| Regional Importance
Bukkulla reserve is regionally important as it contains
significant areas of semi-evergreen vine thicket, woodland,
open forest and representation of the poorly conserved
central Queensland serpentinite landscape.
The semi-evergreen vine thicket includes endangered
and 'of concern' regional ecosystems as well as rare
and or threatened plants and animals.
Vegetation associated with the serpentinite landscape
is poorly conserved and has a number of rare, poorly
known or threatened plant species, the majority of which
are endemics. This landscape is has interim listing
on the Register of the National Estate (Australian Heritage
Commission).
The Reserve is part of a larger area of conservation
interest centred on Pine Mountain, which includes two
State Timber Reserves. These are considered to have
high intrinsic conservation values as they contain araucarian
vine forest and gum-topped blood wood (Corymbia erythrophloia)
woodland which merges into lowland semi-evergreen vine
thicket, gum-topped bloodwood open woodland with semi-evergreen
vine thicket understorey, rosewood (Acacia rhodoxylon)
woodland with semi-evergreen vine thicket on the low
hills and gum-topped box (Eucalyptus moluccana) woodland
with semi-evergreen vine thicket understorey on the
footslopes.
The Reserve has viable linkages to an adjacent tract
of remnant vegetation on leasehold and freehold land
and to the State Forest on Pine Mountain. It is an important
area for conservation in a district where little is
protected in reserves.
The Climate
The average rainfall is highly variable with an annual
mean of approximately 900mm. More than 80% of the rain
falls in the summer months. Droughts occur frequently.
Mean temperature ranges from 35o C in January to 18o
C in July.
The Geology
The geology is complex and made up of acid to intermediate
volcanics, conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and limestone.
The Land Systems
Six land systems (each with their own characteristic
soil types) occur in the Reserve and all are reasonably
intact.
The Daunia land system is made up of gently undulating
rises and plains on sedimentary rocks. Soils are typically
black and brown cracking clays; bleached loamy and clay
loamy surface, brown and grey, mottled massive gradational
loams and clay loams. The original vegetation was mainly
brigalow and semi-evergreen vine thickets.
The Moore land system is steep to rolling hills and
rises on sedimentary rock. Soils are shallow, stony,
brown, red and dark structured gradational clay loams
and uniform clays. The original vegetation mainly semi-evergreen
vine thicket.
Artillery land system is made up of undulating low
hills, rises and fans with finely grained sedimentary
rocks. Soils are typically brown and grey alkaline sodic
duplex soils with bleached sandy and loamy surface.
The vegetation is mainly eucalypt open woodland.
Berserker land system comprises steep mountains and
escarpments on acid and intermediate volcanic rocks
and minor intrusions. Soils are typically shallow, stony
brown and black massive loams and clay loams; structured
uniform clays and gradational clay loams. Most vegetation
is eucalypt woodland with semi-evergreen thicket.
Glassford land system comprises steep to rolling hills
on granite with eucalypt open woodland.
Marlborough land system is serpentinite on steep mountains
with eucalypt open woodland characterised by the serpentinite
iron bark
The Vegetation
Sixteen regional ecosystems potentially occur at 'Lorna
Vale'; four of which are regarded as endangered and
two are of concern. Endangered ecosystems include: semi-evergreen
thicket and semi-deciduous notophyll vine forest on
alluvials; semi-evergreen vine thicket +/- belah (Casuarina
cristata) on Tertiary clay; brigalow (Acacia harpophylla)
shrubby open forest on Palaeozoic sedimentary and metamorphic
rocks on lowlands; belah and semi-evergreen vine thicket
species sometimes present and semi-evergreen vine thicket
on Palaeozoic sedimentary and metamorphic rocks on lowlands.
The regional ecosystems of concern include: Complex
vegetation on serpentinite landscape comprising woodlands
of ironbarks (Eucalyptus fibrosa subsp Glen Geddes (M.I.
Booker 10230)), bloodwoods (Corymbia xanthope + Corymbia
dallachiana), shrubland, vine thicket and local riparian
vegetation and tall woodland or open forest of blue
gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) on alluvials.
The Reserve is quite diverse floristically and supports
a range of vertebrate species including the squatter
pigeon (Petrophassa scripta) which is scheduled as Vulnerable
under the Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulations
1994.
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