I have just been to visit the beautiful Beechmont Plateau, in the Gold Coast Hinterland, SE Qld, Australia. Adjoining this Plateau is the Lamington Plateau, host to the Lamington National Park , Gondwana Heritage Rainforests and all things wonderful. These biodiverse rainforests with an ancient heritage extend along the border of NE NSW and SE QLD.
The Beechmont Plateau was largely a cleared section of the Mt Warning Caldera Region during the 20th century. Photos from the 1930’s show the plateau as having large bare expanses from habitat clearing, clear felling and extensive timber getting.
Many weed species (eg privet, lantana ) and some remnant wet and dry sclerophyll forest have now revegetated the plateau and its escarpments, which was intensively farmed by the dairy industry up until deregulation began just before the turn of this century. Fires are a regular hot weather feature on the escarpments and some sections of the plateau. I have spent many nights watching fires burn out of control about the plateau, and quite a few houses have been destroyed by fire and landslides over the years . Indiscriminate clearing and burning off is still taking place.
In this photo, Phantom Koala watches a “farmer” on Beechmont Plateau burn trees that have been cleared
The plateau and its escarpment is under pressure from development as more land is currently being subdivided and sold for housing estates and smaller rural pursuits. This may or may not be a good thing for biodiversity and the water aquifers, depending on the land and water stewardship that prevails into the future.
The Beechmont Plateau is flanked by the open and closed sclerophyll forests and rainforests of the Land Warfare Centre (Canungra), to the west, the Lamington National Park with its Upper Coomera River Catchment to the west and south. These include biodiverse rainforest Gondwana Heritage habitats and ecosystems. To the east lies more diverse Gondwana Heritage wonders of the Springbrook Plateau and much of the Nerang River Catchment and (the Hinze Dam Catchment). This water of the Nerang river Catchment is now part of the SE QLD WATER GRID. The basaltic aquifers of the region are largely unmonitored.
Environmental Advocacy Collage : Beechmont Plateau, SE QLD, Australia
Back in the early 1990’s two gifted environmentalists, Iris Flenady and Ros Woodburn created, a beautiful educational package for schools to use, concerning Remnant Vegetation Restoration and Habitat Rescue. This Book, “Rescuing Remnants” is worth a look at, and bluecray recommends its use in helping teachers grasp Remnant Vegetation Educational plans and methods.
On a more scientific level, Robert Kooyman’s works, in association with other authors gives us a rich insight into the complexities of Native Vegetation in the Mt Warning Caldera Region of NE NSW and SE Qld. More about some of Robert Kooyman’s work can be seen here at Rainforest Rescue .
Opportunities for combined agroforestry, carbon sequesration and biodiversity within the Scenic Rim (Mt Warning (or WOLLUMBIN) Caldera Region of Australia).
Having attended an agroforestry workshop over a decade ago, in the “high country” of the old Beaudesert Shire, I became convinced back then, that these three components:- agroforestry, biodiversity and carbon sequestration can work very well within the Mt Warning Caldera Region, if put together using the soundest of authentic Land and Water (Environmental) Stewardship principles. The New South Wales Good Wood guide is a splendid start to understanding the types of trees that can be grown within this region. Should you be interested in further discussions concerning this article, please do not hesitate to contact me at bluecray.org
Agroforestry LINKS at bluecray.org
Beechmont at wikipedia
The work done by the Rescuing Remnants volunteers , beginning almost two decades ago has created stands of native endemic, largely rainforest plantings that can show the level of Carbon sequestration that is possible in the region of the Mt Warning (Wollumbin) Caldera.
If the stands of trees that have been planted would be measured, (which would be rather easy) they could readily show what level of Carbon sequestration is possible on this and the neighbouring Springbrook Plateaus.
These plantings are a valuable heritage that is directly related to Iris and Ros’s dedication and to the National Parks and Wildlife people, numerous volunteers, landholders, teachers and school children who participated in the Rescuing Remnants program. Some of the Remnant to Remnant plantings are on private land, some on public land. Many are now forming small forested “islands” of rich biodiversity and valuable seed for the birds and other fauna of the area to spread across the Plateau and surrounding region, by natural means. This is a wonderful example of Land and Water Stewardship.
I am not too sure if this program is still running, but I had had some involvement with it years back, and it was a highly valuable education resource for both the school at Beechmont and the community at large. It was dependent on the dedication of the School, community and National Parks to mention some key “players”.
A nice reference for this area is “TAMING the PLATEAU – HISTORY of the BEECHMONT DISTRICT”. compiled and edited by Robert Longhurst. ISBN 064612353X
Rescuing Remnants Beechmont – search results at bluecray Environmental Search Engine. There is not much on the internet about the Rescuing Remnants program. I will ask about it next time I am on the Plateau and see what is happening concerning any recent/ongoing community work with the program, and fill in details as soon as I can.
A beautiful area to the west of the Beechmont Plateau, is the Back Creek Gorge (see google search for Back Creek Gorge conservation association) ( + Killarney Glen – now in the Canungra Land Warfare custodianship?), which the Fitzgerald Family worked hard to preserve and conserve for many years.
The World Heritage listed Gondwana Rainforests are found along the border of NE NSW and SE QLD, and a map of their location can be downloaded at Australia’s World Heritage page at the Australian Government’s Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.
Gold Coast City Council, SE Queensland
Scenic Rim Regional Council, SE Queensland
Dry Sclerophyll Forest & Wet sclerophyll Forest : search results at bluecray Environmental search engine
The geology of this plateau largely explains what type of vegetation units once were present, and why open and closed forests, wet and dry rainforests occur where they do. I shall endeavour to write more on this at a later date.
basaltic soils SE QLD : bluecray environmental search engine results
rhyolitic soils SE QLD : bluecray environmental search engine results
The Rainforest Information Centre .
See also “Carbon Trading in the USA” at ABC Landline archives October 2009. This story illustrate what happens when the “free market” is allowed to take over what is essentially an environmental issue that needs to be kept out of the hands of those people whose ego’s and greed is running amok, and placed back into the hands of caring land and water stewards.
AND LASTLY, here are some links to other stories that I have written about education and biodiversity that you may find interesting:-
Australia’s Drop in the Ocean – the Draft Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill – and a brief outline as to WHY Australia’s economy would be best suited to being based on BIODIVERSE FOREST establishment across as much of the continent as possible, and employing endemic, provincial, genetically diverse seed and propagation materials for the Forests.
A Balance of Faeries – revisited:- a story about clearing fragile remnants where Koalas and other vulnerable species live, and why recovery of those remnants may never occur unless immediate authentic land and water stewardship action is taken.
Growing by Organics – food gardens and sharing
Totem Based Education for Biodiversity :a brief outline of how Schools can introduce into the School “HOUSE” system an environmental education template for species recovery and habitat understanding at a basic and localised level.
some Bluecray Murray Darling Links
Goanna leaves the Glyphosate Bank
PK and Litoria look for Rufous Bettong
“Clearing the Habit of Habitat Clearing” – at Journey for Wisdom in the Land
