolah catchments, LSR has been reduced in extent by 92% since European settlement as a result of clearing for agriculture, forestry and peri-urban development. The remaining patches often occur as narrow, broken riparian corridors.

This project aims to enable the restoration and reconnection of areas of LSR within the project area. With funding received through the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country program, SEQ Catchments is providing support to landholders to help reduce the fragmentation of LSR.  This will be achieved through promoting more ecological sustainable land management by reducing threats caused by weeds, unmanaged stock access and inappropriate fire regimes. In addition, natural regeneration of the LSR community will be promoted and re-vegetation, where appropriate, of LSR species will be undertaken.

This project site is located in a small gully (spring fed, although now dammed upstream), with basalt intrusions. The vegetation adjoining the project site is mapped as regional ecosystem (RE) 12.8.3 (Complex notophyll vine forest on Cainozoic igneous rocks; altitude <600m), which is included in the listing advice for LSR. This project will enhance the condition of approximately 0.5ha of remnant vegetation through strategic weed control and assisted natural regeneration.

Proposed project monitoring and maintenance:

• establish two photo-points and take ‘before and after’ photographs
• improve condition and connectivity of lowland subtropical rainforest in the upper Mooloolah catchment weed control on 0.33ha.

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SEQC1937