Appendix 2 - Vegetation Communities and Regional Ecosystems

This includes 196 (15%) naturalised species. A breakdown of the flora into major groups
together with a broad comparison to regional floras is provided in Table 12 below.
Table 12. Summary of the native vascular flora of the Torres Strait Islands in comparison Cape York
Peninsula (from Neldner and Clarkson 1995 in Neldner 1998) and Great Barrier Reef Continental Islands
(from Batianoff and Dilleward 1997) and Queensland Flora (Bostock and Holland 2007).
Families
Taxa
Cape York
Peninsula
Families 7
Taxa
Great Barrier
Reef Continental
Islands 8
15
39
30
157
Pteridophytes Gymnosperms Angiosperms Total
1
1
158
1,289
174
1,329
Pteridophytes Gymnosperms Angiosperms Total
5
6
183
3,173
218
3,338
Pteridophytes Gymnosperms Angiosperms Total
Families
25
5
165
195
Taxa
97
7
2,091
2,195
Qld Flora 9 Pteridophytes Gymnosperms Angiosperms Total
Taxa 396 70 9,424 9,890
In comparison to the Cape York Peninsula bioregion, the Torres Strait Islands support a high
floristic diversity as evidenced by the presence of approximately 40% of the diversity of the vascular
flora in 0.01% of the land area. On a statewide basis, the Torres Strait supports some 13% of the
Queensland vascular flora. Taxa such as Cycas scratchelyana, Dendrobium litorale, Dischidia
littoralis, Globba marantina, Grastidium insigne, Ischaemum polystachyum, and Vrydagzynea
elongata reach their southern limit of distribution in the study area whilst Croton waterhousea,
Cycas badensis, and Secamone auriculata are Torres Strait endemics. Floristic diversity reflects on
the remarkable ecosystem diversity within the study area. Further analysis of the survey data in
combination with available datasets is outside the scope of the current project however is
necessary to allow comparisons of individual islands, and to assess the spatial distribution of
taxonomic groups across the Straits.
7.2.2 Introduced and Naturalised Flora
The account of the introduced flora remains an underestimation despite the significant
contributions by Waterhouse as part of ongoing AQIS work throughout the region and other
collectors. The figure of 15%, which consitutes the proportion of the naturalised flora within the
total flora, contrasts with; the National flora (13-15%) (Bean 1996); the Queensland Flora
(15.6%) (Bostock and Holland 2007); the Northern Territory flora (5.2%) (Bowman et al. 1988);
Cape York Peninsula flora (7.4%) (Neldner 1998); and the Great Barrier Reef Contiental Islands
flora (9.8%) (Batianoff and Dillewaard 1997). Eight species are listed as Declared on the Land
Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002 (see Table 13). A summary of invasive
species with the potential to invade native ecosystems provided in Table 14 below is informed by
personal communication with Barbara Waterhouse.
7 Cape York flora utilises Henderson (2002).
8 Batianoff and Dilleward (1997) identify 552 continental islands along the east coast of Queensland within the Great
Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP), a total land area of about 1,627 km2.
9 Bostock and Holland (2007).
3d Environmental – Torres Strait Regional Ecosystem Mapping Project – August 2008
179