Tully Training Area facts for kids

The Tully Training Area is a special rainforest in Queensland, Australia. It's also used as a military training area. This amazing place is located near Tully on Tully-Cardstone Road. Because it's so important, it was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on June 22, 2004. This means it's protected for future generations!

Discover the Tully Training Area

The Tully Training Area (TTA) is huge, covering about 13,300 hectares (that's like 33,000 football fields!). It's located about 11 kilometers north-west of Tully. This area is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland, a famous region along the coast.

A Wet and Wild Climate

The Wet Tropics area, including the TTA, gets a lot of rain. It has a warm climate and rich soil. These conditions are perfect for rainforests to grow big and strong. The TTA gets about 4,000 millimeters of rain each year. Most of this rain falls during a four-month wet season.

Mountains, Valleys, and Rivers

The TTA has rugged land with steep slopes. These slopes rise from valley floors to the Walter Hill Range. Valleys like Downey Creek, Liverpool Creek, and Jarra Creek are found here. They are between 100 and 300 meters high. The land then rises steeply to about 600 meters, with some peaks reaching 900 meters.

The northern part of the TTA, around Downey Creek, has an old basalt plateau. Basalt is a type of volcanic rock. This area is surrounded by granite and other rock types. Long ago, lava flowed into the valleys, filling them up. Over time, rivers like the South Johnstone River carved out amazing gorges.

The southern part, around Jarra Creek, has granite mountains. It also has river soils and freshwater swamps. These valleys have deep, rich soils from stream overflows and slope wash.

Amazing Rainforests and Trees

The TTA is home to some of Australia's most diverse rainforests. These forests are part of the larger Wet Tropics rainforests. They are special because they mix plants from Australia and Asia. This mix happened after the Australian plate crashed into the Asian plate millions of years ago.

The TTA has seven different types of rainforests. The type of forest changes with how high up you go. Higher areas have fewer kinds of plants. These rainforests have many unique plants. In fact, they contain about 25% of all higher plant types in Australia. Yet, they cover less than 0.1% of Australia's land!

Special Forest Types

One very important forest type is the Complex Mesophyll Vine Forest (Type 1A). It's found on a plateau near Downey Creek. This forest is considered the most developed rainforest type in Australia. It grows in very wet, fertile lowlands.

The Jarra Creek valley has the largest area of complex vine forest on alluvial soils (soils deposited by water). This includes Type 1A and Mesophyll Vine Forest with dominant fan palms (Type 3B). Type 3B forests have lots of Fan-leaf Palms and grow in swampy areas.

Higher up, on the foothill slopes, you'll find Mesophyll Vine Forest (Type 2A). This is the main type of forest in the TTA. It can be damaged by strong winds from cyclones. In cloudy, wet uplands, Simple Notophyll Vine Forest (Type 8) is common. It often has Agathis microstachya trees.

On the highest peaks, you might see small areas of Mountain Rock Pavement vegetation (Type 21). These are like shrubby heathlands with plants like Lophostemon confertus and Leptospermum species.

In windy areas, like ridgelines, you'll find Acacia Aulacocarpa Vine Forests (Type 12A and 12C). These forests have tall acacia trees mixed with some rainforest species. Strong winds often cause these forests to "recycle" themselves.

Other areas affected by wind have "vinelands." These are open areas with lots of scrambling vines, like Merremia peltata.

On well-drained ridges, you might see Eucalyptus-dominated Medium Open Forest (Type 13A). Eucalyptus Pellita is a common tree here. The area where these eucalypt forests meet the rainforests is important for many mammals.

Amazing Animals of the TTA

The TTA is a vital home for many animals. Because many lowland forests in the Tully region have been cleared, the TTA's forests are now rare and important. This is why so many rare and threatened animals live here.

Rare and Threatened Animals

One of the most famous animals is the Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius). This large bird is endangered. The TTA is one of its main strongholds. Cassowaries are super important because they help spread the seeds of many rainforest plants!

Other rare animals include:

• The Common Mistfrog (Litoria rheocola)
• The Lace-eyed Tree Frog (Nyctimystes dayi)
• The endangered Yarri or Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus Gracilis), especially in rainforests above 300 meters.
• The endangered Greater Large-eared Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus phillipenesis)
• The critically endangered Bare-rumped Sheathtail Bat (Saccolaimus Saccolaimus Nudiclunitus)

Unique Australian Mammals

Many mammals found here are unique to the Wet Tropics. These include:

• The Green Ringtail Possum (Pseudochirops archeri)
• The Herbert Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus herbertensis)
• The Lemuroid Ringtail Possum (Hemibelidus lemuroides) (found at higher altitudes)

How the TTA is Managed

The Tully Training Area has mostly untouched rainforests. This includes the only large area of untouched Complex Mesophyll Vine Forest (Type 1A) on basalt in the Downey Creek area.

Some parts of the TTA were logged in the past. But even these areas, like the Jarra Creek valley, are still very important for conservation. They have the largest remaining complex mesophyll vine forest on alluvial soil in the Wet Tropics.

The Department of Defence has managed the TTA for over 20 years. They use it for jungle training, like patrolling and bivouacking. They also do live fire training. However, they have reduced the intensity of training since the area became a World Heritage site in 1988.

The Defence Department follows an Environmental Management Plan. This plan helps protect the World Heritage values of the TTA. Studies show that current training activities have little impact on the rainforest, except for small areas used for live firing. The TTA is the only Defence area suitable for this type of jungle training.

The Defence Department has strict rules for movement, vehicle speed, and reporting cassowary sightings. The Wet Tropics Management Authority also works with them to ensure the area is protected.

Natural events like strong winds also affect the TTA. For example, Cyclone Winifred in 1986 caused a lot of damage to the forests.

The forests in the Tully River valley are also important. They are changing over time, with more vine forest growing. The Jarra Creek area helps keep the water clean. The Tully River itself has been greatly changed by human activity, with more erosion and altered water flow.

Why Tully Training Area is a Heritage Site

The Tully Training Area is very important for many reasons. It's part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area. This means it's recognized globally for its natural beauty and importance.

Protecting Nature's Processes

The TTA helps maintain natural processes on a large scale. It has some of the biggest remaining areas of Complex Mesophyll Vine Forest. These forests are vital for the rainforest ecosystem. The TTA also has other important rainforest types that help keep the environment healthy.

The TTA's forests are crucial for animals like cassowaries, birds, frogs, and mammals. Cassowaries, as mentioned, are key for spreading seeds and helping the forest grow. Jarra Creek is also a very important waterway. It provides habitat for many freshwater fish and frogs.

Home to Rare Species

The TTA is a special place because it's home to many rare and endangered species.

• Endangered Fauna:
  • Lace-eyed Tree Frog (Nyctimystes dayi)
  • Common Mistfrog (Litoria rheocola)
  • Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnstonii)
• Vulnerable Fauna:
  • Spectacled Flying-fox (Pteropus conspicillatus)
• Vulnerable Flora:
  • Canarium acutifolium var. acutifolium
  • Layered Tassell Fern Huperzia phlegmarioides

The TTA also has rare regional ecosystems, which are unique types of forests.

A Place for Research

Scientists have studied the TTA for decades. Their research helps us understand:

• How rainforests grow back after being disturbed.
• The history of the climate and how rainforests and eucalypt forests have changed over thousands of years.
• How fire affects rainforests and eucalypt communities.

These studies help us learn about the past and protect the future of these special forests.

Showing What Rainforests Are Like

The TTA shows us what lowland rainforests are truly like. It has the largest remaining parts of at least two lowland rainforest communities. It's also a big part of the largest lowland rainforest block between Cairns and Townsville. This makes it a great example of these important ecosystems.

Beautiful Scenery

The TTA is also known for its amazing scenery. The South and North Johnstone River valleys are incredibly beautiful. The ranges provide a spectacular backdrop when viewed from the coast. Many people think the TTA is one of the most beautiful places in the entire World Heritage area.