Appendix 2 - Vegetation Communities and Regional Ecosystems

5.4 Non-Remnant Classifications
The following provides a brief explanation for, and characterisation of the non-remnant
vegatation communities mapped in the Torres Strait Islands.
Bamboo: Bamboo groves and thickets are prominent on a number of islands although
particulary abundant on the Eastern Island Group of Mer, Erub and Ugar. On these islands,
bamboo groves mosaic with adjacent vine forest communities, either spreading from former
traditional garden areas on margins or as discrete groves within the forest communities. These
communities are also prominent on the continental islands of Moa and Mabuiag, although no
such examples were recognised on the Kaurareg Islands (Inner Island Group). The communities
are represented as the pre-disturbance vegetation type with an appended (b).
The historical record as reviewed by McNiven (2008) reveals the existence of bamboo groves
throughout the Torres Strait, more specifically in the eastern islands in 1793, the western islands
in 1845, and on Kirriri (Hammond) in 1867, with indications that groves continued to be
established in the late nineteenth century and that the material was utilized extensively for
material items (Shnukal, 2004a in McNiven 2008). Contemporary use of this important resource
was observed during the field survey on Erub where large canes of the introduced Bambusa
vulgaris cut for structural building purposes were lashed and soaked in the sea before use. This
robust species is the most likely bamboo to form the communities mapped in this exercise
although a number of species are recorded for the region (see McNiven 2008). The native
Neololeba atra (listed as Rare under the Nature Conservation Act), occurs in the Wet Tropcs,
Iron Range-McIlwraith and Lockerbie areas of north-eastern Queensland and also in Papua New
Guinea and New Britain (Hyland et al. 2003). It is known from the Torres Strait from Mer,
Naghir, Ugar and Iama (EPA 2007), and from Badu and Moa Islands (Fell pers. obs.) however is
generally restricted to the understorey and rainforest margins and does not form mappable
communities.
EX: Communities Dominated by Exotic Species (other than bamboo): Communities
dominated by exotic species other than bamboo, are represented with an appended (e). This
classification extends to a range of communities and species including extensive areas of tall
closed forest of *Mangifera indica (Mango) or *Delonix regia (Poinciana) on a number of
islands, most prominently Mer and Erub, where such communities have been designated as nonremnant
vegetation. Former grassland areas on Mer and Erub Islands dominated by *Lantana
camara are similarly designated with an appended (e) although in such cases, remnant status has
been designated given that natural condition of these areas can be restored relatively easily
through appropriate fire regime.
Photograph 183. Bamboo groves
on a basalt headland within broader
vine forest communities. Erub
Island.
3d Environmental – Torres Strait Regional Ecosystem Mapping Project – August 2008
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