Wallum, or wallum country, is an Australian

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

of coastal south-east

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, extending into north-eastern

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. It is characterised by flora-rich

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...

and

heathland A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...

on deep, nutrient-poor, acidic, sandy soils, and regular

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...

. Seasonal changes in the water table due to rainfall may create swamps. The name is derived from the Kabi word for the wallum banksia (''

Banksia aemula ''Banksia aemula'', commonly known as the wallum banksia, is a shrub of the family Proteaceae. Found from Bundaberg south to Sydney on the Australian east coast, it is encountered as a shrub or a tree to in coastal heath on deep sandy soil, k ...

'').

Threats

Wallum, as with other coastal ecosystems, is highly threatened by the pressure for coastal development. Threats include clearing of land for residential development and pine plantations, alterations to drainage from adjacent developments, nutrients from fertilizers, changes in fire frequency, pollution from mosquito control sprays, and the introduction of weeds. Species endemic to wallum include some acid frogs – frogs adapted to living and breeding in acidic waters – such as the

wallum froglet The wallum froglet (''Crinia tinnula'') is a species of ground-dwelling frog native to the east coast of Australia, from southeast Queensland to Kurnell, NSW. It is strongly associated with Wallum swampland. Description This species is a small s ...

(''Crinia tinnula''), wallum rocket frog (''

Litoria freycineti Freycinet's frog (''Litoria freycineti''), also known as the wallum rocket frog, is a species of frog. It inhabits coastal areas from Fraser Island, Queensland, south to the Jervis Bay Territory of New South Wales. Description This is a variable ...

''), and the wallum sedge frog (''Litoria olongburensis''). In Queensland, the

eastern ground parrot The eastern ground parrot (''Pezoporus wallicus'') of Australia is one of only five ground-dwelling parrots in the world, the others being its closest relatives, the western ground parrot (''Pezoporus flaviventris''), the extremely rare night par ...

appears to be largely restricted to the wallum. Crinia tinnula

References

Coastal lowlands vegetation factsheet
PDF downloaded 23 July 2007

PDF downloaded 23 July 2007

External links

Eastern Australian temperate forests Habitats {{habitat-stub