TY - JOUR
T1 - Patterned fen formation and development from the Great Sandy Region, south-east Queensland, Australia
AU - Moss, Patrick
AU - Tibby, John
AU - Shapland, Felicity
AU - Fairfax, Russell
AU - Stewart, Philip
AU - Barr, Cameron
AU - Petherick, Lynda
AU - Gontz, Allen
AU - Sloss, Craig
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© CSIRO 2016.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - The Great Sandy Region (incorporating Fraser Island and the Cooloola sand-mass), south-east Queensland, contains a significant area of Ramsar-listed coastal wetlands, including the globally important patterned fen complexes. These mires form an elaborate network of pools surrounded by vegetated peat ridges and are the only known subtropical, Southern Hemisphere examples, with wetlands of this type typically located in high northern latitudes. Sedimentological, palynological and charcoal analysis from the Wathumba and Moon Point complexes on Fraser Island indicate two periods of swamp formation (that may contain patterned fens), one commencing at 12000 years ago (Moon Point) and the other ∼4300 years ago (Wathumba). Wetland formation and development is thought to be related to a combination of biological and hydrological processes with the dominant peat-forming rush, Empodisma minus, being an important component of both patterned and non-patterned mires within the region. In contrast to Northern Hemisphere paludifying systems, the patterning appears to initiate at the start of wetland development or as part of an infilling process. The wetlands dominated by E. minus are highly resilient to disturbance, particularly burning and sea level alterations, and appear to form important refuge areas for amphibians, fish and birds (both non-migratory and migratory) over thousands of years.
AB - The Great Sandy Region (incorporating Fraser Island and the Cooloola sand-mass), south-east Queensland, contains a significant area of Ramsar-listed coastal wetlands, including the globally important patterned fen complexes. These mires form an elaborate network of pools surrounded by vegetated peat ridges and are the only known subtropical, Southern Hemisphere examples, with wetlands of this type typically located in high northern latitudes. Sedimentological, palynological and charcoal analysis from the Wathumba and Moon Point complexes on Fraser Island indicate two periods of swamp formation (that may contain patterned fens), one commencing at 12000 years ago (Moon Point) and the other ∼4300 years ago (Wathumba). Wetland formation and development is thought to be related to a combination of biological and hydrological processes with the dominant peat-forming rush, Empodisma minus, being an important component of both patterned and non-patterned mires within the region. In contrast to Northern Hemisphere paludifying systems, the patterning appears to initiate at the start of wetland development or as part of an infilling process. The wetlands dominated by E. minus are highly resilient to disturbance, particularly burning and sea level alterations, and appear to form important refuge areas for amphibians, fish and birds (both non-migratory and migratory) over thousands of years.
KW - Empodisma minus
KW - charcoal
KW - pollen
KW - refuge
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84969670165&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1071/MF14359
DO - 10.1071/MF14359
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84969670165
SN - 1323-1650
VL - 67
SP - 816
EP - 827
JO - Marine and Freshwater Research
JF - Marine and Freshwater Research
IS - 6
ER -