Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area facts for kids

The Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area is a special place in Queensland, Australia. It is located near Byfield and is used for military training. This area is very large and mostly untouched by people. It has many different types of natural landscapes, like coasts and wetlands. It is also home to a huge variety of plants and animals. Because of its natural importance, it was added to the Commonwealth Heritage List on June 22, 2004.

Exploring Shoalwater Bay's Natural Features

The Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area covers about 454,500 hectares (that's like 1.1 million acres!). It is located about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) northwest of Byfield.

Land and Plants

The land here has many different shapes. You can find hills, mountains, sand dunes, and flat areas near rivers. These different land types, along with the soil and local weather, create homes for many kinds of plants. Scientists have found 58 different plant groups here! The amount of rain changes a lot from east to west, which also affects the plants.

Most of the area is covered by eucalyptus forests, woodlands, and heathlands. There are also many mangrove trees. Small patches of rainforest grow on steep, sheltered slopes. Swamps are found in the sand dunes in the eastern part of the area. The most common grasses are Themeda and Heteropogon.

Coasts and Waterways

The eastern coast has long sandy beaches and small rocky areas. Behind these beaches are tall sand dunes, like those at Cape Manifold. To the north, you'll find a complex network of muddy areas and shallow waters that appear and disappear with the tides. There are also several islands, rocky reefs, and bays like Port Clinton. Large areas of seagrass grow underwater, and many creeks flow into the sea, forming estuaries with lots of mangroves. About 140 square kilometers (54 square miles) of mangroves grow here, including 18 different types.

The freshwater systems include creeks and swamps. Most swamps are found near or within the sand dunes. Freshwater Swamp is the largest, but many others are on the Freshwater and Clinton Peninsulas. Some swamps get their water from the sea level, while others higher up are fed by rainwater trapped by special layers in the sand.

Amazing Animals

The large tidal changes create huge mudflats. These mudflats are perfect feeding and resting spots for many sea and shore birds, both those that live here all year and those that migrate. Many migratory birds visit Shoalwater Bay, including the Pacific golden plover, bar-tailed godwit, and Red-necked stint.

Behind the coastal areas, you'll find low hills and flat plains. Woodlands of broad-leaved paperbark trees grow in these areas. Grey ironbark and Queensland peppermint trees are found where the land is higher and drains well. Kangaroo grass and spear grasses are common on the ground.

The mountains in the area affect how much rain falls. The eastern mountains cause local rain, but the western mountains create a big difference in rainfall. The east gets about 1800mm of rain, while the west gets only 900mm. This big difference, along with the varied landforms, helps create the high number of different plants and animals found here.

The sand dunes in the area are very old, over 100,000 years old! They were likely formed from sand carried by the Fitzroy River. These dunes have many interesting shapes created by wind and water, including old parabolic dunes, active dunes, and areas between dunes. They also have lakes, swamps, streams, and old beach ridges.

The land animals are very diverse. About one-third of Australia's mainland bird and bat species live here. About one-quarter of Australia's kangaroo and wallaby species are also found here. The area has 12 percent of Australia's frog species, mostly on the western plains where there are seasonal ponds for breeding. Sixty-four reptile species have been recorded, which is about 10 percent of Australia's native reptile species.

There are more than 30 islands and small inlets in Shoalwater Bay. Many have coral reefs around them. Surveys show that these reefs have different amounts of coral cover. Marine animals like the Bottlenose dolphin, Indo-Pacific dolphin, Irrawaddy dolphin, and humpback whale live in the waters of Shoalwater Bay.

How Healthy is the Area?

Most of Shoalwater Bay is in excellent condition. Even though it's used for military training, this doesn't seem to cause long-term harm to its natural values. Any impacts are usually small and temporary.

Some weed species are found here, but most only grow in disturbed areas. A few, like lantana, rubber vine, and prickly pear, can grow in healthy native vegetation. Parthenium weed has been found in a small spot, and a lot of effort is being made to remove it.

Some wild animals like horses, cattle, pigs, rabbits, cane toads, goats, and foxes live here. Their numbers are usually low, and measures are in place to control them.

There's a plan to manage fires in the area. This plan helps keep everyone safe, allows for military training, and protects nature. The main goals are to prevent large, very hot fires and fires that happen late in the dry season.

About 7 percent of the land was cleared in the past for grazing animals. However, most of the plants have grown back since then.

Why Shoalwater Bay is Special

The Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area is the largest coastal wilderness area between Nadgee Nature Reserve in southern New South Wales and Cape York Peninsula. It's important because it shows many different coastal and water environments that are still very natural and diverse. This makes it nationally important for understanding how natural processes work in coastal areas.

Unique Landforms

The area is important for understanding how sandy landscapes develop in warm, humid places. It has some of the best examples in Queensland of old parabolic dunes and sand plains. Shoalwater Bay shows how wind and water have shaped the land over time. These dune systems are special because they have had fewer periods of instability compared to other sand masses in Queensland. They also have fewer perched lakes (lakes high up in the dunes). The old beach ridges in the Clinton Lowlands help us understand how the coastline has changed over the last 6000 years.

Amazing Biodiversity

The value of this place for biodiversity (the variety of life) comes from the mix of species found here. The different land types and changing climate create a complex mix of plants in a relatively small area. For example, you can see a change from wet coastal forests in the east to dry-loving trees like poplar box and bulloak in the west. It's unusual to find semi-arid poplar box woodlands right on the beachfront!

Because of its many landscape types, the big change in climate, and its location where different natural regions meet, Shoalwater Bay has a high number of plant, animal, and fish species. Many of these species are at the edge of their known northern or southern ranges. The area is the northern limit for the wallum wet heath community and is a transition zone between tropical and subtropical climates. This means Shoalwater Bay is a "refugium," a place where plants and animals have survived that were once more widespread. It is home to the Byfield fern (Bowenia serrulata), a type of cycad, which are ancient plants with great evolutionary importance.

Over 222 bird species and 23 bat species have been recorded here. This means 32% of all Australian bird species and 35% of all Australian bat species live in this area! It also has a high diversity of other mammals, including kangaroos and wallabies, and reptiles.

The large areas of mangroves, seagrass, and mudflats are important for many threatened species. These include the dugong, green turtle, hawksbill turtle, and loggerhead turtle. The seagrass beds here are the most diverse on the central Queensland coast and are a vital food source for dugongs and green turtles.

The tidal mudflats are also important feeding grounds for migratory wading birds. Flocks of up to 3000 birds have been seen, showing how important this area is for the region's wildlife. Shoalwater Bay also has the largest breeding colony of pelicans on the East Australian coast.

A Place for Science

Because Shoalwater Bay is so natural and has such varied environments, it's a great place for scientific research. Scientists can study how marine life behaves, how dunes form, how plant communities change, and how fire affects the environment. They also look at how climate, geology, soil, and plants interact.

CSIRO, a big science organization, has set up at least 20 permanent research sites here. The research done in Shoalwater Bay helps us understand how to manage land in eastern Australia.

Rare and Endangered Species

The area is home to five plant species and four animal species that are considered nationally threatened. Examples include the orchid Phaius tankervilleae and the Byfield matchstick (Comesperma oblongatum). Four animal species considered vulnerable in Queensland also live here, such as the Glossy black cockatoo, the Beach stone-curlew, and the northern sheath-tailed bat (Taphozous australis).

Shoalwater Bay was listed on the Commonwealth Heritage List on June 22, 2004, because it meets several important criteria:

Criterion A: Natural Processes

The seagrass beds are a key food source for the green turtle. It's estimated that about 500 turtles live per kilometer of coastline here. This is one of the largest groups of green turtles along the east Australian coast. Shoalwater Bay is also one of the few large shallow waterways in Queensland where turtles are mostly safe from human activities.

The area also has small patches of special rainforests that were once much more common in southern Queensland but have now been mostly cleared.

Criterion B: Rarity

This place is home to five nationally vulnerable species: the Byfield matchstick (Comesperma oblongatum), Grevillea venusta, a lily (Sowerbaea subtilis), Quassia bidwillii, and the squatter pigeon (Geophaps scripta scripta). It also has the nationally endangered orchid Phaius tancarvilliae.

Animals listed as vulnerable in Queensland include the Glossy black cockatoo, the powerful owl, the Beach stone-curlew, and the northern sheath-tail bat (Tapozous australis).

Shoalwater Bay is also an important home for the dugong (vulnerable in Queensland) and the nationally vulnerable humpback whale.

The green turtle, hawksbill turtle (both nationally vulnerable), and the nationally endangered loggerhead turtle are found in large numbers in Shoalwater Bay.

The area has unusual plant patterns and unique combinations of species and environments. For example, the change from wet coastal forests to dry-loving trees like poplar box and bulloak is rare. It's very uncommon to find semi-arid poplar box woodlands right on the beach! The floating peat mat vegetation in the swamps is also a rare plant type in Queensland.

Criterion C: Research Potential

Because Shoalwater Bay is so untouched and has such different environments, it's a very important place for scientific research. Scientists study marine processes, how dunes form, how plant communities change, how fire affects the land, and how rainfall and land shape affect plants. They also look at how climate, geology, soil, and plants all work together.

CSIRO has set up at least 20 permanent research sites here. The research from Shoalwater Bay provides important information for managing land across eastern Australia.