Managing biodiversity in our cotton 'landscapes'
Gwydir/Inverell local government area
Area of cotton landscape:
458,300 ha
Area of cotton properties:
145,300 ha
Area of remnant vegetation in the cotton landscape:
135,400 ha (30%)
Area of remnant vegetation on cotton properties:
23,400 ha (16%)
Area of threatened ecological communities in the cotton landscape:
30,000 ha (22%)
Area of threatened ecological communities on cotton properties:
6,640 ha (28%)
Area of priority zones for native vegetation restoration and enhancement:
8,070 ha
Area of priority zones for vegetation:
24,260 ha
Main vegetation types on cotton properties:
Smooth-barked Apple woodlands, Rough-barked Apple woodlands, Narrow- leaved Ironbark woodlands; White Box woodlands, Silver-leaved Ironbark woodlands, Blakely’s Red Gum woodlands, Brigalow woodlands, Carbeen woodlands, Grey Box woodlands, River Oak riparian forests, Inland Rainforests.
Main threatened ecological communities on cotton properties:
Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla dominant and co-dominant) (E).
Carbeen open forest community in the Darling Riverine Plains and Brigalow Belt South bioregions (N).
Weeping Myall woodlands (E).
Named wetlands in the cotton landscape:
Barden Lagoon, Browns Lagoon, Malgarai Lagoon, Milchomi Lagoon, Telephone Lagoon.
Area of wetlands in the cotton landscape:
7,070 ha (2%)
Area of wetlands in the cotton properties:
3,490 ha (2%)
Length of major rivers in the cotton landscape:
352 km
Length of major rivers on cotton properties:
243 km
Length of minor water courses in the cotton landscape:
2,478 km
Length of minor streams on cotton properties:
860 km
Main rivers in the cotton landscape:
Beardy River, Dumaresq River, Gwydir River, Macintyre River, Brush Creek, Croppa Creek, Gil Gil Creek, Mobbindry Creek, Mosquito Creek, Ottleys Creek, Rocky Hole Creek.
Area of national park in the cotton landscape:
21,668 ha
Area of state forests in the cotton landscape:
3,657 ha
Area of travelling stock routes in the cotton landscape:
11,466 ha
Examples of public land reserves in the cotton landscape: Dthinna Dthinnawan National Park, Bullala National park, Planchonella Nature Reserve, Bullala State Forest, Bebo State Forest, Strathmore State Forest.
Examples of iconic species in the cotton landscape:
Animals: Common Brushtail Possum, Duck-billed Platypus, Koala, Short- beaked Echidna, Australasian Bittern, Black-necked Stork, Emu, Spotted Harrier, Squatter Pigeon, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Willie Wagtail, Eastern Blue- tongue Lizard, Murray Cod, Silver Perch.
Plants: Brigalow, Carbeen, Ooline.
Examples of threatened species in the cotton landscape:
Animals: Black-striped Wallaby (N), Delicate Mouse (N), Koala (V), Squirrel Glider (N), Australian Brush-turkey population (N), Australasian Bittern (E), Black-necked Stork (N), Painted Honeyeater (V), Regent Honeyeater (CE), Squatter Pigeon (V), Scarlet Robin (N), Spotted Harrier (N), Turquoise Parrot (N), Border Thick-tailed Gecko (V), Murray Cod (V), Silver Perch (E).
Plants: Australian Brush-turkey population (N), Belson's Panic (V), Braid Fern (N), Granite Homoranthus (V), Wild Orange (E), Cyperus conicus (N).