Condition states

Depending on its management history, land that once supported wet sclerophyll forest may now support the same vegetation, fewer or no trees, a different vegetation type like lantana or camphor laurel, or no trees at all. These are different condition states for wet sclerophyll forest.

The ecological model shown on this page describes the different condition states for wet sclerophyll forest and what commonly leads to their formation. The target state to achieve maximum carbon is a wet sclerophyll forest with canopy eucalypts recruiting, and with either a shrubby (state 1) or grassy (state 2) understorey.

Shifts between these and other condition states occur in the following ways:

  • Frequent, low intensity fire, or regular removal of woody understorey plants by other means, will encourage the shift of state 1 to state 2, and then to state 5 (wet sclerophyll forest with grassy understorey and no eucalypts recruiting).
  • Repeated fires and/or selective harvesting are likely to reduce carbon stocks, and may result in the decline or loss of wet sclerophyll eucalypts (states 6–8).
  • Increased densities of bell miners may also bring about the decline of wet sclerophyll eucalypts through Bell Miner Associated Dieback (state 9), which will also reduce carbon stocks.
  • No fire or clearing may result in state 1 (wet sclerophyll forest with a rainforest) transforming into state 4 (wet rainforest). This is much more likely near rainforest seed sources.
  • In most situations, the restoration of wet sclerophyll eucalypts will require the removal of competing woody plants (such as lantana) and the exposure of soil by fire or mechanical clearing.
  • States without a seed source for wet sclerophyll eucalypts (states 7 and 8) will require direct seeding to enable the establishment and growth of canopy trees.
  • Carbon stocks in a mature wet sclerophyll forest (states 1 and 2) will be maintained if there is adequate rainfall and enough patchy disturbance or gaps in the understorey vegetation to allow the new trees to replace older ones.
  • Grazing and selective tree harvesting should be compatible with carbon farming as long as the dying mature trees are replaced at the same rate by new trees growing into the canopy.
  • The tree density and structure of a reforestation site will depend upon the balance between trees, timber, pasture, biodiversity and any other preferences of the manager.

In Queensland, you can use patchy disturbance to trigger regeneration in wet sclerophyll forest rather than high intensity crown fires. High intensity fires should be avoided as they are highly hazardous, result in large losses of carbon from the ecosystem, and correspondingly large carbon emissions.

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An ecological model for wet sclerophyll forest in Queensland. This model recommends patchy disturbance to maintain target states 1 and 2, rather than high intensity crown fire.

Note that the term ‘eucalypts’ includes all species of Eucalyptus, Syncarpia, Lophostemon and Corymbia that are canopy dominants of wet sclerophyll forest in Queensland.

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Response of wet sclerophyll forest to high intensity fire. This figure demonstrates how wet sclerophyll forest can regenerate after a destructive crown fire. Only some of the possible states and transitions are shown.

Identify your site’s condition state

To identify the condition state of your site, answer the following questions.

  1. Are wet sclerophyll eucalypts dying back and are high densities of bell miners present?
    Yes—You probably have wet sclerophyll forest with Bell Miner Associated Dieback (state 9)
    No—Go to question 2
  2. Are the seedlings of wet sclerophyll eucalypt species germinating and establishing?
    Yes—You probably have either wet sclerophyll forest with shrubby understorey (state 1) or wet sclerophyll forest with grassy understorey (state 2)
    No—Go to question 3
  3. Are wet sclerophyll eucalypts present and producing seed?
    Yes—Go to question 4
    No—Go to question 5
  4. Is there a dense layer (> 50% cover) of shrubs and/or mid-storey trees?
    Yes—You probably have either wet sclerophyll forest with rainforest understorey (state 3) or dense shrubs and/or trees with wet sclerophyll eucalypts present and producing seed (state 6)
    No—You probably have wet sclerophyll forest with grassy understorey (state 5)
  5. Is there a dense layer (> 50% cover) of shrubs and/or mid-storey trees?
    Yes—You probably have either wet rainforest (state 4) or dense shrubs and/or trees (state 7)
    No—You probably have grassland +/- scattered shrubs (state 8)
Illustration of state 1 (wet sclerophyll forest with shrubby understorey)
Illustration of state 1 (wet sclerophyll forest with shrubby understorey)

State 1—Wet sclerophyll forest with shrubby understorey

Seedlings of wet sclerophyll eucalypt species germinating and establishing.

Illustration of state 2 (wet sclerophyll forest with grassy understorey)
Illustration of state 2 (wet sclerophyll forest with grassy understorey)

State 2—Wet sclerophyll forest with grassy understorey

Seedlings of wet sclerophyll eucalypt species germinating and establishing.

Illustration of state 3 (wet sclerophyll forest with rainforest understorey)
Illustration of state 3 (wet sclerophyll forest with rainforest understorey)

State 3—Wet sclerophyll forest with rainforest understorey

Wet sclerophyll eucalypts present and producing seed.

A dense layer (> 50% cover) of shrubs and/or mid-storey trees is present.

Illustration of state 4 (wet rainforest)
Illustration of state 4 (wet rainforest)

State 4—Wet rainforest

Wet sclerophyll eucalypts absent.

A dense layer (> 50% cover) of shrubs and/or mid-storey trees is present.

Illustration of state 5 (wet sclerophyll forest with grassy understorey)
Illustration of state 5 (wet sclerophyll forest with grassy understorey)

State 5—Wet sclerophyll forest with grassy understorey

Wet sclerophyll eucalypts present and producing seed.

A dense layer (> 50% cover) of shrubs and/or mid-storey trees is absent.

Illustration of state 6 (dense shrubs and/or trees, with wet sclerophyll eucalypts present and producing seed.
Illustration of state 6 (dense shrubs and/or trees, with wet sclerophyll eucalypts present and producing seed.

State 6—Dense shrubs and/or trees, with wet sclerophyll eucalypts present and producing seed.

Wet sclerophyll eucalypts present and producing seed.

A dense layer (> 50% cover) of shrubs and/or mid-storey trees is present.

Illustration of state 7 (dense shrubs and/or trees)
Illustration of state 7 (dense shrubs and/or trees)

State 7—Dense shrubs and/or trees.

Wet sclerophyll eucalypts are absent.

A dense layer (> 50% cover) of shrubs and/or mid-storey trees is present.

Illustration of state 8 (grassland with or without scattered shrubs)
Illustration of state 8 (grassland with or without scattered shrubs)

State 8—Grassland +/- scattered shrubs

Wet sclerophyll eucalypts are absent.

A dense layer (> 50% cover) of shrubs and/or mid-storey trees is absent

Illustration of state 9 (wet sclerophyll forest with Bell Miner Associated Dieback)
Illustration of state 9 (wet sclerophyll forest with Bell Miner Associated Dieback)

State 9—Wet sclerophyll forest with Bell Miner Associated Dieback

Wet sclerophyll eucalypts dying back, and high densities of bell miners present

Doesn’t seem to fit?

Check the vegetation of your site with the interactive map.

Main management issues

The main management issues for each condition state for wet sclerophyll forest are summarised below.

Some condition states have been grouped because their management issues are the same.

Condition state

Description

Main management issue

1 & 2

Wet sclerophyll canopy trees present and young trees establishing; shrubby or grassy understorey

Areas in these states should require little intervention to sustain or increase their carbon stocks

3 & 6

Wet sclerophyll canopy trees present and producing seed; dense layer of shrubs and/or mid-storey trees present

Reduction in shrub/mid-storey tree cover may be needed to allow establishment of young canopy trees

5

Wet sclerophyll canopy trees present and producing seed; no dense layer of shrubs and/or mid-storey trees

Areas in these states may require changes to grazing or fire regimes to allow establishment of young canopy trees to increase carbon stocks

4 & 7

Wet sclerophyll canopy trees absent or not producing seed; dense layer of shrubs and/or mid-storey trees present

Seed sources (and/or tubestock) will be required to restore canopy trees. Reduction in shrub/mid-storey tree cover may be needed to allow establishment of young canopy trees

However, if rainforest trees are dominant, (state 4) this may provide similar carbon stocks to wet sclerophyll forest. The additional benefits of restoring wet sclerophyll canopy trees for carbon farming may be marginal

8

Wet sclerophyll canopy trees absent or not producing seed; no dense layer of shrubs and/or mid-storey trees

Seed sources (and/or tubestock) will be required to restore canopy trees

9

Wet sclerophyll canopy trees present, and affected by Bell Miner Associated Dieback

Reduction in shrub/mid-storey tree cover may be needed to remove habitat for miner birds and reverse symptoms of tree dieback