Appendix 2 - Vegetation Communities and Regional Ecosystems

Photograph 39. Maximum
development of VC10b on
Bampfield Beach where Casuarina
equisetifolia mixes with vine forest
species.
Photograph 40. Vegetation complex
16f on Friday Island where
Casuarina woodland complexes with
notophyll vine thicket. The Acacia
in foreground right is Acacia oraria.
Casuarina dominant communities which occur on the central group of islands and coral cays in
particular, are poorly represented in the literature. Open forest of Casuarina equisetifolia forms
the dominant vegetation type of Masig and Kodel Islands. Canopy heights ranging from 18 to
25m are typical over a dense sub-canopy of vine forest species (height range of 10 to 15m)
dominated by Diospyros maritima, Pouteria obovata, Aglaia elaeagnoidea, Diospyros compacta,
Cyclophyllum maritimum and Terminalia subacroptera. Previous classification efforts have
recognised the vine forest component only; however repeated measurement over three detailed
sites in this survey clearly indicates that PFC of Casuarina is typically 60 to 80% with basal area
measurement of 8-10m 2 /ha. This structural variation, represented as VC10a, is resticted to coral
cays in the central island ground where they have been assigned to RE sub-type 3.2.6b.
3d Environmental – Torres Strait Regional Ecosystem Mapping Project – August 2008
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