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Ecosystem Description |
Melaleuca quinquenervia (swamp paperbark) and/or Melaleuca cajuputi (cajuput) closed forest to shrubland on poorly drained alluvial plains. Lowlands of the very wet and wet rainfall zone, on poorly drained peaty humic gley soils where the water table is near or above the ground for most of the year. |
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| Regional Ecosystem |
7.3.5 |
| Biodiversity status | Endangered |
| Estimated regional extent | Greater than 30% of the pre-clearing area remaining |
| Sheoak Ridge percentage | Estimated <2% cover of property |
| Location | 1-pocket within Northern Ecotone. 2- central beside Rainforest |
Palustrine wetlands occur at two small locations on the property. These localities have very poor drainage and from January to April the ground is submerged. This long period of water-logging means that only certain species of plants can grow here and thus water loving species of Melaleuca and sedges dominate. A few rainforest trees such as the leichhardt tree (Nauclea orientalis), and pink euodia (Melicope elleryana) are also found here but it is definitely the Melaleuca that dominate. What the wetlands lack in plant diversity they make up for in frog diversity. 
Management
As these Melaleuca dominated wetlands are only represented by two small patches (< 2%) on Sheoak Ridge we intend create a third by altering the drainage pattern in a small low lying area at the edge of the open woodland. Currently only a small seasonal waterhole containing a few Melaleuca exists, however this does suggest that the conditions are suitable for expansion.
Fire:
Source: Queensland Government, DEHP, Fire Management Guidelines, Feb 2013
SEASON: Mid-late dry season (May-Sep).
INTENSITY: Low.
INTERVAL: Long fire intervals.
STRATEGY: Target pandanus islands.
ISSUES: Fire has a role in maintaining an ecotone between the regional ecosystem and adjacent ones.
Sheoak Ridge 