Connecting Lowland Subtropical Rainforest in Mooloolah: Shereston

(not documented)

Australian Government (Caring for our Country program)

Landholder

(not documented)

On-ground work

(none)

Australian Government (Caring for our Country program)

Landholder

(not documented)

(not documented)

28 February 2013

31 May 2013

In November 2011, lowland subtropical rainforest (LSR) was listed as a critically Endangered Ecological Community (EEC) under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Within the Upper Stanley and Mooloolah catchments, LSR has been reduced in extent by 92% since European settlement as a result of clearing for agriculture, forestry and peri-urban development. The remaining patches often occur as narrow, broken riparian corridors.

This project aims to enable the restoration and reconnection of areas of LSR within the project area. With funding received through the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country program, SEQ Catchments is providing support to landholders to help reduce the fragmentation of LSR. This will be achieved through promoting more ecologically sustainable land management by reducing threats caused by weeds, unmanaged stock access and inappropriate fire regimes. In addition, natural regeneration of the LSR community will be promoted and re-vegetation, where appropriate, of LSR species will be undertaken.

This project site is in the riparian zone of a tributary of the Mooloolah River that has been heavily impacted by landslips, which are posing a severe threat to EEC downstream. It contains vegetation that was 12.3.1 as confirmed by Council land for Wildlife Officers; however, this does not appear in current RE mapping. Small plantings have previously been undertaken.

The project will employ a contractor to work alongside the landholder to undertake weed management through selective herbicide application and manual removal in riparian zone, including maintenance of existing planting. The landholder will continue to provide ongoing follow-up maintenance to control environmental weeds, encouraging natural regeneration and protecting existing plantings.

Proposed project monitoring and maintenance:

• establish two photo-points and take ‘before and after’ photographs to improve biodiversity in the upper Mooloolah catchment by enhancing the condition and connectivity of lowland subtropical rainforest through strategic weed control
• conduct weed control on 0.4ha of native vegetation.

This project will:

• enhance the condition of 0.4ha of native riparian vegetation and reinforce a landslip area through strategic weed control and assisted natural regeneration.

(not documented)

SEQC1958