Managing biodiversity in our cotton 'landscapes'
Moree Plains local government area
Area of cotton landscape:
1,683,700 ha
Area of cotton properties:
911,200 ha
Area of remnant vegetation in the cotton landscape:
351,600 ha (21%)
Area of remnant vegetation on cotton properties:
135,100 ha (15%)
Area of threatened ecological communities in the cotton landscape:
241,500 ha ( 69%)
Area of threatened ecological communities on cotton properties:
99,000 ha (73%)
Area of priority zones for native vegetation restoration and enhancement:
52,820 ha
Area of priority zones for vegetation:
76,030 ha
Main vegetation types on cotton properties:
Coolibah woodlands, Belah woodlands, Black Box woodlands, Carbeen woodlands, White Box woodlands, Poplar Box woodlands, Silver-leaved Ironbark woodlands, Tumbledown Red Gum low woodlands, River Red Gum forests, Smooth-barked Apple woodlands, Weeping Myall woodlands, Leopardwood woodlands, Inland Rainforests.
Main threatened ecological communities on cotton properties:
Carbeen open forest community in the Darling Riverine Plains and Brigalow Belt South bioregions (N).
Coolibah-Black Box woodland of the Brigalow Belt South and Darling Riverine Plains bioregions (E).
Weeping Myall woodlands (E).
Named wetlands in the cotton landscape:
Gwydir Wetlands, Bunna Bunna Swamp, Morella Lagoon, Maynes Lagoon, Gingham and Lower Gwydir (Big Leather) Watercourses.
Area of wetlands in the cotton landscape:
124,800 ha (7%)
Area of wetlands in the cotton properties:
74,200 ha (8%)
Length of major rivers in the cotton landscape:
2,049 km
Length of major rivers on cotton properties:
1,669 km
Length of minor water courses in the cotton landscape:
3,993 km
Length of minor streams on cotton properties:
2,383 km
Main rivers in the cotton landscape:
Barwon River, Boomi River, Gwydir River, Little Weir River, Macintyre River, Mehi River, Carole Creek, Croppa Creek, Gil Gil Creek, Gingham Watercourse, Mallowa Creek, Millie Creek, Moomin Creek, Mosquito Creek, Tarran Creek, Tycannah Creek, Wallon Creek, Whalan Creek.
Area of national park in the cotton landscape:
22,368 ha
Area of state forests in the cotton landscape:
0 ha
Area of travelling stock routes in the cotton landscape:
57,837 ha
Examples of public land reserves in the cotton landscape: Terry Hie Hie Aboriginal Area, Gwydir Wetlands State Conservation Area, Kirramingly Nature Reserve, Budelah Nature Reserve.
Examples of iconic species in the cotton landscape:
Animals: Koala, Short-beaked Echidna, Australian Bustard, Black-fronted Dotterel, Caspian Tern, Flock Bronzewing, Peregrine Falcon, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Willie Wagtail, Zebra Finch, Carpet Python, Murray Cod, Common Yabby.
Plants: Brigalow, Leopardwood, River Red Gum, Weeping Myall.
Examples of threatened species in the cotton landscape:
Animals: Koala (V), Squirrel Glider (N), Stripe-faced Dunnart (N), Black-striped Wallaby (N), Australian Painted Snipe (E), Black-chinned Honeyeater (N), Eastern Grass Owl (N), Glossy Black-Cockatoo (N,Q), Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (N), Painted Honeyeater (V), Varied Sittella (N), Border Thick-tailed Gecko (V), Five- clawed Worm-skink (V), Murray Cod (V), Silver Perch (CE), Darling River Snail (N).
Plants: Bluegrass (V), Finger Panic Grass (N), Ooline (V), Slender Darling Pea (V)