History | World
Heritage Criteria 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
World
Heritage Areas
How
Hinchinbrook Island meets World Heritage Criterion:
Criteria
2:
"...be
an outstanding example representing significant on-going ecological
and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial,
freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants
and animals"
A
1989 survey of tropical lowlands between Ingham to Cooktown indicate
that Hinchinbrook Island and Channel National Parks are of outstanding
importance because of the diversity of rare communities.
Mangroves
Hinchinbrook Island, Channel and the adjacent mainland support
one of the larges occurrences of mangroves along the "Wet
Tropics" coastline. This area represents the largest, richest
and most divers mangrove habitat in Australia. There are
at least 30 species represented in these forests.
Other
Vegetation Communities
The area between Cardwell and the Cardwell range contains
by far the best remaining Melaleuca forest home of the mahogany
glider (thought to be extinct), at least two endangered species
of orchids, and endangered species of "ant plant" (Myrmecodia
beccarii) and the rare apollo jewel butterfly (Hypochrysops
apollo apollo) the larvae of which lives on the ant plants.
The association between these ant plant, butterflies and the ant
species which occupiers the galleries of the plant provide a classical
example of symbiotic mutualism
Orchids
Fifteen terrestrial orchids have been recorded in the broad-leafed Melaleuca
viridiflora forests and a further eight species in the mixed
eucalyptus forests of the region. The ground orchids Genoplesium
tectium and Arthrochilus stenophyllus are
also endemic to the Hinchinbrook Region.
The endangered species Phais tankervillaea is found
behind the beach at Zoe Bay on the east coast of the Island.
History | World
Heritage Criteria 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
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