DARLING RIVERINE PLAINS BIOREGION Background Report

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16/08/02 Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion Background Report (Keyte 1994) (Keyte 1994) Figure 3.12 Profile of land units within the Lower Gwydir Wetlands Table 3.3 Dominant plant species in the Lower Gwydir Watercourse Land unit Common name Species name Nature of species Ridge windmill grass Chloris truncata 1 curly windmill grass Enteropogon acicularis 1 High floodplain mimosa bush Acacia farnesiana 2 native millet Panicum decompositum 1 curly windmill grass Enteropogon acicularis 1 Floodplain warrego summer grass Paspalidium jubiflorum 1 nutgrass Cyperus victoriensis 1 ribbed spike-rush Eleocharis plana 1 soft roly poly Salsola tragus 2 Flood channel river cooba Acacia stenophylla 1 lignum Muehlenbeckia florulenta 1 water couch Paspalum distichum 1 lippia Phyla canescens 2 Watercourse tussock rush Juncus aridicola 1 water couch Paspalum distichum 1 soft roly poly Salsola tragus 2,3 black roly poly Sclerolaena muricata 2,3 black thistle Cirsium vulgare 2,3 nardoo Marsilea drummondii 1 lippia Phyla canescens 2 Bathurst burr Xanthium spinosum 2,3 Core wetland water couch Paspalum distichum 1 sag Bolboschoenus fluviatilis 1 black thistle Cirsium vulgare 2,3 wild lettuce Lactuca saligna 3 Bathurst burr Xanthium spinosum 2,3 78
16/08/02 Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion Background Report Key 1 natural wetland species 2 invasive species 3 terrestrial species Gingham Wetlands The plant communities of the Gingham Wetland prior to the construction of Copeton Dam have been mapped using historical photos (McCosker & Duggin 1993). The communities and the area they covered were: about 2 000 ha of mixed Eucalyptus coolabah and Eucalyptus camaldulensis forests and woodlands at the head of the watercourse near the Gwydir Raft. Much of this forest only became established in the 1950s as the raft progressed and caused more extensive flooding in the area; 13 500 ha of semi-permanent swamps and low wetland areas with Paspalum distichum and Eleocharis spp. which only dried out in exceptionally dry years; this area included several open water bodies; 42 000 ha of semi-permanent core wetlands that are surrounded by Acacia stenophylla and Muehlenbeckia florulenta, critical habitat for waterbirds; and 150 000 ha of open Eucalyptus coolabah woodlands which was only inundated during major floods. By 1993 about 1 000 ha of healthy Eleocharis spp. and Paspalum paspalodes (water couch) remained, and a further 7 000 ha still supported these plant species but insufficient flooding resulted in the loss of wetland vigour and weed invasion. The remaining 5 500 ha of former core wetland has lost almost all aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation (McCosker & Duggin 1993). Phyla canescens and terrestrial weeds such as Silybum marianum and Xanthium spinosum (Bathurst burr) occur extensively over this land. Little, if any, of the Acacia stenophylla and Muehlenbeckia florulenta remained in a healthy state, having not been flooded between 1984 and 1996. Muehlenbeckia florulenta bushes were reduced to clumps 30 cm high while the Acacia stenophylla showed signs of extreme stress. Some areas of dead Eucalyptus coolabah may have resulted from prolonged inundation during the 1950s. Casuarina cristata and Eucalyptus coolabah are also present in the western part of the watercourse. Remnant lines of Casuarina cristata and numerous rotting Casuarina cristata logs suggest these trees were once much more abundant (McCosker & Duggin 1993). Narran Lakes There are six dominant vegetation communities in the Narran Lake Nature Reserve in addition to the wetland associations. These are: chenopod low open shrublands; ephemeral herbs; mixed low woodlands; riparian low open forest; and spinifex grassland. Other associations are found outside the Reserve, in other parts of the Lakes system. Extensive areas of river red gum with lignum occur to the south of the reserve and a large area of river red gum occurs to the north-east of Clear Lake. The most detailed mapping of plant communities has been done within the Nature Reserve. The wetland communities within Narran Lakes Nature Reserve are: sedges, grasses and ephemeral herbs on the playa lakes and the main lake beds after floodwaters recede; Muehlenbeckia florulenta in dense shrublands in extensive areas in and around Clear Lake and Back Lake; 79
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DARLING RIVERINE PLAINS BIOREGION B
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For more information data contact t
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3.2 Vegetation Mapping and Descript
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10 APPENDICES 166 A CLIMATIC DATA B
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List of Maps Chapter 1 Map 1 Locati
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PROJECT SUMMARY This report forms p
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abbits are listed as key threatenin
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16/08/02 Darling Riverine Plains Bi
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Initial Phase Assessment Phase 16/0
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Appendix A: Mean Monthly Rainfall a
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Major Rangetype Rangetype Physiogra
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Appendix C : Native Flora Other Tha
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Family Scientific Name Common Name
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APPENDIX E: Fauna Other than Those
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Common Name Scientific Name No Reco
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Common 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 198
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Common Name 1983 1984 1985 1986 198
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Taxa No Records Dataset Class Arach
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Taxa No Records Dataset Family Hebr
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Taxa No Records Dataset Tabanidae s
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Taxa No Records Dataset Berosus sp
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DARLING RIVERINE PLAINS BIOREGION Background Report

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