PROJECT SNAPSHOT
Action: Purchase and protection of Lot 176 Quandong Road (Lot 2 RP 738519)
Area: 1.17-hectares
Location: Forest Creek, Daintree Lowland Rainforest, Queensland
Vegetation type: Regional Ecosystem 7.3.20e listed as “Of Concern” under the Vegetation Management Act 1999.
Threatened Species: Southern Cassowary, Noah's Walnut
Our ecologist surveyed Lot 176 Quandong Road and found remnant vegetation with little human interference. The property has 152 native species as well as an ecosystem with dominant Sclerophyll elements.
Lot 176 Quandong Road, Cow Bay
The vegetation on Lot 176 is experiencing change in the absence of fire. The canopy consists of Brown Salwood (Acacia celsa), Blue Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis), Acacia polystachya, Red Mahogany (Eucalyptus pellita), Narrow leaved Ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra) and Pink Bloodwood (Corymbia intermedia).
These trees are all estimated to be 80-100 years old indicating the last fire occurred at this time. The majority of the vegetation is significantly denser being a diverse rainforest understorey. Since fire is now seldom experienced in the Daintree lowlands it is assumed that this forest habitat will omit Sclerophyll species as time lengthens.
Noah's Walnut (Endiandra microneura) occurs at this site. It is listed as Near Threatened on the Queensland’s Nature Conservation Act (1992). This species is only found within the Daintree Lowland Rainforest predominately north of the Daintree River and south of Cape Tribulation. It produces a vibrant display of limp, red, new leaves as well as large, yellow, oblong-shaped fruits that are dispersed by the Southern Cassowary.
The local endemic tree, Queensland Golden Showers (Cassia queenslandica) is seldomly encountered in this area. It was identified from one tree onsite which was fruiting at the time of this assessment.
This property provides important habitat for the Endangered Southern Cassowary with many species of plants producing fleshy fruits.
Cassowary Plum (Cerbera floribunda), is one Endangered Southern Cassowary’s favourite foods. This tree species occurs in tropical rainforest in Far North Queensland and PNG and grows to about 30 metres. At the age of three years, it begins to produce large, smooth, and blue fruits. The Cassowary and the Cassowary plum have a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship. The plum provides food for the Cassowary and the Cassowary spreads the seeds of the tree throughout the rainforest.
The purchase of Lot 176 compliments the buyback of land in Cow Bay that has occurred over the past three decades. We purchased Lot 124 Quandong Road and six other Cow Bay properties in 2020 and 2021.
Cassowary and chick in the Daintree Rainforest
Lot 176 Quandong Road, Cow Bay
Large Fruited Red Mahogany (Eucalyptus pellita)
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