Clarke Range (24383)
Australia, Australasia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1e

Year of last assessment: 2018

National site name: Clarke Range

Central coordinates: Latitude: -21.0553, Longitude: 148.5643

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 100 to 1277

Area of KBA (km²): 963.30999

Protected area coverage (%): 67.67

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The Clarke Range IBA comprises three management areas: Eungella National Park, and Cathu and Crediton State Forests. The IBA is based on the Eungella Honeyeater, whose world distribution is from Crediton in the south to Finch Hatton in the east and Cathu State Forest in the north. The IBA could be extended to include additional areas of lower altitude forest remnants and corridors in adjacent farmland and smaller areas of state land. Eungella National Park extends 35 km along the Clarke Range overlooking the Pioneer Valley West of Mackay in Central Queensland. Eungella's northern side is largely inaccessible with high and rugged ridges, but its southern borders can be easily reached by road. The park contains the high peaks of Mount Dalrymple (1277 metres), Mount Williams (1244 metres) and Mount David (1244 metres). Most of the park is wilderness dissected by gorges. About 64,000 hectares is rainforest with the remainder being tall and open eucalypt woodland. Open eucalypt woodland grows on Dicks Tableland in the north-western part of the park. Rainforest trees, flowering bottlebrush and tall river she oaks occur along Broken River. Rainforest is also be found in the Finch Hatton Gorge. This isolated mountain refuge lies close to the boundary between subtropical and tropical rainforests and supports species from both vegetation types. Eungella is one of Queensland's most ecologically diverse parks with 860 plant species, including many close to their distributional limit.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. Alliance for Zero Extinction (2018): site confirmed as an AZE site during the AZE project (2015-2018). Taxonomy, nomenclature and Red List category follow the IUCN 2016 Red List.

Additional biodiversity: Clarke Range supports populations of many rainforest taxa that have been isolated from other rainforest patches to the north and south for so long that they are now considered distinct subspecies. These include White-throated Treecreeper and Brown Gerygone. Other isolated populations include those of Powerful Owl and Brown Thornbill, which are the northern limits of their range, and Glossy Swiftlet, White-rumped Swiftlet and Large-billed Gerygone, which occur no further south. Glossy Black-Cockatoo may have been present in the area only since the 1960s (Garnett et al. 2000). Two records of the vulnerable Red Goshawk in the EPA database (EPA 2008); and 16 records of the biome-restricted Yellow Honeyeater, seven records of the biome-restricted White-browed Robin and two records of the near threatened Australian Bustard in 280 Atlas of Australian Birds surveys conducted from 1998 to 2008 (Atlas of Australian Birds database). Non-bird biodiversity: 860 plant species have been recorded in the national park, including plants on the edge of their distribution such as the Eungella satinash and Sydney blue gum. An endemic gastric brooding frog is now extinct.

Other site values: Queensland State Government with management the responsibility of QPWS and Queensland State Forests.

Habitats

Land use: forestry (53%) | nature conservation and research (47%)

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Wetlands(Inland)	10
Forest	90

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Logging practices in the State Forests must consider the ecological requirements of Eungella Honeyeater.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting	Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest]	Ongoing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing
Natural system modifications	Dams & water management/use	Dams (size unknown)	Only in the future
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Unspecified species	Ongoing
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression	Suppression in fire frequency/intensity	Only in the future
Pollution	Air-borne pollutants	Type Unknown/Unrecorded	Ongoing
Climate change & severe weather	Droughts		Only in the future
Climate change & severe weather	Storms & flooding		Ongoing

Additional information

References: Crouther, M. M. and Crouther, K. W. (1999) Quail that go bump in the night. Corella 23: 43-47. EPA (2008) Wildlife Online extract for Eungella National Park. Accessed 12 June 2008. Garnett, S.T., Britton, P. and Crowley, G.M. (2000) A northward extension of range of the Glossy Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami. Sunbird 30:18-22. Higgins, P.J., Peter, J.M. and Steele, W.K. (1993) Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Volume 5. Tyrant-flycatchers to Chats. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Longmore, N.W. and Boles, W.E. (1983) Description and systematics of the Eungella Honeyeater Meliphaga hindwoodi, a new species of honeyeater from Central Eastern Queensland, Australia, Emu 83: 59-65. Mackay & Whitsunday Branch of the Bird Observers Club of Australia (2002) Eungella Honeyeater Project. Unpublished Report.