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Lockerbie Scrub is a 230 km2 area of closed
Some 158 km2 of the Lockerbie Scrub has been identified by
Lockerbie Scrub is a 230 km2 area of closed forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
and woodland
A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...
, surrounded by open tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
woodland, at the northern tip of the Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ...
in Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stretches north to the Torres Strait, and west to the Gulf C ...
, Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
Description
The Scrub consists of lowlandrainforest
Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...
, eucalypt
Eucalypt is a descriptive name for woody plants with capsule fruiting bodies belonging to seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australasia:
''Eucalyptus'', '' Corymbia'', '' Angophora'', ''Stockwellia'', ''Allosyn ...
tall open forest and closed eucalypt woodland
A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...
. The rainforest type represented there is predominantly semi-deciduous
Semi-deciduous or semi-evergreen is a botanical term which refers to plants that lose their foliage for a very short period, when old leaves fall off and new foliage growth is starting. This phenomenon occurs in tropical and sub-tropical woody spec ...
notophyll vine forest growing upon a number of different soil types.Abrahams, H.; Mulvaney, M.; Glasco, D.; & Bugg, A. (1995). Areas of Conservation Significance on Cape York Peninsula. accessed 9 January 2008 The climate is monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
al with well-defined wet and dry season
The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The te ...
s. Land tenure is mainly Aboriginal (Deed of Grant in Trust
A Deed of Grant in Trust (DOGIT) is the name for a system of community-level land trust established in Queensland to administer former Aboriginal reserves and missions. They came about through the enactment by the Queensland Government of the '' ...
) land, with pockets of freehold
Freehold may refer to:
In real estate
*Freehold (law), the tenure of property in fee simple
*Customary freehold, a form of feudal tenure of land in England
*Parson's freehold, where a Church of England rector or vicar of holds title to benefice p ...
around the communities of New Mapoon and Bamaga
Bamaga ( , ) is a small town and locality about from the northern tip of Cape York in the north of Queensland, Australia. It is within the Northern Peninsula Area Region. It is one of the northernmost settlements in continental Australia and is ...
.BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lockerbie Scrub. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 07/08/2011.
Fauna
Mammals
Northern quoll
The northern quoll (''Dasyurus hallucatus''), also known as the northern native cat, the North Australian native cat or the satanellus is a carnivorous marsupial native to Australia.
Taxonomy
The northern quoll is a member of the family Das ...
s, spectacled flying fox
The spectacled flying fox (''Pteropus conspicillatus''), also known as the spectacled fruit bat, is a megabat that lives in Australia's north-eastern regions of Queensland. It is also found in New Guinea and on the offshore islands including Wood ...
es and bare-backed fruit bat
The bare-backed fruit bat or Moluccan naked-backed fruit bat (''Dobsonia moluccensis'') is a fruit bat in the family Pteropodidae.
Taxonomy and etymology
It was described as a new species in 1830 by Jean René Constant Quoy and Joseph Paul Gai ...
s occur in the Lockerbie Scrub.
Birds
Some 158 km2 of the Lockerbie Scrub has been identified by BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
as an Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
(IBA) because it is a significant migratory bottleneck
Bottleneck literally refers to the narrowed portion (neck) of a bottle
A bottle is a narrow-necked container made of an impermeable material (such as glass, plastic or aluminium) in various shapes and sizes that stores and transports liquids ...
for spangled drongos and rainbow bee-eater
The rainbow bee-eater (''Merops ornatus'') is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae.
Taxonomy
The rainbow bee-eater is the only species of Meropidae found in Australia and is monotypic. Its closest relative is most likely the ...
s, as well as supporting populations of lovely fairywren
The lovely fairywren (''Malurus amabilis''), or lovely wren, is a species of bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is endemic to northeastern Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropic ...
s and yellow-spotted honeyeater
The yellow-spotted honeyeater (''Meliphaga notata'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is also known as the lesser lewin. The bird is endemic to northern Queensland. The bird's common name refers to the yellow patch that membe ...
s.
Also present in the area are several birds whose Australian range is limited to the Cape York Peninsula, including palm cockatoo
The palm cockatoo (''Probosciger aterrimus''), also known as the goliath cockatoo or great black cockatoo, is a large smoky-grey or black parrot of the cockatoo family native to New Guinea, Aru Islands, and Cape York Peninsula. It has a very l ...
s, yellow-billed kingfisher
The yellow-billed kingfisher (''Syma torotoro'') is a medium-sized tree kingfisher.
Taxonomy
Three subspecies are recognised:
*''Syma torotoro torotoro'' (Lesson, 1827) found in West Papuan islands, lowland New Guinea, Yapen Island and Aru
*' ...
s, Papuan pittas, trumpet manucode
The trumpet manucode (''Phonygammus keraudrenii'')'' is a species of bird in the family Paradisaeidae.
The trumpet manucode is named after its powerful and loud trumpeting calls. The Specific name (zoology), specific name, ''keraudrenii'', comme ...
s, magnificent riflebirds, fawn-breasted bowerbird
The fawn-breasted bowerbird (''Chlamydera cerviniventris'') is a medium-sized, up to long, bowerbird with a greyish brown spotted white plumage, a black bill, dark brown iris, yellow mouth and an orange buff below. Both sexes are similar. The ...
s, northern scrub robins, yellow-legged flycatchers, tropical scrubwren
The tropical scrubwren or Beccari's scrubwren (''Sericornis beccarii'') is a bird species. Placed in the family Pardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong ...
s and frill-necked monarch
The frill-necked monarch (''Arses lorealis'') is a species of passerida, songbird in the family Monarchidae. It is endemic to the rainforests of the northern Cape York Peninsula in Australia.
Taxonomy and systematics
The frill-necked monarch w ...
s. The endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...
southern cassowary
The southern cassowary (''Casuarius casuarius''), also known as double-wattled cassowary, Australian cassowary or two-wattled cassowary, is a large flightless black bird. It is one of the three living species of cassowary, alongside the dwarf c ...
was recorded in Lockerbie Scrub in 1986 but is now probably extinct there. Bush stone-curlew
The bush stone-curlew or bush thick-knee, also known as the Iben bird (''Burhinus grallarius'', obsolete name ''Burhinus magnirostris'') is a large, ground-dwelling bird endemic to Australia. Its favoured habitat is open plains and woodlands, whe ...
s, silver-crowned friarbirds and yellow honeyeater
The yellow honeyeater (''Stomiopera flava'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae.
It is endemic to Australia.
Overview
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mangrove fore ...
s have been recorded on rare occasions. Graceful honeyeater
The graceful honeyeater (''Microptilotis gracilis'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is found in the Aru Islands, southern New Guinea, and Cape York Peninsula. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland f ...
s are common. White-streaked honeyeater
The white-streaked honeyeater (''Trichodere cockerelli'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Trichodere''. It is endemic to Cape York Peninsula. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry ...
s are present.
References
Geography of Far North Queensland Important Bird Areas of Queensland {{FarNorthQueensland-geo-stub