Brigalow Belt
Brigalow tropical savanna
Brigalow Belt North (BBN) (IBRA
Brigalow Belt South (BBS) (IBRA)
Ecology
RealmAustralasian
Biometropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Borders
List
Geography
Area408,242 km2 (157,623 sq mi)
CountryAustralia
States
Conservation
Conservation statusCritical/endangered
Protected17,891 km² (4%)[1]

The Brigalow Belt is a wide band of acacia-wooded grassland that runs between tropical rainforest of the coast and the semi-arid interior of Queensland and northern New South Wales, Australia. The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) divides the Brigalow Belt into two IBRA regions, or bioregions, Brigalow Belt North (BBN) and Brigalow Belt South (BBS). The North and South Brigalow Belt are two of the 85 bioregions across Australia and the 15 bioregions in Queensland. Together they form most of the Brigalow tropical savanna ecoregion.[2][3]

Location and description

The Northern Brigalow Belt covers just over 135,000 square kilometres (52,124 sq mi) and runs from just north of Townsville to Emerald and Rockhampton on the Tropic of Capricorn, while the Southern Brigalow Belt runs from there down to the Queensland/New South Wales border and a little beyond, until the habitat becomes the eucalyptus dominated Eastern Australian temperate forests.

This large, complex strip of countryside covers an area of undulating to rugged slopes, consisting of ranges as well as plains of ancient sand and clay deposits, basalt and alluvium. The Northern Brigalow Belt includes the coal producing Bowen Basin, with the nearby Drummond Basin and the fertile Peak Downs areas. The southern belt, which begins with the sandstone gorges of the Carnarvon Range of the Great Dividing Range, runs into the huge Great Artesian Basin. The south-west side includes the farming area of Darling Downs.

A number of important rivers drain the Brigalow Belt. The large Fitzroy River system and the Belyando and Burdekin rivers near the tropics all drain eastwards, while the south-western areas drain westwards into the Murray–Darling basin via the Maranoa, Warrego and Condamine Rivers.

In the north, there are tropical summer rains and warm weather all year round, while in the south the winter is slightly cooler and there is more rainfall outside of the summer months. Throughout the belt, the interior, with less than 500 mm of rainfall per year, is drier than the coast, which may have 750 mm or more.

Flora

Brigalow tree, coastal central Queensland.

The characteristic plant communities are woodlands of highly water stress tolerant brigalow (Acacia harpophylla), a slender acacia tree which thrives on the clay soil and once covered much of the area especially the fertile lowlands. Most of the brigalow has been cleared to make agricultural land, but the Queensland Bottle Tree is often left uncleared due to its leaves being fodder for cattle. Eucalypt woodlands of silver-leaved and narrow-leaved ironbarks, poplar box and other boxes, blackbutt and coolibah are also intact primarily on the higher slopes.[4][5][6][7][8][9]

Dichanthium grasslands are another typical habitat of the area while pockets of thicker woodland of brigalow mixed with Casuarina cristata and ooline occur in moister valleys and vine thickets, wetlands, and softwood scrubs are sometimes found although in their undeveloped state, these specialised micro-habitats are rare today. There is a particularly rich variety of habitats in areas such as Isla Gorge and Blackdown Tableland in the sandstone belt of the Carnarvon Range. The Northern Brigalow Belt is one of fifteen national biodiversity hotspots in Australia.[10]

Fauna

The region is home to the unadorned rock-wallaby and the black-striped wallaby, which lives in the areas of vine thicket along with a wingless dung beetle (Onthophagus apterus). Two endangered mammals are found in the Brigalow Belt; the bridled nail-tail wallaby in Taunton and Idalia National Parks, and the burrowing northern hairy-nosed wombat in the grassland and eucalyptus of Epping Forest National Park. There are also populations of dunnart, wallaby, bat and koala. Birds found here include black-throated finch and russet-tailed thrush, while endemic reptiles include the Fitzroy River turtle.[11]

A variety of spiders and insects are found there, including Euoplos dignitas, an armoured trapdoor spider discovered in 2023.[12]

Already extinct fauna include the white-footed rabbit-rat and the Darling Downs hopping mouse.[13]

Threats and preservation

Map of the Brigalow Belt North, showing protected areas

Together with the Mulga Lands, the Brigalow Belt are where most of Queensland's land clearing is occurring.[14] Much of the brigalow woodland has been cleared or radically reduced to the extent that some wildlife, failing to thrive in the altered environment, has become extinct here with a number of the remaining communities threatened or endangered. The clearance of brigalow and poplar box is ongoing as there are a number of nature reserves of which do protect the various types of habitat found in the Belt including brigalow and eucalyptus woodland, grassland, vine thicket, high peaks, sandstone gorges and wetlands however these tend to be located on the sandstone uplands rather than the fertile lowlands, where the brigalow woodlands are still vulnerable to clearance and are often limited to small areas of parkland. The grasslands of the region are also under threat from introduced pasture grasses such as buffelgrass and weeds such as Congress weed. One particular threat comes from alterations to natural flow patterns caused by the addition of dams and weirs which impact the riverine and floodplain plant and animal species.[15]

Protected areas

A little more than two per cent of the Brigalow Belt lies within national parks and other protected areas.[16] The largest national parks in the Brigalow Belt are: Taunton (the largest at 115 km2); Epping Forest, Dipperu, Bowling Green Bay, Goodedulla National Park, Chesterton Range National Park, Homevale National Park, Blackdown Tableland National Park, Expedition National Park, and Carnarvon National Park.

Subregions

IBRA subregions of the Brigalow Belt North include Townsville Plains, Bogie River Hills, Cape River Hills, Beucazon Hills, Wyarra Hills, Northern Bowen Basin, Belyando Downs, Upper Belyando Floodout, Anakie Inlier, Basalt Downs, Isaac–Comet Downs, Nebo–Connors Ranges, South Drummond Basin and Marlborough Plains.

IBRA regions and subregions: IBRA7
IBRA region / subregionIBRA codeAreaStatesLocation in Australia
Brigalow Belt NorthBBN33,790,510 hectares (83,498,200 acres)Qld
Townsville PlainsBBN01763,495 ha (1,886,640 acres)
Bogie River HillsBBN021,054,392 ha (2,605,460 acres)
Cape River HillsBBN03747,393 ha (1,846,850 acres)
Beucazon HillsBBN0495,821 ha (236,780 acres)
Wyarra HillsBBN05397,935 ha (983,320 acres)
Northern Bowen BasinBBN061,316,957 ha (3,254,270 acres)
Belyando DownsBBN071,772,127 ha (4,379,020 acres)
Upper Belyando FloodoutBBN08466,275 ha (1,152,190 acres)
Anakie InlierBBN09382,284 ha (944,640 acres)
Basalt DownsBBN101,274,731 ha (3,149,930 acres)
Isaac-Comet DownsBBN112,693,397 ha (6,655,530 acres)
Nebo-Connors RangesBBN12449,269 ha (1,110,170 acres)
South Drummond BasinBBN131,009,244 ha (2,493,900 acres)
Marlborough PlainsBBN141,250,611 ha (3,090,330 acres)
IBRA regions and subregions: IBRA7
IBRA region / subregionIBRA codeAreaStatesLocation in Australia
Brigalow Belt SouthBBS27,219,776 hectares (67,261,530 acres)Qld / NSW
Claude River DownsBBS011,026,214 ha (2,535,830 acres)
WoorabindaBBS02749,785 ha (1,852,760 acres)
Boomer RangeBBS03220,541 ha (544,970 acres)
Mount Morgan RangesBBS041,275,970 ha (3,153,000 acres)
Callide Creek DownsBBS0530,133 ha (74,460 acres)
ArcadiaBBS06715,288 ha (1,767,520 acres)
Dawson River DownsBBS07982,807 ha (2,428,570 acres)
Banana-Auburn RangesBBS081,547,555 ha (3,824,090 acres)
Buckland BasaltsBBS09281,306 ha (695,120 acres)
Carnarvon RangesBBS102,263,686 ha (5,593,690 acres)
Taroom DownsBBS11652,005 ha (1,611,140 acres)
Southern DownsBBS124,264,666 ha (10,538,220 acres)
BarakulaBBS131,301,712 ha (3,216,600 acres)
Dulacca DownsBBS14162,442 ha (401,400 acres)
Weribone HighBBS15966,510 ha (2,388,300 acres)
Tara DownsBBS16511,339 ha (1,263,550 acres)
Eastern Darling DownsBBS171,697,945 ha (4,195,710 acres)
Inglewood SandstonesBBS181,219,008 ha (3,012,230 acres)
Moonie-Commoron FloodoutBBS19750,661 ha (1,854,920 acres)
Moonie-Barwon InterfluveBBS20765,231 ha (1,890,930 acres)
Northern BasaltsBBS21624,671 ha (1,543,600 acres)
Northern OutwashBBS22700,241 ha (1,730,330 acres)
Pilliga OutwashBBS23535,392 ha (1,322,980 acres)
PilligaBBS241,732,137 ha (4,280,200 acres)
Liverpool PlainsBBS25941,752 ha (2,327,120 acres)
Liverpool RangeBBS26521,960 ha (1,289,800 acres)
Talbragar ValleyBBS27203,894 ha (503,830 acres)
NarrandoolBBS28303,754 ha (750,590 acres)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brigalow Belt.
  1. ↑ Dinerstein, Eric; Olson, David; et al. (June 2017). "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm". BioScience. 67 (6): 534–545. doi:10.1093/biosci/bix014. PMC 5451287. PMID 28608869.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) Supplemental material 2 table S1b.
  2. ↑ "Brigalow tropical savanna". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  3. ↑ Stanton, J. P. (James Peter); Morgan, M. G; University of New England. School of Natural Resources (1977), The rapid selection and appraisal of key and endangered sites : the Queensland case study, the University of New England School of Natural Resources, p. 3, retrieved 11 February 2022
  4. ↑ Fensham, R.J.; McCosker, J.C.; Cox, M.J. (1998). "Estimating clearance of Acacia-dominated ecosystems in central Queensland using land-system mapping data". Australian Journal of Botany. 46 (2): 305–319. doi:10.1071/bt96129.
  5. ↑ Young, P.A.R., B.A. Wilson, J.C. McCosker, R.J. Fensham, G. Morgan, and P. M. Taylor. 1999. Brigalow Belt. Pages 11/1-11/81 in P. Sattler and R. Williams, editors. The Conservation Status of Queensland's Bioregional Ecosystems. Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane, Australia
  6. ↑ Thackway, R., and I.D. Creswell. 1995. An Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia: A framework for establishing a national system of reserves, Version 4. Australian Nature Conservation Agency, Canberra, Australia.
  7. ↑ Arnold, S.; Thornton, C.; Baumgartl, T. (2012). "Ecohydrological feedback as a land restoration tool in the semi-arid Brigalow Belt, QLD, Australia". Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 163: 61–71. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2012.05.020.
  8. ↑ Arnold, S., P. Audet, D. Doley, and T. Baumgartl. 2013. Hydropedology and ecohydrology of the Brigalow Belt, Australia: opportunities for ecosystem rehabilitation in semi-arid environments. Vadose Zone Journal, https://www.soils.org/publications/vzj/articles/12/4/vzj2013.03.0052?highlight=&search-result=1)
  9. ↑ Arnold, S., Y. Kailichova, and T. Baumgartl. 2014. Germination of Acacia harpophylla (Brigalow) seeds in relation to soil water potential: implications for rehabilitation of a threatened ecosystem. PeerJ, https://peerj.com/articles/268/
  10. ↑ "Brigalow tropical savanna". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  11. ↑ Ponce Reyes, Rocio; Firn, Jennifer; Nicol, Sam; Chades, Iadine; Martin, Tara; Stratford, Danial; Whitten, Stuart; Carwardine, Josie. Priority threat management for imperilled species of the Queensland Brigalow Belt. CSIRO: CSIRO; 2016. https://doi.org/10.4225/08/58542c54413ee
  12. ↑ Planas, Antonio (21 March 2023). "Super-size trapdoor spider discovered in Australia". NBC News. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  13. ↑ Ponce Reyes, Rocio; Firn, Jennifer; Nicol, Sam; Chades, Iadine; Martin, Tara; Stratford, Danial; Whitten, Stuart; Carwardine, Josie. Priority threat management for imperilled species of the Queensland Brigalow Belt. CSIRO: CSIRO; 2016. https://doi.org/10.4225/08/58542c54413ee
  14. ↑ Morris, Nathan (10 April 2022). "Beef industry could struggle to achieve net zero by 2030 if Queensland keeps clearing land". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  15. ↑ Ponce Reyes, Rocio; Firn, Jennifer; Nicol, Sam; Chades, Iadine; Martin, Tara; Stratford, Danial; Whitten, Stuart; Carwardine, Josie. Priority threat management for imperilled species of the Queensland Brigalow Belt. CSIRO: CSIRO; 2016. https://doi.org/10.4225/08/58542c54413ee
  16. ↑ "Expedition National Park: Nature, culture and history". Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing. 19 October 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  • "Australia's Biogeographical Regions". Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Australian Government. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  • "Australian Natural Resource Atlas". Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 July 2009.
  • Sattler, P. S. and R. D. Williams (1999) (eds) The Conservation Status of Queensland’s Bioregional ecosystems. Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane
  • IBRA Version 6.1 data. (Search in "Title" for "IBRA").

21°59′S 148°07′E / 21.983°S 148.117°E / -21.983; 148.117

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