Tully Training Area is a heritage-listed rainforest in a military training area at Tully-Cardstone Road, Tully, Queensland, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.
Description Tully Training Area is approximately . It is north-west of Tully.
The Tully Military Training Area (TTA) is part of the Wet Tropics biogeographic region, which runs along the coast from the Cedar Bay/Daintree region in the north to just short of Townsville in the south, and includes the elevated Atherton plateau. The regions has high annual rainfall, a warm climate and fertile soils, which provide the ideal conditions for rainforest growth.
The outstanding hydrological feature of the TTA and the surrounding Tully region is its high annual rainfall of about that is concentrated within a four-month wet-season period.
The topography of TTA is moderately rugged with steep slopes rising from valley floors to the deeply bisected Walter Hill Range. These valleys lie at around elevation at the northern Downey Creek and at altitude both in the eastern Liverpool Creek sector, and the broad Jarra Creek in the southern sector of the place. All these valleys rise steeply to around where remnants of an elevated peneplain surface give way occasionally to higher peaks of around . The places broad valleys contain deep alluvial and colluvial soils derived from a diversity of parent rocks.
The northern Downey Creek sector of the TTA is geologically best described as being a deeply incised upland basalt plateau siting at around , and is flanked by granite and metamorphic ranges on its west and east respectively, and which extend into the southern portions of the place. The basalts were erupted during the Cainozoic era and the lavas flooded and partially filled the South Johnstone River and Downey Creek valleys in the northern part of the place to depths of hundreds of metres. Subsequent erosion has carved a spectacular sheer walled gorge as the South Johnstone River re-asserted its course and the basalts have been deeply weathered and eroded. These basalt flows are part of Atherton basalt province, which extends over an area of .
The southern Jarra Creek portion of the TTA is dominated by granitic mountain ranges, which gives way to river alluvium and freshwater swamps to the south. The valley area also includes isolated pockets of basalt.
The Downey and Jarra Creek valleys contain deep alluvium soils, which have been deposited by both stream overflow and by slope wash. The headwater streams of these concave valleys are still in a youthful phase of active down-cutting. The places soils are derived from granite, basalt, or alluvium (stream overflow and slope wash deposits) and colluvium (scree processes). Differences in soil properties are a product of underlying parent material and landscape position.
The main rainforests in the region occur astride three major geomorphic regions: the tablelands of the Great Dividing Range; the lower coastal belt; and the intermediate great escarpment. The TTA holds a significant percentage of the Walter Hill Ranges rainforest block found between Innisfail and Tully, which Wet Tropics Management Authority (WETMA) vegetation mapping reports note appears to be one of the largest areas of continuous virgin forest between Tully and Cairns. These forests occur at altitudes of about to over .
The Wet Tropics rainforests, of which the TTA are significant component, are recognised as being floristically and structurally the most diverse in Australia. This diversity is related to rainfall, soil type, soil drainage, altitude and the evolutionary history. Tracey and Webb have classified the bioregions rainforests into thirteen major structural types, including two that have sclerophyll emergents and codominants. Seven of these thirteen forest structural types occur within the place. The effect of altitude on the rainforest structure is striking, and is demonstrated by a gradual decrease in species and structural diversity with increasing height.
The Wet Tropics rainforests are internationally and nationally important as a zone of overlap and mixing between the typically Gondwanan-Australian flora and the flora more characteristic of the tropical forests of Asia; a mixing process that is presumed to have occurred following the collision of the Australian plate with the Asian plate about 15 million years ago. These rainforests contain at least 25% of all higher plant genera in an area of rainforest that represents less than 0.1% of Australia's land surface. These rainforests contain one of the most complete and diverse living records of the major stages in the evolution of land plants, from the very first land plants to higher plants (Gymnosperms and Angiosperms).
The TTA and surrounding Walter Hill Range area has in general maintained high habitat values due to the fact that it is located in a protected area (Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area), has maintained reasonable habitat integrity with suitable structural and species diversity, has good connectivity with other suitable habitat including lowland-highland connectivity, and contains lowland habitats that are locally rare.
The most extensive remnant of Complex Mesophyll Vine Forest (Type 1A) now remaining in virgin condition in the wet tropics is found on the plateau adjacent to the junction of Downey Creek with the South Johnstone River at altitudes of between . It is assumed that the Downey Creek area lies near the upper altitudinal limits of Type 1A.
The broad Jarra Creek valley is significant as it contains the largest remaining area of complex vine forest on alluvial soils in the wet tropical lowlands, and is composed of two regionally vulnerable types, Complex Mesophyll Vine Forest (Type 1A) and, Mesophyll Vine Forest with dominant fan palms (Type 3B), which a rainforest type slightly less diverse in species and structure than complex mesophyll vine forest.
Type 1A forest is regarded as representing the optimal development and the most complex of the rainforest types in Australia and is found on fertile soils on very wet and wet lowlands and foothills.
Type 3B Mesophyll Vine Forest with Dominant Palms are found in the very wet lowlands and lower foothills of Jarra Creek and are areas of swamp vegetation dominated by the Fan-leaf Palm (Licuala ramsayi), in areas of seasonally impeded drainage.
Further up the altitudinal gradient (around 400 m and up to 700 m) on the foothill slopes of the TTA's three catchments Mesophyll Vine Forest (type 2A) is found and is the dominant vegetation type of the place, but has been damaged in many places by cyclones This vegetation community also extends up to altitudes up to at Downey Creek in areas of basalt soils, where fertility is favourable.
On cloudy wet and moist uplands and highlands about the place Simple Notophyll Vine Forest (Type 8) is found (often with Agathis microstachya) and after Type 2A this would be the most significant rainforest type in the place. This community is confined to restricted locations in the highest parts of the place, at elevations above about .
On the cloudy wet highlands on granite peaks (generally above 800 m) Simple Microphyll Vine-fern Forest (Type 9) is found (also often with Agathis microstachya).
On the highest peaks, and exposed ridges at lower altitudes, there are small areas of Mountain Rock Pavement vegetation (Type 21) which are shrub-sized heathlands recognised by the presence of Lophostemon confertus and Leptospermum species (such L. Wooroonoonan).
Throughout the place in exposed areas affected by wind disturbance, such as ridgelines, pockets of Acacia Aulacocarpa Vine Forests (Type 12A and 12C) are found and are characterised as having tall and closed acacia-dominant canopies with some rain forest species present in the canopy and as a developing understorey. The widespread occurrence of A. Aulacocarpa -dominated communities on these steep exposed slopes would appear to be evidence of a likely "recycling" of this type through wind disturbance.
Another vegetation type affected by wind disturbance at lower altitudes, such as in the Liverpool/McNamee Creek sector of the place, are vinelands, which are open areas dominated by rampant scrambling vines of a number of species, but most prominently Merremia peltata, with occasional emergent trees or clumps of trees.
In the better-drained sites of the TTA, often on steep ridges, pockets of Eucalyptus-dominated Medium open forest (Type 13A) communities are found. Eucalyptus Pellita is commonly the only eucalypt species within the canopy and the ecotone or transition zone between this sclerophyllous forest and surrounding rainforest is recognised as being significant habitat for many mammalian species.
Studies on the fauna of TTA date back to the 1980s when CSIRO conducted coarse level baseline inventories and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of a number of Defence exercises. More focused faunal studies of key issues have continued until the present (including 5 cassowary and 3 stream dwelling frog surveys).
The extensive clearing of lowland forests in the Tully region has resulted in the lowland forest habitats found within the TTA becoming regionally and locally rare and may explain the high number of rare and threatened fauna species occurring. These include the well-known Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius subsp. Johnsonii) and at least two of the declining stream-dwelling frog species including the Common Mistfrog (Litoria rheocola) and the Lace-eyed Tree Frog (Nyctimystes dayi).
A search of the Environment Australia (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC)) Online Database indicates at least twenty-seven nationally threatened species (thirteen fauna species and fourteen flora species) have the potential to occur within the TTA.
Notable nationally threatened fauna species that are highly likely to be found in the TTA in future surveys (as predicted by fauna experts) include: the endangered Yarri or Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus Gracilis), especially in rainforest areas above ; the endangered Greater Large-eared Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus phillipenesis; and the critically endangered Bare-rumped Sheathtail Bat (Saccolaimus Saccolaimus Nudiclunitus).
Other mammal species, which are endemic to the Wet Tropics bioregion and are likely to be found in the TTA (as indicated by bioclimatic modelling by Nix in 1991 and scientific collection records) include: the Green Ringtail Possum Pseudochirops archeri; and at higher altitudes from both the Herbert Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus herbertensis and the Lemuroid Ringtail Possum Hemibelidus lemuroides.
Condition
As assessed in mid-2003, the Tully Military Training Area (TTA) is composed of extensive areas of unlogged rainforest, including the only remaining significant area of virgin Complex Mesophyll Vine Forest (Type 1A) forest on basalt in the Downey Creek area.
The TTA also contains other significant unlogged rainforest communities including a large area in the catchment of South Liverpool Creek and on the slopes of the Walter Hill Ranges, which surround the Downey and Jarra Creek valleys. Most of the forest mapped as undisturbed in this area has been recorded as Mesophyll Vine Forest (Type 2A), with relatively small areas of Notophyll Vine Forest (Type 8).
Other areas in the TTA have also been historically impacted by selective logging operations, including large block of Complex Mesophyll Vine Forest (type 1A) on alluvium along the Jarra Creek valley. Despite these historic impacts this block is of conservation significance as it is the largest remaining area of complex mesophyll vine forest on alluvium within the Wet Tropics biogeographic region. In addition small areas of Complex Mesophyll Vine Forest on rocky basalt slopes remain on hills adjacent to Jarra Creek.