This outing
followed on from Dougal Johnston’s informative talk the previous Friday, when
he introduced members to local endangered Regional Ecosystem RE 12.5.6. This cryptic code is easily cracked: 12
refers to the Bioregion (Southeast Queensland); 5 refers to the Land Zone (old
loamy and sandy plains and plateaus); and 6 to the Vegetation (too much to
include, but concentrates mainly on type of tree cover). For those who would
like to read and understand more on Regional Ecosystems, the Queensland
Government website: www.environment.ehp.qld.gov.au/regional-ecosystems/
provides a basic description of these ecosystems across Queensland.
A lengthy
introduction, but the writer needed a little background knowledge. The outing commenced at 8.30 am when
twenty-two Nats assembled close to the old Mt Luke Siding on Aberdein Road,
Geham. This area and Dougal’s property, were selected to show examples of some
of the vegetation typical of R.E. 12.5.6: Eucalyptus
propinqua (Grey Gum), E. Microcorys
(Tallowwood), E. Acmenoides (Yellow
stringybark), E. Siderophloia
(Northern Grey Ironbark), E. Pilulris
(Blackbutt).
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| Close--up of Black Bootlace Orchid (Photo: Mike Ford) |
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| Black Bootlace Orchid (Photo: M Ford) |
A short walk
along Aberdein Road, guided by Dougal, was followed by a scramble through the
Geham National Park. Formerly the Geham Forest Reserve Scientific Area, the
Park was declared in 2006, and would appear to have received little or no
attention as it is infested with Lantana (Lantana
camara). A few vines were struggling through the dense growth: Billardiera
scandens (Apple Berry), Cissus
hypoglauca (Five-leaved Water Vine), Geitonoplesium
cymosum (Scrambling Lily), Hardenbergia
violacea (Native sarsaparilla), Pandorea
pandorana (Wonga Vine), Stephania
japonica var. discolor (Tape Vine). Parsonsia
straminea (Monkey Rope Vine), a very vigorous climber, was well established
on large trees at the edge of an adjoining private property. Most trees in the Park were of intermediate
size, in contrast to the large, old-growth trees at the edge of private
property adjacent to the Park. These old
trees have been seeding the Park and a few small Allocasuarina torolosa (Forest Oak), Grevillea robusta (Silky Oak), Maytenus
bilocularis (Orange Bark), and a Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis sp.) were identified.
An ‘unusual landform’ in the forest (a lure to pique curiosity) turned
out to be a Scrub Turkey mound. Various
grasses, sedges, Lomandra and Dianella grew sparsely on the forest floor. Geham
National Park is a sad example of a lost opportunity to support an endangered
ecosystem.
The visit to
the Geham National Park was followed by morning tea at Hampton, in the rest
area of the grounds of the Information Centre. Refreshed and restored the group
then made its way to the start of Merritts Creek Road where it inspected a
revegetation site established by Main Roads.
It was disappointing to see that several of the saplings had been
vandalised.
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| Copper beard orchid (Photo: Mike Ford) |
Moving on to Dougal’s well-maintained partially re-vegetated
paddock, the contrast between his property and the Geham National Park was
stark. A small herd of cattle grazes the paddock occasionally to keep grass in
check, but don’t appear to have done any damage to emerging trees. Dougal is planting local native trees to
increase and improve an existing corridor, and encourages natural regeneration. Areas with Lantana (Lantana camara) were cleared about 10 years ago and a variety of
indigenous plants have re-established themselves, including Santalum obtusifolium (Sandalwood) a
hemi-parasitic tree that obtains some of its water and mineral nutrient requirements from the roots of other plants. Eucalypts as described above (paragraph 2) were present but vines were less evident in the more more open situation, although two species of Clematis were noted. Rainforest species such as Eleodendrum australe var. Australe (Red Olive Plum), Matyenus biloculars
(Orange Bark) and Psydrax odorata
var. Buxifolia (Stiff Canthium) are becoming established. However, the plants
that excited the most interest were the Copper Beard Orchid (Calochilus campestris) and the
saprophytic Black Bootlace Orchid
(Erythrorchis cassythoides).
Dougal’s property is a fine example of how, with care and
dedication, an endangered ecosystem can be supported and encouraged to
regenerate. Sadly, such pockets are now small and fragmented.
The outing ended with lunch at Hampton. Our thanks to Dougal for a meticulously planned and interesting
day.
(Report by Deb Ford)
Bird list from the Geham outing
Pheasant Coucal, Laughing Kookaburra, Forest
Kingfisher, Galah, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, White-throated
Treecreeper, Variegated Fairy-wren, Superb Fairy-wren, Lewin's Honeyeater,
Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Noisy Friarbird, Scarlet Honeyeater, Spotted Pardalote,
Striated Pardalote, White-browed Scrubwren, Grey Shrike-thrush, White-throated
Gerygone, Eastern Whipbird, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian
Magpie, Pied Currawong, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Rufous Whistler,
Australasian Figbird, Willie Wagtail, Grey Fantail, Magpie-lark, Torresian
Crow, Eastern Yellow Robin
(Compiled by Donalda Rogers)
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| Brown ringlet - Hypocysta metirius (Photo:Diana Ball) |
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