Conondale National Park is 130 km north of Brisbane in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland near the town of Conondale in the south east Queensland bioregion.NPRSR, R., 2013. Conondale National Park Management Statement 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2014. The park covers an area of 35,648 hectares protecting large areas of subtropical rainforest, woodlands, wet and dry sclerophyll forest including Queensland's tallest tree.ESRI Australia, 2013. Queensland’s tallest tree – and that’s no LiDAR! Esri Aust. The park contains areas of regenerating forest which have been previously logged; areas of forest plantations also border the park. The park is currently managed by the Queensland Government under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.
Since the 1860s the Conondale region has been impacted by land clearing for agriculture, mining and logging,Moran, C.L., Catterall, C., Green, R.J., Olsen, M.F., 2004. Fates of feathered fruit-eaters in fragmented forests 699–712. today the park is a refuge for many species now rare and threatened. Threatened species such as the plumed frogmouth, giant barred frog, Conondale crayfish, spotted-tailed quoll, Gympie nut and richmond birdwing butterfly have been recorded in the park and are currently targeted for conservation management to mitigate threats to their survival. Species of interest include the southern gastric brooding frog which mysteriously disappeared in 1981 and is presumed extinct.Hero, J.-M., Morrison, C., 2004. Frog declines in Australia: global implications. Herpetol. J. 14, 175–186.
Regional description
The landscape has a rugged topography with gorges, valleys and a number of mountains above 700 m with the highest peak being Mount Langley at 868m. Throughout the park there are scenic waterfalls such as Booloumba Creek Falls, cascades and numerous boulder strewn creeks.NPRSR, n.d. Conondale Range Great Walk - Nature, culture and history [WWW Document]. URL http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/great-walks-conondale-range/culture.html (accessed 4.26.14). The Conondale range forms a catchment divide between the Brisbane River and Mary River with the southernmost tributaries of the Mary river forming in Booloumba and Yabba creek.Hughes, J.M., Bunn, S.E., Cleary, C., Hurwood, D.A., 2000. A hierarchical analysis of the genetic structure of an aquatic insect Bungona (Baetidae: Ephemeroptera). Heredity 85, 561–570. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2540.2000.00782.x The park also contains wetlands of national significance.EHP, jurisdiction=Queensland; sector=government; corporateName=Department of E. and H., n.d. Conondale Range Aggregation DIWA nationally important wetland — facts and maps [WWW Document]. URL https://wetlandinfo.ehp.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/diwa-wetland-conondale-range-aggregation/ (accessed 4.28.14a). These tributaries are important for the threatened Mary river cod which has declined in these creeks.Environment, D. of the, 2013a. The Mary River Cod Research and Recovery Plan [WWW Document]. URL http://www.environment.gov.au/node/15729 (accessed 4.27.14).
The region has a sub-tropical climate with a mean annual rainfall of 1,500 mm, the majority of rainfall occurs seasonally in summer (December–March) usually with heavy downpours and winters generally cold and dry with occasional frosts.Innis, G., 1989. Feeding Ecology of Fruit Pigeons in Subtropical Rainforests of South-Eastern Queensland. Wildl. Res. 16, 365–394. Major vegetation types include a mix of complex notophyll vine forest, sub-tropical rainforest, woodlands, bangalow palm forests, wet sclerophyll and dry sclerophyll forest with rainforest occurring mainly at higher altitudes and along watercourses.Hughes, J.M., Bunn, S.E., Kingston, D.M., Hurwood, D.A., 1995. Genetic Differentiation and Dispersal among Populations of Paratya australiensis (Atyidae) in Rainforest Streams in Southeast Queensland, Australia. J. North Am. Benthol. Soc. 14, 158. doi:10.2307/1467731
History
The Conondale region served as an important area for both the Jinibara and Kabi Kabi traditional owners, it was an important pathway and resource gathering area for food such as the bunya pine Araucaria bidwillii which occurs in the park and remains culturally significant to Indigenous people today. European settlement occurred from 1860 onwards seeing gold mining, farming and logging occur in the region,Smith, G.C., Hamley, B.J., Lees, N., 1998. An Estimate of the Plumed Frogmouth "Podargus ocellatus plumiferus" Population Size in the Conondale Ranges [WWW Document]. URL http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=668756953042077;res=IELNZC (accessed 4.16.14). timber trees logged included red cedar Toona ciliata, blackbutt Eucalyptus pilularis and tallowood Eucalyptus microcorys. By the early 1900s state forests were declared and logging of remnant forests was gradually replaced with the establishment of hoop pine plantations. The national park was established in 1977 after lobbying by conservationists over proposed logging of pristine areas of the Conondale ranges which would have impacted on catchments and endangered species such as the plumed frogmouth,Roberts, G., Ingram, G., 1978. Marbled Frogmouth in the Conondale Range, South-eastern Queensland. Emu 78, 41–42. the park now encompasses over 35,000 ha providing opportunities for recreation such as bushwalking, camping, four wheel driving, horse riding and bird watchingBooks, L.L.C., 2010. Protected Areas Established In 1977: Rudall River National Park, Mallee Cliffs National Park, Boorabbin National Park, Budawang National Park. General Books LLC. Many parts of the region have been re-vegetated by private landowners and Landcare groups.
Ecological significance of Conondale National Park
Flora
Two thirds of the original vegetation in the Conondale region has been cleared including large areas of rainforest leaving a mosaic of cattle pastures, cropland, remnant forests and hoop pine plantations. Extensive areas of remnant forests remain in gullies and steeper parts of the Conondale ranges including large areas of un-managed regrowth. The national park protects significant areas of remnant vegetation including sub-tropical rainforest, wet and dry sclerophyll forest including remnant stands of bunya pine Araucaria bidwillii, hoop pine Araucaria cunninghamii including extremely tall stands of flooded gum Eucalyptus grandis and brush box Lophostemon confertus. Queensland's tallest tree a Eucalyptus grandis was recently discovered in the park in 2013 and stands at 73 metres tall. In total there are thirty one different vegetation types including extensive Palm vine forests,McDonald, W.J., Young, P.A., Watson, M.A., 1998. Distribution and status of the rainforest communities of southeast Queensland. Rainforest Recovery New Millennium World Wildlife Fund Sydney. 28–66. thirteen are listed as ‘of concern’ including gallery rainforests (notophyll vine forests) and semi-evergreen vine thickets which are listed as endangered.
A total of 796 plant species are recorded in the park, twelve species are listed as endangered, vulnerable or near threatened. Notable threatened species include the gympie nut Macadamia ternifolia now listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List and listed vulnerable in Queensland and nationally.Environment, D. of the, 2009a. Southern macadamia species recovery plan. Retrieved 25 April 2014. The brush sophora Sophora fraseri and Bosistoa transversa are listed nationally as Vulnerable and occurs in semi-evergreen vine thickets, it is threatened by changing fire regimes and competition from weeds.EHP, jurisdiction=Queensland; sector=government; corporateName=Department of E. and H., n.d. Brush sophora – Sophora fraseri [WWW Document]. URL https://wetlandinfo.ehp.qld.gov.au/wetlands/ecology/components/species/?sophora-fraseri (accessed 4.25.14b).
Richmond birdwing butterfly recovery program
Conondale National Park is considered a critical site for the survival of the richmond birdwing butterfly Ornithoptera richmondia which is listed as vulnerable in Queensland, the park also has significant stands of the richmond birdwing vine Aristolochia praevenosa a species of critical priority for the butterfly.Sands, D.P.A., New, T.R., 2013. Conservation of the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly in Australia, 1st ed. Springer, Dordrecht.EHP, jurisdiction=Queensland; sector=government; corporateName=Department of E. and H., 2004. Richmond birdwing butterfly [WWW Document]. URL https://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/wildlife/threatened-species/vulnerable/richmond_birdwing_butterfly.html (accessed 4.27.14). The vine is crucial in the lifecycle of the butterfly which occurs predominantly in rainforests along waterways, it is a food source for the larval stage of the butterfly's lifecycle and is the only plant the female butterfly will lay its eggs on. Threats include the exotic dutchmans pipe Aristolochia elegans which the female butterfly is attracted to and will lay her eggs on, however the leaves are fatal to the butterfly larvae. Extensive public education and conservation programs are underway in Queensland with cultivation, planting, control of weeds and ecological monitoring occurring.
Birds
Conondale National Park is considered an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife InternationalAustralian IBAs | BirdLife [WWW Document], n.d. URL http://birdlife.org.au/projects/important-bird-areas/iba-maps (accessed 4.30.14). with 174 bird species recorded in the park, fourteen species are considered endangered or vulnerable. Notable species include the pale-yellow robin Tregellasia capito, paradise riflebird Ptiloris paradiseus, green catbird Ailuroedus crassirostris, regent bowerbird Sericulus chrysocephalus and grey goshawk Accipiter novaehollandiae Australian logrunner Orthonyx temminckii. Threatened birds in the park include the Coxen's fig parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma coxeni, red goshawk Erythrotriorchis radiatus, glossy black cockatoo (eastern) Calyptorhynchus lathami lathami and the powerful owl Ninox strenua.