Assessment of Riparian Rainforest Vegetation Change in Tropical North Queensland for Management and Restoration Purposes

Changes in riparian vegetation extent in northern Queensland, Australia were assessed using aerial photographs from 1944 and 2000. Change in riparian extent was recorded as vegetation gain or loss. Changes in density were recorded as vegetation thickening. Riparian forest coverage increased by 22 ha during this time period in the Mossman River catchment. A total of 124 ha of riparian forest were gained, while 101 ha of riparian forest were lost. A further 59 ha of forest increased in density over this time period. Clearing, changes in farm management practices and natural stream channel movement have been identified as three potential causes for these changes. Areas with little or no riparian vegetation were identified and categorised into priority levels for potential revegetation efforts.