Cape York Peninsula Land Use Strategy

Areas of Conservation Significance on Cape York Peninsula

Cape York Peninsula Land Use Strategy
Abrahams, H., Mulvaney, M., Glasco, D., & Bugg, A.
Office of the Co-ordinator General of Queensland
Australian Heritage Commission, March 1995

Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Executive Summary
• 1.0 Introduction
  • 1.1 Aims of the Project
  • 1.2 Consideration of Cultural Heritage Conservation
  • 1.3 Relationship of Project to Commonwealth Conservation Requirements
  • 1.4 Previous Relevant Information
  • 1.5 General Methodology
  • 1.6 Data Sets
• 2.0 Identification of Values - Introduction

Part A - Conservation Values Using Broad Scale Peninsula-wide Modelling to Identify Areas of Significance

• 3.0 Assessment of Wilderness Quality
  • 3.1 Areas of High Wilderness Quality
  • 3.2 Discussion
• 4.0 Rare, Uncommon or Restricted Vegetation Communities
  • 4.1 National Perspective
  • 4.2 Regional Perspective
    • 4.2.1 Discussion
• 5.0 Areas of Vegetation Community Richness
  • 5.1 Discussion
• 6.0 The Vegetation Communities Exhibiting the Principal characteristics of their Class
  • 6.1 The Method Adopted
  • 6.2 Discussion
• 7.0 Areas of Terrestrial Fauna Richness

Part B - Conservation Values Using a Thematic Approach to Identify Areas of Significance

• 8.0 Wetland Areas of Significance
• 9.0 Areas Significant for Marine Vegetation
  • 9.1 Mangroves
  • 9.2 Seagrasses
  • 9.3 Mangrove and Sea Grass Areas of Conservation Significance
• 10.0 Rainforest Areas of Significance
• 11.0 Areas Significant for Maintaining Seabird and Shore Bird Populations
  • 11.1 Seabirds
  • 11.2 Minor Sea Bird Breeding Areas
  • 11.3 Shore Birds
    • 11.3.1 Beach Stone-curlew (Burhinus giganteus)
    • 11.3.2 Mongolian Plover (charadrius mongolus)
    • 11.3.3 Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva)
    • 11.3.4 Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
    • 11.3.5 Grey-tailed Tattler (Tringa brevips)
    • 11.3.6 Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longiropstris) and Sooty Oystercatcher (H. fuliginosus)
    • 11.3.7 Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
    • 11.3.8 Torresian Imperial Pigeon (Ducula spilorrhoa)
• 12.0 Areas Significant for Sand Dune/Sand Mass on Eastern Cape York
• 13.0 Areas Significant for Richness
  • 13.1 Areas of Orchid Diversity
  • 13.2 Areas of Fish Richness
  • 13.3 Areas of Invertebrate Richness
• 14.0 Areas Significant for Butterflies
  • 14.1 Important Places
    • 14.1.1 Lockerbie Scrub
    • 14.1.2 Heathlands Area
    • 14.1.3 Iron Range Area
    • 14.1.4 Mt White, Coen
    • 14.1.5 Vine Thicket Communities
    • 14.1.6 Rocky River area, Silver Plains, McIlwraith Rang
    • 14.1.7 Lakefield National Park
    • 14.1.8 Sandstone outcrops in the Laura area
    • 14.1.9 Isabella Falls area, NW of Cooktown
    • 14.1.10 Mangrove communities along Endeavour River
    • 14.1.11 Mangrove and fringing Melaleuca communities on the south side of the Annan River
    • 14.1.12. Jardine River Rainforests
  • 14.2 Concluding Comments
  • 14.3 Notes on Locations
• 15.0 Significant Vegetation Corridors
  • 15.1 Riparian Corridors

PART C - Conservation Values that are Species Specific or Point Location Based

• 16.0 Areas of Biogeographic and Evolutionary Significance
  • 16.1 The Gondwanic Element
  • 16.2 The Intrusive Element
  • 16.3 Extra-Continental Endemic Species
  • 16.4 Extra-Continental Plant Species
  • 16.5 Endemic Species
    • 16.5.1 Endemic plant species
    • 16.5.2 Endemic vertebrate species
    • 16.5.3 Endemic invertebrate species
  • 16.6 Disjunct Species
• 17.0 Areas of Significance for Rare and Threatened Plant and Animal Species
  • 17.1 Rare and Threatened Plant Species
  • 17.2 Rare or Threatened Terrestrial Vertebrate Fauna
    • 17.2.1 Nationally endangered terrestrial vertebrate species
    • 17.2.2 Vulnerable terrestrial vertebrate species
    • 17.2.3 Rare terrestrial vertebrate species
    • 17.2.4 Rare and uncommon fish and fish communities
  • 17.3 Turtles
    • 17.3.1 Flatback Turtle Nesting Site - Crab Island
    • 17.3.2 Hawkesbill Nesting sites
    • 17.3.3 Green Turtle foraging areas
    • 17.3.4 Olive Ridley nesting habitat
  • 17.4 Areas of Significance for Dugong (Dugong dugon) Habitat
  • 17.5 Significant Locations for Crocodiles on Cape York Peninsula
    • 17.5.1 Jardine River Wetlands and Jacky Jacky Creek
    • 17.5.2 Wenlock and Dulcie River Systems
    • 17.5.3 Iron Range National Park and River Mangrove Swamps
    • 17.5.4 Lakefield National Park
    • 17.5.5 Other Sites
• 18.0 Areas of Significance for their Contribution to Research or as Type Localities
  • 18.1 Research Sites
  • 18.2 Type Localities

Part D - Conservation Values Collated into Areas of Natural Conservation Significance

• 19.0 Areas of Natural Conservation Significance
  • 19.1 Introduction
  • 19.2 Areas of Conservation Significance - summary of values
    • 19.2.1 Lockerbie
    • 19.2.2 Jardine Wilderness Area
    • 19.2.3 Vrilya Wilderness Area
    • 19.2.4 Port Musgrave Area
    • 19.2.5 Central-North Cape York Pensinsula
    • 19.2.6 Shelburne-Olive River Area
    • 19.2.7 Pennefather-Duyfken Area
    • 19.2.8 Wenlock Corridor
    • 19.2.9 Iron Range
    • 19.2.10 Mission River Area
    • 19.2.11 Embley Range Area
    • 19.2.12 Hey-Embley Rivers Area
    • 19.2.13 Pera Head Area
    • 19.2.14 Mt. White
    • 19.2.15 Geike Range
    • 19.2.16 Aurukun Wetlands
    • 19.2.17 Archer-Coen Area
    • 19.2.18 McIlwraith-Lockhart Area
    • 19.2.19 Holroyd Wilderness
    • 19.2.20 Gorge Creek and Timber Reserve
    • 19.2.21 Lakefield Area
    • 19.2.22 Starke Area
    • 19.2.23 Cape Flattery-Cape Bedford
    • 19.2.24 Mitchell Delta
    • 19.2.25 Upper Alice-Coleman
    • 19.2.26 Golden-shouldered Parrot Habitat
    • 19.2.27 Kimba Plateau
    • 19.2.28 North Kennedy River Area
    • 19.2.29 Red Bluff Area
    • 19.2.30 Deighton - Normanby Area
    • 19.2.31 Isabella Falls Area
    • 19.2.32 Endeavour-Annan Area
    • 19.2.33 Palmer-King River Area
    • 19.2.34 Quinkan Area
    • 19.2.35 Wet Tropics
    • 19.2.36 Mitchell-Palmer Karst
• 20 References
• Appendix 1 Existing places of cultural significance currently in the Register of the National Estate
• Appendix 2 Biophysical Naturalness - Method used to derive this Wilderness Indicator
• Appendix 3 Rare and Uncommon Vegetation Communities. Threshold determination and results
• Appendix 4 Representative Vegetation Classes. Method details and results
• Appendix 5
  • Part 1 Modern Bibliography of Cape York Peninsula Butterflies
  • Part 2 Particular Butterfly Fauna of Interest in Cape York Peninsula
• Appendix 6 Significant Plant Species
• Appendix 7 Endemic or Rare and Threatened Vertebrate Species
• Appendix 8 Significant Plant Species and Associated Broad Vegetation Groups
• Appendix 9 Biogeographic and Rare Plant Attributes of the Vegetation Classes on Cape York Peninsula
• Appendix 10 Endemic Plant Species and Associated Broad Vegetation Groups
• Appendix 11 Insects Endemic to Cape York Peninsula

List of Figures

• Figure 1.1 Geological Sites of Conservation Significance
• Figure 3.1 Biophysical Naturalness
• Figure 3.2 National Wilderness Inventory - Wilderness Quality Values -Cape York Peninsula
• Figure 3.3 Wilderness Quality Across Australia
• Figure 3.4 National Wilderness Inventory - Wilderness Quality 12 and Higher
• Figure 3.5 National Wilderness Inventory - Wilderness Quality 14 and Higher
• Figure 4.1 Rainforest and Heath Vegetation on Cape York Peninsula
• Figure 4.2 Rare and Uncommon Broad Vegetatation Groups (BVG's)
• Figure 4.3 Rare and Uncommon Vegetation Classes
• Figure 5.1 Vegetation Communities Richness - 6 minute grids
• Figure 5.2 Vegetation Communities Richness - 10 minute grids
• Figure 6.1 Areas Containing the Best Examples of the Vegetation Classes occurring on Cape York Peninsula
• Figure 7.1 Areas of High Fauna Richness
• Figure 8.1 Significant Wetlands
• Figure 9.1 Marine Vegetation Areas of Significant Heritage Value
• Figure 10.1 Rainforest Areas of Conservation Significance
• Figure 11.1 Seabirds - Significant Sites on Cape York Peninsula
• Figure 12.1 Dune Areas of Conservation Significance
• Figure 13.1 Orchids - Recorded Locations on Cape York Peninsula
• Figure 13.2 Areas Significant for Orchids
• Figure 14.1 Butterflies - Significant Areas
• Figure 15.1 Riparian Environments of Significant Conservation Value
• Figure 16.1 Gondwanic Plant Species - Recorded Locations
• Figure 16.2 Vegetation Classes with Richness of Gondwanic Plants
• Figure 16.3 Intrusive Plant Species - Recorded Locations
• Figure 16.4 Vegetation Classes with Richness of Intrusive Plants
• Figure 16.5 Extra-Continental Plant Species - Recorded Locations
• Figure 16.6 Vegetation Classes with Richness of Extra-Continental Plants
• Figure 16.7 Endemic Plant Species - Recorded Locations
• Figure 16.8 Vegetation Classes with Richness of Endemic Plants
• Figure 16.9 Endemic Vertebrate Fauna - Recorded Locations
• Figure 16.10 Indicative Areas of Conservation Significance for Endemic Vertebrate Fauna
• Figure 16.11 Insect Species Endemic to Cape York Peninsula
• Figure 16.12 Rare Insect Species Endemic to Cape York Peninsula
• Figure 16.13 Insect Species with a Single Known Locality
• Figure 16.14 Disjunct Plant Species - Recorded Locations
• Figure 16.15 Vegetation Classess Rich in Disjunct Plant Species
• Figure 16.16 Terrestrial Vertebrates with Disjunct Distributions in Cape York Peninsula
• Figure 17.1 Total Number of Rare or Threatened Plant Species for each Region of Australia (from Briggs & Leigh 1988)
• Figure 17.2 Rare and Threatened Vegetation Species - Recorded Locations
• Figure 17.3 Vegetation Classes Rich in Rare and Threatened Plants
• Figure 17.4 Rare and Threatened Vertebrate Fauna - Recorded Locations
• Figure 17.5 Significant Habitat Areas for Endangered Terrestrial Vertebrate Species
• Figure 17.6 Indicative Significant Habitat Areas for Vulnerable Terrestrial Vertebrate Species
• Figure 17.7 Indicative Significant Habitat Areas for Rare Terrestrial Vertebrate Species
• Figure 17.8 Fish Habitats of Special Interest - Conservation and Natural Heritage Assessment
• Figure 17.9 Significant Turtle Nesting Sites
• Figure 17.10 Dugongs - Important Habitats
• Figure 17.11 Significant Crocodile Habitat Areas
• Figure 18.1 Significant Research Sites and Areas
• Figure 18.2 Type Localities of Flora
• Figure 18.3 Type Localities of Invertebrates
• Figure 18.4 Type Localities of Terrestrial Vertebrates
• Figure 18.5 Type Localities - Areas of High Incidence
• Figure 19.1 Aggregate Areas of Conservation Value
• Figure 19.2 Widespread Conservation Values
• Figure 19.3 Areas of Conservation Significance
• Figure A1 Places Already Included in the Register of the National Estate
• Figure A2 Wilderness Indicator Classification

List of Tables

• Table 1.1 Criteria and sub-criteria for national estate significance
• Table 9.1 Marine Vegetation Classes
• Table 9.2 Seagrass Diversity and Density in Eastern Queensland
• Table 9.3 Fish Habitat Reserve Criteria - RNE Criteria
• Table 11.1 Major Seabird Breeding Sites
• Table 11.2 Further Significant Seabird Roosting and Feeding Sites
• Table 14.1 Family distribution of butterfly species known from Cape York Peninsula
• Table 14.2 Uncommon Butterfly Species of the Iron Range Area
• Table 17.1 Dugong Grid Cell Data
• Table 18.1 Generalised Type Localities
• Table 19.1 Size and percentage of Cape York Peninsula for areas of natural conservation significance
• Table A2.1 Settlement Features
• Table A2.2 Access Features
• Table A2.3 Apparent Naturalness Structures
• Table A2.4 Flow chart for Biophysical Naturalness Codes
• Table A3.1 Rare and Uncommon Broad Vegetation Groups
• Table A3.2 Rare and Uncommon Vegetation Classes
• Table A4.1 Representative Vegetation Classes
• Table A4.2 Representative Vegetation Classes Requiring Additional Analysis
• Table A4.3 Rule Sets for Vegetation Classes 5, 49 and 167