Regional ecosystem framework
Each regional ecosystem is given a three part code.
Bioregion
The first part refers to a biogeographic region that the regional ecosystem is found in. There are 13 bioregions recognised in Queensland numbered from 1-13.
1 |
NWH |
Northwest Highlands |
2 |
GUP |
Gulf Plains |
3 |
CYP |
Cape York Peninsula |
4 |
MGD |
Mitchell Grass Downs |
5 |
CHC |
Channel Country |
6 |
MUL |
Mulga Lands |
7 |
WET |
Wet Tropics |
8 |
CQC |
Central Queensland Coast |
9 |
EIU |
Einasleigh Uplands |
10 |
DEU |
Desert Uplands |
11 |
BRB |
Brigalow Belt |
12 |
SEQ |
Southeast Queensland |
13 |
NET |
New England Tableland |
Land zone
The second part refers to the land zone that the regional ecosystem occurs on. The land zone is a simplified geology/substrate-landform classification for Queensland. The first part refers to a biogeographic region that the regional ecosystem is found in. There are 13 bioregions recognised in Queensland numbered from 1-13.
In South East Queensland land zones 9 and 10 are combined, as geological mapping units indicating sedimentary rocks in the bioregion generally contain a broad range of rock types and strata containing coarse and fine grained sedimentary rocks that can be exposed in close proximity.
Land zone definitions
| Central concept | deposits subject to periodic tidal inundation | |
| Lay terminology | tidal flats and beaches |
Quaternary estuarine and marine deposits subject to periodic inundation by saline or brackish marine waters. Includes mangroves, saltpans, off-shore tidal flats and tidal beaches. Soils are predominantly Hydrosols (saline muds, clays and sands) or beach sand.
Land Zone 2
| Central concept | Quaternary coastal sand deposits | |
| Lay terminology | coastal dunes |
Quaternary coastal dunes and beach ridges. Includes degraded dunes, sand plains and swales, lakes and swamps enclosed by dunes, as well as coral and sand cays. Soils are predominantly Rudosols and Tenosols (siliceous or calcareous sands), Podosols and Organosols.
Land Zone 3
| Central concept | Quaternary alluvial systems | |
| Lay terminology | alluvium (river and creek flats) |
Quaternary alluvial systems, including floodplains, alluvial plains, alluvial fans, terraces, levees, swamps, channels, closed depressions and fine textured palaeo-estuarine deposits. Also includes estuarine plains currently under fresh water influence, inland lakes and associated dune systems (lunettes). Excludes talus slopes, colluvial deposits and pediments.Includes a diverse range of soils, predominantly Vertosols and Sodosols, also with Hydrosols in higher rainfall areas.
| Central concept | flat to gently undulating Tertiary clay plains | |
| Lay terminology | clay plains not associated with current alluvium |
Cainozoic clay deposits, usually forming level to gently undulating plains above current alluvial systems. Excludes clay plains and downs formed in-situ on bedrock.Mainly Vertosols with gilgai microrelief, but includes small areas of thin sandy or loamy surfaced Sodosols and Chromosols.
| Central concept | plains and plateaus on Tertiary land surfaces, generally with medium to coarse textured soils |
|
| Lay terminology | old loamy and sandy plains |
Extensive, uniform near level or gently undulating Cainozoic plains with sandy or loamy soils. Includes dissected remnants of these surfaces. Also includes plains with sandy or loamy soils of uncertain origin, and plateau remnants with deep soils usually overlying duricrust. Excludes Quaternary alluvial deposits (land zone 3), exposed duricrust (land zone 7), and soils derived from underlying bedrock (land zones 8 to 12). Soils are usually Tenosols and Kandosols, also minor deep sandy surfaced Sodosols and Chromosols. There may be a duricrust at depth.
| Central concept | Quaternary inland dunefields | |
| Lay terminology | inland dunefields |
Quaternary inland dunefields, interdune areas, degraded dunefields, and associated aeolian sandplains. Excludes alluvial systems, which may traverse this zone, and intermittent lakes and claypans (land zone 3).Soils are predominantly Rudosols and Tenosols, some Kandosols and minor Calcarosols.
| Central concept | exposed or shallowly covered duricrusts | |
| Lay terminology | ironstone jump-ups |
Cainozoic duricrusts formed on a variety of rock types, usually forming mesas or scarps. Includes exposed ferruginous, siliceous or mottled horizons and associated talus and colluvium, and remnants of these features, for example low stony rises on downs. Soils are usually shallow Rudosols and Tenosols, with minor Sodosols and Chromosols on associated pediments, and shallow Kandosols on plateau margins and larger mesas.
Land Zone 8
| Central concept | plains and hills on Cainozoic flood basalts | |
| Lay terminology | basalt plains and hills |
Cainozoic igneous rocks, predominantly flood basalts forming extensive plains and occasional low scarps. Also includes hills, cones and plugs on trachytes and rhyolites, and associated interbedded sediments, and talus. Excludes springs (land zone 3), and deep soils overlying duricrust (land zone 5). Soils include Vertosols, Ferrosols, and shallow Dermosols.
Land Zone 9
| Central concept | gently undulating landscapes on more or less horizontally bedded fine grained sedimentary rocks |
|
| Lay terminology | undulating country on fine grained sedimentary rocks |
Fine-grained sedimentary rocks, generally with little or no deformation, forming undulating landscapes with a broad range of fine textured soils of moderate to high fertility. Siltstones, mudstones, shales, calcareous sediments, and lithic and labile sandstones are typical rock types although minor interbedded volcanics may occur. Excludes areas of duricrust (land zone 7). Includes a diverse range of soils of moderate to high fertility, predominantly Vertosols, Sodosols, and Chromosols.
| Central concept | plateaus, scarps and ledges with shallow soils on more or less horizontally bedded medium- to coarse-grained sedimentary rocks | |
| Lay terminology | sandstone ranges |
Medium to coarse-grained sedimentary rocks, with little or no deformation, forming plateaus, ledges and scarps. Includes siliceous sandstones, conglomerates and minor interbedded volcanics, and springs associated with these rocks. Excludes overlying Cainozoic sand deposits (land zone 5). Soils are predominantly shallow Rudosols and Tenosols of low fertility, but include sandy surfaced Kandosols, Kurosols, Sodosols and Chromosols.
| Central concept | hills and lowlands on metamorphosed sedimentary rocks | |
| Lay terminology | hills and lowlands on metamorphic rocks |
Metamorphosed rocks, forming ranges, hills and lowlands. Primarily lower Permian and older sedimentary formations which are generally moderately to strongly deformed. Includes low- to high-grade and contact metamorphics such as phyllites, slates, gneisses of indeterminate origin and serpentinite, and interbedded volcanics. Soils are mainly shallow, gravelly Rudosols and Tenosols, with Sodosols and Chromosols on lower slopes and gently undulating areas. Soils are typically of low to moderate fertility.
| Central concept | hills and lowlands on granitic and other pre Cainozoic igneous rocks | |
| Lay terminology | hills and lowlands on granitic rocks |
Mesozoic to Proterozoic igneous rocks, forming ranges, hills and lowlands. Predominantly granitic rocks and intermediate to acid volcanics such as granites, granodiorites, andesites and rhyolites, as well as minor areas of associated interbedded sediments and basic intrusive rock types such as gabbros and dolerites. Excludes serpentinites (land zone 11) and younger igneous rocks (land zone 8).Soils are mainly Tenosols and Rudosols on steeper slopes with Chromosols and Sodosols on lower slopes and gently undulating areas. Soils are typically of low to moderate fertility.
Vegetation
The third part is the ecosystem number and denotes different vegetation. Rainforest vegetation is classified and described using Webb's classification (Webb 1978). Non-rainforest vegetation structural classes follow a modified Specht (1970) system (Neldner, 1991). Plant names follow Henderson (2002) or subsequent updates from the Queensland Herbariums HERBRECS database.
In the modified Specht (1970) system, the Herbarium describes the vegetation by the predominant strata, which is the one that is assessed as contributing the most above-ground biomass. The tallest strata is regarded as the emergent layer if it does not form the most above-ground biomass, regardless of its canopy cover, eg. E. populnea trees above a low woodland of mulga. The Herbarium measures the height and cover of each layer independently, ie. separate height and cover values for the emergent (where present) and canopy layers.
Example
In this example the unique number refers to a regional ecosystem, 11.4.3, which is found in the Brigalow Belt bioregion (region 11) that occurs on Tertiary clay plains (land zone 4) and which is usually vegetated with Acacia harpophylla and Casuarina cristata open forest (the third regional ecosystem described within the bioregion 11 land zone 4 combination).
The full description of this regional ecosystem also includes a range of associated species such as Eucalyptus pilligaensis, E. populnea, E. cambageana, E. thozetiana and E. largiflorens. In low-lying areas Melaleuca bracteata may be locally dominant. Acacia harpophylla and Casuarina cristata occur together in other situations in the Brigalow Belt, for example, on alluvial plains and on fine-grained sedimentary rocks. These latter occurrences would equate to different regional ecosystems, specifically 11.3.1 and 11.9.5.
The above example demonstrates:
- The importance of accurately determining the land zone from geology or other available mapping such as soils and land system maps when using the regional ecosystem descriptions to verify mapping in the field, or when mapping in greater detail at a larger scale; and
- The importance of reading the full description of a regional ecosystem in the Regional Ecosystem Description Database and associated supplementary descriptions (a list a references is provided below) which may contain useful information to assist with interpretation. For example, species variation that may occur from place to place, a particular characteristic of landform or geology and understorey species that may be diagnostic.
Further details about the regional ecosystem classification and mapping including interim numbering system for new regional ecosytems and map scale are detailed in the Methodology for survey and mapping of regional ecosystems and vegetation communities in Queensland.
Last updated: 18 March 2005