Australian Natural Resources Atlas

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Rangelands - Overview

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Location map of Cape York Peninsula bioregionphotograph

Cape York Peninsula

Summary

ATSIC Boundaries

Catchment Basins

Statistical Local Areas

Introduction

The Cape York Peninsula bioregion extends from the northern tip of Queensland to Cooktown. It covers an area of 121,200 sq. kms. The population of the area is low and includes the towns of Weipa, Aurukun, Bamaga, Edward River, Lockhart River and Cooktown. The bioregion includes pastoral leases, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and a large bauxite mine at Weipa. The climate is tropical monsoonal and humid with wet summers and comparatively dry winters.

Natural Environment

Climate

Cape York Peninsula bioregion is subjected to hot and humid wet seasons. Cooktown experiences mean temperatures ranges of 24°C - 31.5°C in December and mean temperatures ranges of 19°C - 25.5°C in July.

Annual rainfall ranges from an average of about 800mm in the south to 2400mm in the north. The trade winds uplifted over the coast provide the region with dry-season rainfall. (see www.savanna.ntu.edu.au/information/savannaexplorer.html).

Climate averages are available for Weipa, Queensland:

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/map/climate_avgs/a27.shtml.

For monthly rainfall and temperature graphs refer to Bureau of Meteorology website: www.bom.gov.au/climate/forms/map_forms/new_imagemaps/qld_name.html.

Current seasonal conditions and their historical context can be provided by satellite imagery. The Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a measure of the vegetation ‘greenness’. The NDVI for the Cape York Peninsula bioregion for this year and previous years can be found at: http://www.environment.gov.au/erin/ndvi/ttrace/cyp.html.

For additional climate information the Queensland Department of Natural Resources ‘The Long Paddock’ at: www.dnr.qld.gov.au/longpdk provides seasonal variability information and the latest El NiNo Southern Oscillation (ENSO) information. ‘Silo’ at: www.dnr.qld.gov.au/resourcenet/climate/#silo provides agro meteorological data, such as rainfall, temperature, radiation, climate outlook products. The Queensland Department of Natural Resources’ Patched Point Dataset and Data drill at: www.dnr.qld.gov.au/resourcenet/silo/index.html, provides information on climatic risk management in agriculture, pastoralism, water resources and natural resource management.

The geology of the Cape York Peninsula is complex. The bioregion broadly consists of Proterozoic (545-1600 million years ago) metamorphics overlain by Palaeozoic 251-545 million years ago) sediments and volcanics with Devonian (354-410 million years ago) intrusions and Jurassic to Cainozoic (less than 205 million years ago) gentle dipping sediments of the Karumba and Laura Basins.

The northerly trending high ranges and plateaux rise up to 800 metres and are flanked by foothills and broad low-relief plains. Extensive alluvial fans have developed in the lower reaches of many of the main river systems, such as the Normanby River into Prince Charlotte Bay and the Archer River into Gulf of Carpentaria.

Most of the rivers flow east to west, originating in the Great Divide and flowing through extensive floodplains. The east coast waterways are relatively short with small catchments due to the close proximity of the mountain ranges. Wetlands in the west occur in major watercourses, lagoons, outflow channels and south-western drainage basins. Eastern wetlands are extensive but with fewer lagoons. Artesian springs associated with the Great Artesian Basin are also evident, particularly at the northern tip of the bioregion (Noble, et. al., 1998).

Along both the east and west coasts, recently formed dune fields and beach ridges are present and are extensive in the Cape Flattery, Temple Bay and Shelburne Bay areas (CYPLUS study report: http://www.environment.gov.au/erin/cyplus/lup/index.html).

For more detailed geological information and map refer to the Australian Geological Survey Organisation website: www.agso.gov.au/map/ and the Department of Mines and Energy, Queensland: www.dme.qld.gov.au/gsd/index.htm, and Bain &Draper (1997)

Almost all soils of the bioregion have low levels of plant nutrients and are deficient in phosphorous and nitrogen. The bioregion predominantly consists of yellow earths, red earths, earthy sands, yellow brown clays, podsols and lithosols. Areas along the western and south-eastern coasts consist of saline clay plains, and sand and shell beach ridges with grey clays, and siliceous sands (Sattler & Williams, 1999).

For further information on soils refer to Bain & Draper (1997), Sattler & Williams (1999) and the Digital Atlas of Australian Soils at:

www.affa.gov.au/content/output.cfm?ObjectID=D2C48F86-BA1A-11A1-A2200060B0A05758

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Eucalypt and melaleuca woodlands cover the majority of the bioregion with Darwin stringybark (Eucalyptus tetrodonta) the dominant species. Rainforests are associated with the wetter areas along the east coast ranges of the Cape.

3,338 species of plants have been recorded in the region total with the most common being grasses and sedges. Of these, 379 are rare and threatened and 247 are naturalised exotics (http://www.erin.gov.au/states/cyp_on_l/reports/overview/oview.html). Endangered species found in the bioregion include a fern (Cyathea exilis), orchids (Dendrobium antennatum, Dendrobium mirbelianum), Dipodium pictum, Eremochloa muricata, Habenaria macraithii, Huperzia carinata, Muellerargia timorensis, and Phalaenopsis rosenstromii (Sattler & Williams, 1999).

For a list of rare and threatened flora and vegetation descriptions of the bioregion refer to Sattler & Williams (1999).

During the Ice Age sea levels were lower and Cape York was connected to Papua New Guinea. Making it possible for animals to migrate. Rainforests had also contracted during the Ice Age. In parts of the Iron Range, with its high mountains and relatively high rainfall, some animals were able to find refuge. When sea levels rose and stabilised some 6,000 years ago many species from Papua New Guinea remained on Cape York Peninsula. As a result, the bioregion features not only endemic fauna but also animals from Arnhem Land, North East Queensland and Papua New Guinea (www.savanna.ntu.edu.au/information/savannaexplorer.html).

There are 31 species of frogs recorded on the peninsula Frith & Frith (1995). Five of these species are endemic and 2 are found only on Cape York Peninsula and in Papua New Guinea. One recent discovery is the Cape Melville frog (Litoria andiirrmalin), which was described in 1997. 133 reptile species have been recorded for the bioregion, although it is believed that the actual number is much higher. There are 2 crocodile species listed, 6 marine turtles, 7 freshwater tortoises, 15 geckos, 4 legless lizards, 5 dragons, 9 goannas, 39 skinks and 46 snakes (Frith & Frith, 1995).

75 species of mammals have been recorded in the region, four of which are endemic and eight, which also occur in Papua New Guinea. There are 3 gliders, 3 possums, 10 macropods and 31 bats. Twelve rodents are listed including the endemic Cape York melomys (Melomys capensis). The northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus), which has been recorded as occurring on the tip of Cape York, may be presumed to be extinct since the 1994 arrival of the cane toad (Frith & Frith, 1995).

321 bird species have been recorded in the region, the majority are also found in Papua New Guinea. Of the species found in both Papua New Guinea and Australia, 18 bird species are restricted in distribution to Cape York Peninsula. Included amongst these are the palm cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus), eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus), red-cheeked parrot (Geoffroyus geoffroyi), yellow-billed kingfisher (Syma torotoro), red-bellied pitta (Pitta erythrogaster) and fawn-breasted bowerbird (Chlamydera cerviniventris). Two species of birds of paradise from Papua New Guinea are also found in the northern rainforests of Cape York Peninsula. They are the magnificent riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus) and the trumpet manucode (Manucodia keraudrenii). The southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) has disappeared from the extreme northern forest because of recent hunting pressure (Frith & Frith, 1995).

Several migratory species observed in the bioregion include lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus), oriental plover (Charadrius veredus), sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), grey-tailed tattler (Heteroscelus brevipes) and the common koel (Eudynamys scolopacea) (www.savanna.ntu.edu.au/information/savannaexplorer.html).

For a list of the fauna surveys and rare and threatened fauna refer to Sattler & Williams (1999).

Land Tenure & Use

Land tenure is predominantly leasehold land, freehold land, reserves and vacant crown land. Aboriginal land is held as a Deed of Grant in Trust.

Land uses include broad acre pastoralism, bauxite and silica sand mining, nature reserves, tourism and fishing (Sattler & Williams, 1999). Land within the bioregion has been dedicated to national parks and to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander use. Pastoral leased land occupies about 57% of the total area, Aboriginal people oversee about 20%, and National Parks manages about 10%. Land along the west coast of the Cape, stretching for around 700 kilometres, is entirely Aboriginal lands, reserves and mines. Most of the pastoral leases occupy the centre of the region and across to locations on the east coast. Major national parks include Jardine River National Park in the far north, Mungkan Kandju National Park near Aurukun, and Lakefield National Park, in the south-east of the bioregion.

Condition Of The Landscape

Land degradation

The bioregion is not extensively cleared, as agricultural production does not occur in most of the area. The major threat to biodiversity currently is associated with altered and inappropriate fire regimes and weed invasion (Woinarski, et. al., in prep.).

The potential for future economic-based developments such as those associated with improved pasture and cropping, could pose a threat to ecosystems (Sattler & Williams, 1999). Invasive exotic weed species and cane toads also pose a threat.

Feral pigs, horses, cane toads and feral cats are found throughout the region, however, Cape York has fewer pest species than other tropical savanna regions. Pigs have the most widespread impact on the natural environment and pastoral properties, with the most significant damage occurring along the coast. Feral horses impact on pastoral activities and feral cats are thought to affect native wildlife populations. The cane toad had spread to the tip of Cape York by about 1994. Fallow deer are also present in isolated pockets.

Weed species such as the sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia) is displacing areas of native grass (Imperata cylindrica) grassland and rubber vine (Cryptostegia grandiflora) has impacted on riparian vegetation in the Mitchel, Coleman and Laura River catchments. Deep-water exotic grasses introduced for ponded pasture pose a potential threat to wetland communities (Sattler & Williams, 1999, Woinarski, et. al., in prep.).

Social & Economic Aspects

People

For Aboriginal peoples the Cape York Peninsula and its surrounding waters represent clan estates. The land and surrounding waters formed the basis of the local Aboriginal economy and culture, with a history going back over tens of thousands of years. The Torres Strait Islanders also have had a significant relationship with the area for over a thousand years. Non-indigenous settlement has been associated with mining and pastoralism, which began with an initial wave of settlement in the 1870s.

The Cape York Peninsula cattle industry, which occupies over 5.7 million hectares across the bioregion is only marginally productive. This is due largely to the low soil fertility, poor nutrient value of pasture species, isolation and limited infrastructure. For more information refer to the Tropical Savanna web site:

The area is sparsely populated. The largest urban populations (excluding Thursday Island) are Weipa (population: 1,328) and Cooktown (1,411). The region includes the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander settlements of Lockhart River, Aurukun, Mapoon, Pormpuraaw, Hopevale and Bamaga.

The Queensland local governments of Cook, Aurukun, Weipa and Torres are included in the bioregion. The bioregion is within the ATSIC region of Cooktown and is managed by Peninsula regional councils (McLennan, 1997). For more information on the Aboriginal people of this region refer to Horton, (1994) and the relevant websites in the reference list.

Resources, References & Contacts

Publications

Bain, J.H. and Draper, J.J. 1997. North Queensland Geological Survey Organisation Bulletin 240 and Queensland Department of Minerals and Energy Queensland Geology 9.

Horton, D. R. 1994, The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia, Aboriginal Studies Press for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra, ACT.

McLennan. W. 1997, 1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey: Social Atlas, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, ACT.

Frith, D. W. & Frith, C. B. 1995, Cape York Peninsula: a Natural History, Reed Books, Chatswood, NSW.

Morton, S.R., Short, J., & Barker, R.D. with an Appendix by Griffin, G.F., & Pearce, G. 1995, Refugia for Biological Diversity in Arid and Semi-arid Australia, Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories, Canberra, ACT.

Sattler, P. & Williams, R. (eds.) 1999, The Conservation Status of Queensland’s Bioregional Ecosystems, Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane, Queensland.

Thackway, R. & Cresswell I.D. 1995, An Interim Biogeographical Regionalisation for Australia: a Framework for Setting Priorities in the National Reserves System Cooperative Program, Australian Nature Conservation Agency, Canberra, ACT.

Woinarski J., Fensham, R., Whitehead, P. & Fisher, A., with map production by Verhagen, C. in preparation, Biodiversity in the Australian Rangelands: a Review of Changes in Status and Threatening Processes. Draft report prepared as a resource document for Project 3: Developing an Adaptive Framework for Monitoring Biodiversity in Australia’s Rangelands, of the National Land and Water Resources Audit, Theme 4 (Rangelands monitoring) by the Tropical Savannas Cooperative Research Centre, Darwin, Northern Territory.

Aboriginal languages of Australia:

http://www.dnathan.com/VL/

Aboriginal Studies WWW Virtual Library:

http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-Aboriginal.html

Australian Landcare Council:

www.dpie.gov.au/agfor/landcare/org/alc.html.au

Aboriginal Torres Strait Islanders Commission (ATSIC):

www.atsic.gov.au/

Australian Geological Survey Organisation, Geology of Australia:

www.agso.gov.au/map/

Bureau of Meteorology, Climate averages:

www.bom.gov.au/climate/map/climate_avgs/a17.shtml

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/map/climate_avgs/a37.shtml

Bureau of Meteorology, Temperature and rainfall graphs: www.bom.gov.au/climate/forms/map_forms/new_imagemaps/qld_name.html

Bureau of Rural Sciences, Digital Atlas of Australian Soils:

www.affa.gov.au/content/output.cfm?ObjectID=D2C48F86-BA1A-11A1-A2200060B0A05758

Cape York Peninsula Land Use Strategy (CYPLUS) Queensland Ecologically Sustainable Development policy:

http://www.erin.gov.au/states/cyp_on_l/reports/overview/oview.html

Department of Mines and Energy, Queensland:

www.dme.qld.gov.au/gsd/index.htm

Department of the Environment and Heritage, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) information including bioregional information:

www.environment.gov.au/erin/ndvi/index.html

National Property Management Planning Campaign, The Future profit program:

www.dpi.qld.gov.au/ruraldev/futureprofit/Welcome.html

Queensland Department of Natural Resources. ‘Long Paddock’:

www.dnr.qld.gov.au/longpdk

Queensland Department of Natural Resources. ‘Silo’:

www.dnr.qld.gov.au/resourcenet/climate/#silo

Queensland Department of Natural Resources. Patched Point Dataset and Data drill:

www.dnr.qld.gov.au/resourcenet/silo/index.html,

Queensland’s Environmental Protection Agency. National Park information, animal and plant species information including rare and threatened species:

www.env.qld.gov.au

Queenslands Parks and Wildlife Service:

www.env.qld.gov.au/environment/park/discover/

Rural Lifestyles Queensland:

www.rlq.dcilgp.qld.gov.au

State-wide Land cover and Tree Study (SLATS) Vegetation cover and cover change information using Landsat Thematic Mapper ™ satellite imagery:

www.dnr.qld.gov.au/resourcenet/veg/slats/index.html

Tropical Savanna Co-operative Research Centre:

www.savanna.ntu.edu.au/information/savannaexplorer.html

Link to the Map Maker to make a map using this information.

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