Vegetation community dominated by Casuarina and Allocasuarina species, often in monospecific stands. Sometimes produces a deep layer of Casuarina ‘needles’ which can limit the growth of shrubs and groundcovers. If groundcovers occur, they are generally moisture tolerant forbs, sedges, grasses and rushes.
May occur as mosaics with other vegetation communities. For example, adjoining coastal saltmarsh or an open Eucalyptus forest.
Regional Ecosystems
Regional Ecosystems are a Queensland vegetation community classification system and mapping tool developed by the Queensland Government. It incorporates its regional location, the sites underlying geology, landform and soil and the different vegetation that makes up the ecosystem type. This is a more detailed classification of vegetation communities then the broad vegetation communities outlined in this page.
Regional ecosystems can help you identify suitable species for your revegetation project, help with the planning of fire management, weed management etc., identify the types of fauna habitat and fauna species that may be present on the property and identify which vegetation is regrowth or remnant.
Learn more about Regional Ecosystems – here.
Download your properties Regional Ecosystem map and classification – here.
Regional Ecosystem classification examples for this vegetation community in the Noosa Shire (click to download an RE description or factsheet):
Soil and Geology:
Because their roots can produce nitrogen through nodules that contain special bacteria, casuarinas can grow on nutrient-poor soils and other marginal environments, such as granite outcrops or sandy soils.
Specific species are suited to different soil/geology types. For example, Coastal she-oak (C. equisetifolia) is typically restricted to the coastal foredunes and River Oak (C. cunninghamiana) to fringes of flow lines in swamps or on alluvial beds along permanent waterways.
Relationship with fire:
Sensitivity to fire does vary across the different species of Casuarina. There is not much evidence of the impact and use of fire on this vegetation community.
Threats:
Values:
Management Considerations:
Land managers are aiming to maintain or restore a native species composition indicative to a Casuarina woodland and forest and manage pressures such as weeds, fire and nutrient runoff to encourage and protect ecosystem values.
Restoration:
Much of our local landscape has experienced significant changes over time, mainly driven by activities such as land clearing for development and agriculture, as well as extraction industries like mining along the Mary River. The growing pressures from urbanisation and climate change have further exacerbated the impact on our local environment.
As land managers, we can play a vital role in helping preserve the health of the natural environment and restore the ecological balance in areas impacted by past disturbances.
What is Ecological Restoration? Here at Noosa Landcare, we like to follow the definition of Ecological Restoration applied by the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER):
“Ecological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed.”
There are three main ecological restoration approaches as identified in the National Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration in Australia. These three approaches are usually used alone or combined if appropriate for the site. All will require ongoing adaptive management until recovery is reached.
Where damage is relatively low, pre-existing vegetation should be able to recover with threat removed or stopped.
This approach is suitable for bushland areas that:
Weed-free areas of native vegetation | Native species are naturally regenerating i.e. evidence of a diversity of native seedlings and life stages of plants and animals | Mix of diverse native species indicative to the vegetation community(s) present|
Common threat examples:
Storm disturbance – Flood, Rain and Wind damage | Vegetation clearing | Inappropriate fire regimes and wildfires | Inappropriate grazing regimes | Lack of connectivity |
Management action examples:
Fence bushland area to exclude grazing or adjust grazing regime more effectively to minimise risk of over grazing or damage to native vegetation | Develop and implement a fire management plan | Establish connectivity between bushland areas where viable using the reconstruction approach |
Recovery at sites of intermediate (or even high) degradation. Need both the removal of causes of degradation and further active interventions required to trigger natural regeneration and recovery key ecological features.
This approach is suitable for bushland areas that:
Regrowth or recovering vegetation communities | native plant seed is still available on site or will be able to reach the site from nearby bushland areas, by birds or other animals, wind or water | natural regeneration is being inhibited by external factors, such as weed invasion, soil compaction, cattle grazing, mechanical slashing, etc. | Some key ecological and habitat features missing e.g. tree hollows, shrub layer |
Common threat examples:
Inappropriate fire regimes and wildfires | Inappropriate grazing regimes | Weeds and feral animals | Erosion | Slashing and broadscale chemical spraying|
Management action examples:
Integrated Weed management | Applying disturbances such as fire to break seed dormancy | installing habitat features such as hollow logs, rocks, woody debris piles and perch tree | reshaping and stabilisation of watercourses | Remediating soil chemistry and/or soil structure | Identify emerging trees and shrubs and use slashing and brushcutting practices to aid the reestablishment of the native vegetation. Avoid blanket slashing of areas. | Revegetation may be suitable to reestablish species for genetic diversity purposes or that cannot return to site without direct intervention e.g. rare and threatened species.
Where resilience is depleted, and abiotic or biotic elements need to be reestablished before recovery can commence.
This approach is suitable for bushland areas that:
Areas that have experienced significant, long-standing disturbance that the pre-existing native plant community cannot recover by natural means | Significant weed coverage |
Common threat examples:
Inappropriate fire regimes and wildfires | Inappropriate grazing regimes | Weeds and feral animals | Erosion | Slashing | Clearing | Lack of connectivity |
Management action examples:
Revegetation| Integrated Weed management | reshaping and stabilisation of watercourses | Remediating soil chemistry and/or soil structure |
A note on weeds for this vegetation community:
Many environmental weeds have the potential to invade patches that are close to urban areas or disturbed forests. Common weeds include Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia), Easter Cassia (Senna pendula), and Broad-leaved Pepper Tree (Schinus terebinthifolius).
It is important to establish a weed management plan for your bushland area to take a strategic approach and be more effective with your resources, including your time.
Please visit our weed management page for more information on weed management planning and weed control methods.
