Coocumbac Island Nature Reserve

Coordinates: 31°55′12″S 152°27′18″E / 31.92000°S 152.45500°E / -31.92000; 152.45500
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Coocumbac Island Nature Reserve
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
WebsiteCoocumbac Island Nature Reserve
See alsoProtected areas of
New South Wales

The Coocumbac Island Nature Reserve (

Taree, is a rare example of a subtropical lowland rainforest.[3]

Much of Australia's lowland sub tropical rainforest was cleared for housing and agriculture, leaving only small patches remaining, such as at Coocumbac Island. The soils are derived from the Manning River. These alluvial soils are enriched from basaltic deposits upstream at Barrington Tops and the Comboyne and Bulga plateaux. The average annual rainfall in nearby Taree is 1,176 millimetres (46.3 in).

Features

Fauna

The most obvious mammal species on the island is the

wompoo fruit-dove.[4]

Flora

The ecological community on the island is known as the large fig - giant stinger tree association.

deciduous fig, small leaf fig and watery fig. The town of Taree, takes its name from another of the local figs, the sandpaper fig
.

Other tree species include

native hackberry occurs on the island, 30 metres (98 ft) tall and with a trunk diameter of 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in). Less common trees include white walnut and the Australian rose mahogany
.

Rainforest regeneration programs have been put in place to encourage local rainforest species and suppress the problem of invasive weeds.[5]

Mangroves

Surrounding the island is an impressive community of two species of mangroves; grey mangrove and river mangrove.

Etymology

Coocumbac means "meeting place" in the local

Biripi language.[4] Australian indigenous
people regularly visited the rainforest for the collection of food, medicinal purposes, the collection of fibres for making bags and nets and social gatherings. The rainforest has spiritual significance to the traditional indigenous custodians.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Coocumbac Island Nature Reserve". Office of Environment and Heritage. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  2. ^ "FirstVoices".
  3. ^ "Lowland rainforest on floodplain in the NSW North Coast Bioregion - endangered ecological community listing". Office of Environment and Heritage. Government of New South Wales. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  4. ^
    ISBN 0-7313-6573-9. Retrieved 19 September 2014. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help
    )
  5. ^ .