Eungella National Park

About

Eungella National Park ( YUNG-gel-ə; meaning "Land of the clouds") is a protected area in Queensland, Australia. It is on the Clarke Range at the end of the Pioneer Valley 80 km west of Mackay, and 858 km northwest of Brisbane. Eungella is noted for the national park which surrounds it. It is considered to be the longest continual stretch of sub-tropical rainforest in Australia. The original inhabitants are the Wirri people. The park is covered by dense rainforest and is known for its platypuses.

Eungella National Park is located on an isolated massif about 80 km west of Mackay in North–central Queensland. The Eungella Plateau rises to 1259m at Mt Dalrymple and to similar elevation at Mt William, forming part of the Clarke Range. The park preserves about half (30,000 ha) the area of rainforest present at the time of European settlement, which has been much reduced by logging. Rainforest in the National Park ranges from high elevation, notophyll vine forest to low elevation mesophyll forests at the base of the ranges. Notophyll vine forest with tall eucalypts such as red stringybark ( Eucalyptus resinifera ) is found on the ridges of eastern facing slopes and drier western slopes often contain hoop pine ( Araucaria cunninghamii ). The rainforests of the Eungella massif represent one of the most isolated patches of this vegetation type in Australia. The rainforest is bordered by eucalypt forests and woodlands across much of its extent.

Eungella National Park was declared over 49,610 hectares in 1941. In 1986 the National Park was extended to include land at Mt Beatrice and a small area of former State Forest near Finch Hatton, so that today the park encompasses 52,900 ha.

The word Eungella is an aboriginal name meaning 'land of the cloud' and with an average annual rainfall of 2240mm, it often seems perched in a cloud. The temperature is generally around five degrees cooler than the surrounding lowlands.

Eungella National Park is recognised as a centre of endemism for Australian rainforest species. There were three key refuge areas in mid-east Queensland during past periods of rainforest contraction. The most important is thought to have been in the Clarke Range and Eungella National Park area, which support many endemic species, including a spiny crayfish, Euastacus eungella (Eungella spiny crayfish); a leaf-tailed gecko, Phyllurus nepthys (Eungella leaf-tailed gecko); a skink, Tumbunascincus luteilateralis (orange-spotted forest-skink); a honeyeater, Bolemoreus hindwoodi (Eungella honeyeater); and three frogs, Taudactylus liemi (Eungella tinker frog), Taudactylus eungellensis (Eungella torrent frog or Eungella dayfrog) and Rheobatrachus vitellinus (northern gastric-brooding frog).

A total of 16 species of fungi, 19 mosses, 4 conifers, 92 ferns, 299 dicots and 54 monocots are recorded as occurring in the National Park. Much of the rainforest in the National Park is complex mesophyll vine forest with pockets of simple and complex notophyll vine forests on poorer soils. Many of the vegetation communities including rainforests, vine thickets and vine forests are considered fire sensitive.

Elaeocarpus largiflorens is a rainforest tree reaching 30 m in height which occurs in the wet tropics from sea level to 1200 m elevation and is at the southern limit of its natural range at Eungella. It produces 20 mm long fruits that are eaten and dispersed by a range of frugivorous vertebrates. The Eungella hairy daisy ( Ozothamnus eriocephalus ) is a shrub species with very limited range, currently listed as vulnerable at both state and federal levels. Omphalea celata is a small tree currently listed as vulnerable at a state and federal level, which was first described in 1994 and is found at Hazlewood Gorge within the park. It is a host plant for the zodiac moth ( Alcides metaurus ).

In the southern half of Queensland, the giant fern ( Angiopteris evecta ) is found in only four widely spaced sites, including Eungella, which may indicate a past wider distribution when Queensland was much wetter. This species needs a highly-reliable water supply and high humidity to sustain its enormous fronds. The vulnerable Dryopteris sparsa is also found in the park.

Elaeocarpus largiflorens is a rainforest tree reaching 30 m in height which occurs in the wet tropics from sea level to 1200 m elevation and is at the southern limit of its natural range at Eungella. It produces 20 mm long fruits that are eaten and dispersed by a range of frugivorous vertebrates. The Eungella hairy daisy ( Ozothamnus eriocephalus ) is a shrub species with very limited range, currently listed as vulnerable at both state and federal levels. Omphalea celata is a small tree currently listed as vulnerable at a state and federal level, which was first described in 1994 and is found at Hazlewood Gorge within the park. It is a host plant for the zodiac moth ( Alcides metaurus ).

In the southern half of Queensland, the giant fern ( Angiopteris evecta ) is found in only four widely spaced sites, including Eungella, which may indicate a past wider distribution when Queensland was much wetter. This species needs a highly-reliable water supply and high humidity to sustain its enormous fronds. The vulnerable Dryopteris sparsa is also found in the park.

Over 175 species of mammals, reptiles, birds and amphibians have been recorded in the park.

111 species of birds have been recorded in Eungella National Park. The Eungella honeyeater ( Lichenostomus hindwoodi ) is endemic to the highland rainforest of the Clarke Range, including the park. It can be distinguished from it is close relative and sister species the bridled honeyeater ( Lichenostomus frenata ) by its plumage colour and markings, size, bill colour and calls. It was first collected in 1975 and described in 1983, making it the most recently described Australian bird species. It occurs in the park, and also feeds in adjacent eucalypt woodlands.

The red-necked crake ( Rallina tricolor ), previously thought to only occur as far south as Townsville, was first observed in the park in 1981. The buff-breasted paradise kingfisher ( Tanysiptera sylvia ) and the white-browed robin ( Poecilodryas superciliosa ) are at the southern extent of their distribution at Eungella. The regent bowerbird ( Sericulus chrysocephalus ) occurs at its northern limit in the park and surrounding area, as do the brown thornbill ( Acanthiza pusilla ) and the glossy black cockatoo ( Calyptorhynchus lathami ). Australian swiftlets ( Aerodramus terraereginae ) breed in caves in the Finch Hatton Creek area, and one of the few Australian records of glossy swiftlet ( Collocalia esculenta ) was in the park.

A total of 16 amphibian species have been recorded in the park. Globally, amphibians have undergone rapid and extensive decline in recent decades, due in part to habitat loss and pollution, but unknown factors threaten almost half the species in decline. Amphibians are more threatened and are declining more rapidly than either birds or mammals. An exotic and highly-virulent pathogen may be contributing to the decline of rainforest frog species in eastern Australia. The causative agent may be the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, although this has not as yet been detected in stream-dwelling frogs in the park.

Eungella National Park is recognised as one of eleven areas with high levels of frog endemism. Of the three endemic frog species endemic, two are still believed to exist today, the Eungella dayfrog and the Eungella tinker frog, while one species, the northern gastric brooding frog, is believed extinct. All three species are ground dwelling and their distribution is restricted to streams or areas close to streams in mid to high elevation rainforests.

The Eungella dayfrog was previously more common, but has declined in number and distribution in recent decades, and is now considered endangered at a state and federal level. The peak breeding period for this species is between January and May, but tadpoles at all sizes and developmental stages can be found throughout the year. This frog is one of only two species known to use body language, including small hops and movements of the arms and legs, to attract the attention of other frogs; a behaviour which may have evolved due to the noise of mountain streams rushing over rocks in its habitat making calling a less effective means of communication.

The Eungella tinkerfrog is considered near threatened in Queensland. It occurs between 180 and 1250m elevation, but is sparsely distributed and rarely seen. Potential threats to this species include forest grazing, trampling by livestock, introduced species such as the cane toad ( Rhinella marina ) and the chytrid fungus.

The northern gastric brooding frog ( Rheobatrachus vitellinus ) was discovered in January 1984, but has not been seen since March 1985 and is believed to be extinct. It is one of only two species in the world known to brood its young in its stomach, with the mother swallowing fertilised eggs or early larval stages, before 'giving birth' through the mouth. Its distribution was exclusively undisturbed rainforest within Eungella National Park at altitudes of 400–1000m, before it underwent a sudden range contraction and disappeared.

28 species of mammals have been recorded in the park. This includes several bat species including the little bent-wing bat ( Miniopterus australis ), eastern horseshoe bat ( Rhinolophus megaphyllus ), common blossom bat ( Syconycteris australis ), eastern forest bat ( Vespadelus pumilus ), eastern long-eared bat ( Nyctophilus bifax ) and grey-headed flying-fox ( Pteropus poliocephalus ).

Platypus ( Ornithorhynchus anatinus ) are often seen at the viewing platform at Broken River which is the most visited location in the park. They have an unusual foraging behaviour and are the only mammal known to use electrolocation for detecting prey. Platypus are generally found in slow-moving rivers and small pools and are highly adapted to a semi-aquatic life. They have extremely dense fur, large webs on their feet extending well beyond the toenails, a broad, flat tail and excellent swimming ability, paddling with their forelegs in alternating strokes, with their hindlegs and tail trailing behind. When foraging, captured prey is stored in two cheek pouches and later masticated and swallowed when the platypus surfaces. An apparent feeding association has been noted between the azure kingfisher ( Ceyx azureus ) and the platypus at Eungella National Park, where the birds have been observed watching for fish disturbed by the platypus, before diving into the water in search of prey.