• Bioregions
• Regional ecosystems
• What is remnant vegetation?
• Regional ecosystem maps
• Regrowth
• Contact information

Bioregions

Queensland is divided into 13 bioregions (PDF, 239 kB)* based on broad landscape patterns that reflect the major underlying geology, climate patterns and broad groupings of plants and animals.

Regional ecosystems

Regional ecosystems (REs) are communities of vegetation that are consistently associated with a particular combination of geology, land form and soil in a bioregion. The Queensland Herbarium has mapped the remnant extent of regional ecosystems for much of the state using a combination of satellite imagery, aerial photography and on-ground studies.

Each regional ecosystem has been assigned a conservation status which is based on its current remnant extent (how much of it remains) in a bioregion.

Regional ecosystems are declared in the Vegetation Management Regulation 2000 and are classified as:

Endangered if:

• the area of remnant vegetation for the regional ecosystem is less than 10% of the pre-clearing extent of the regional ecosystem; or
• the area of remnant vegetation for the regional ecosystem is 10% to 30% of the pre-clearing extent of the regional ecosystem and less than 10 000 hectares.

Of concern if:

• the area of remnant vegetation for the regional ecosystem is 10% to 30% of the pre-clearing extent of the regional ecosystem; or
• the area of remnant vegetation for the regional ecosystem is more than 30% of the pre-clearing extent of the regional ecosystem and less than 10 000ha.

Not of concern if:

• the area of remnant vegetation for the regional ecosystem is more than 30% of the pre-clearing extent of the regional ecosystem and more than 10 000ha.

Check the DERM website for:

• a description of each regional ecosystem
• information on how regional ecosystems are classified.

What is remnant vegetation?

If there is a regional ecosystem map, remnant vegetation is vegetation that is mapped as being within a remnant endangered regional ecosystem, a remnant of concern regional ecosystem, or a remnant not of concern regional ecosystem on the map.

If there is a remnant map, remnant vegetation is vegetation that is mapped as remnant vegetation on the map.

The following methodology is used when determining if vegetation is remnant:

• 50% of the predominant canopy cover that would exist if the vegetation community were undisturbed; and
• 70% of the height of the predominant canopy that would exist if the vegetation community were undisturbed; and
• composed of the same floristic species that would exist if the vegetation community were undisturbed.

Queensland's vegetation management legislation protects remnant vegetation on freehold land and state land as well as certain non-remnant vegetation on freehold and state land.

Regional ecosystem maps

Regional ecosystem maps (RE maps) describe the extent and conservation status of remnant vegetation as regional ecosystems. They provide information crucial to the preparation of an application to clear vegetation, particularly for developing a property vegetation management plan.

Additional information that may be shown on an RE map, which is also relevant to a clearing application, includes areas of essential habitat - areas identified by DERM as essential habitat for a species of wildlife listed as endangered, vulnerable, near threatened or rare under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.

Regional ecosystem maps and remnant maps are available for download, free of charge, from the DERM website. These maps can also be viewed at local DERM offices.

Regrowth

Regional ecosystem maps and remnant maps show areas classified as remnant vegetation. Areas of native vegetation outside the areas shown as remnant are regrowth—that is, the white areas on the maps.

A moratorium is in place for clearing all native regrowth vegetation within 50 metres of a watercourse in priority reef catchments and for clearing certain endangered regrowth vegetation in rural areas acorss the State on freehold and agricultural and grazing State leasehold land for a period of at least 3 months. This came into effect on 8 April 2009. Please refer to the information on the moratorium on clearing high-value regrowth for further information.

Contact information

If you have problems downloading any of these documents, or would like a copy mailed to you, please contact:

Central West Region

• Phone 4938 4615 (Rockhampton)

North Region

• Phone 4799 7126 (Townsville)

South East Region

• Phone 4131 5754 (Bundaberg)
• Phone 5480 5333 (Gympie)
• Phone 3884 5328 (Ipswich)

South West Region

• Phone 4688 1098 (Toowoomba)

See DERM business centres for a map depicting the boundaries of each region, and for a full service centre directory.

For email enquiries, please email VM Enquiries.

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