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Queensland Government
WetlandInfo   —   Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation

Wet Tropics (WET) IBRA bioregion

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Catchment stories info

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Wetland observations

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Wetland extents info metadata

Based on wetland mapping version 6.0

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Wet Tropics (WET) IBRA bioregion wetland area by system 2019
System Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 119,426 100.0% 6.0%
Total excluding riverine and artificial/highly modified riverine 94,156 78.8% 4.7%
Artificial and highly modified 9,509 8.0% 0.5%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 49,611 41.5% 2.5%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 191 0.2% 0.0%
Lacustrine (natural) 163 0.1% 0.0%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 56 0.0% 0.0%
Palustrine (natural) 33,479 28.0% 1.7%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 1,149 1.0% 0.1%
Riverine 25,269 21.2% 1.3%
Wet Tropics (WET) IBRA bioregion wetland area by habitat 2019
Habitat Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 84,202 100.0% 4.2%
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0.0% 0.0%
Mangroves - other 44,787 53.2% 2.3%
Salt marsh and salt flats 4,784 5.7% 0.2%
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain clay plan lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 156 0.2% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid Great Artesian Basin fed spring swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 7,187 8.5% 0.4%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 2,603 3.1% 0.1%
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 109 0.1% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 14,559 17.3% 0.7%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 5,871 7.0% 0.3%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 498 0.6% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 44 0.1% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 3,329 4.0% 0.2%
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 0 0.0% 0.0%
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 275 0.3% 0.0%

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

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Wetland extent changes

Wet Tropics (WET) IBRA bioregion wetland extent change by system
System 2019 area
(ha)
2017 area
(ha)
2013 area
(ha)
2009 area
(ha)
2005 area
(ha)
2001 area
(ha)
pre-clear area
(ha)
2019/pre-clear
percentage
Total 119,426 119,415 119,489 119,445 119,343 119,672 168,254 * 65.3%
Artificial and highly modified 9,509 9,487 9,462 9,460 9,367 9,431 0 n/a
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 49,611 49,611 49,613 49,603 49,585 49,624 52,989 93.6%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 191 191 191 191 192 195 0 n/a
Lacustrine (natural) 163 163 163 163 163 163 163 99.9%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 56 56 56 55 75 53 0 n/a
Palustrine (natural) 33,479 33,498 33,585 33,571 33,581 33,795 76,003 44.0%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 1,149 1,136 1,130 1,130 1,130 1,119 0 n/a
Riverine 25,269 25,273 25,290 25,271 25,250 25,292 39,099 64.6%

* Total 2019/pre-clear percentage excludes artificial and highly modified

Wet Tropics (WET) IBRA bioregion wetland extent change by habitat
Habitat 2019 area
(ha)
2017 area
(ha)
2013 area
(ha)
2009 area
(ha)
2005 area
(ha)
2001 area
(ha)
Total 84,202 84,208 84,291 84,267 84,261 84,504
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mangroves - other 44,787 44,787 44,789 44,788 44,777 44,796
Salt marsh and salt flats 4,784 4,784 4,784 4,776 4,770 4,792
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain clay plan lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 156 156 156 156 156 156
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid Great Artesian Basin fed spring swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 7,187 7,194 7,197 7,180 7,188 7,262
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 2,603 2,603 2,605 2,605 2,604 2,606
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 109 109 109 109 109 108
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 14,559 14,556 14,602 14,589 14,576 14,656
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 5,871 5,871 5,897 5,912 5,942 5,984
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 498 498 498 498 498 500
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 44 44 44 44 40 40
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 3,329 3,331 3,334 3,336 3,324 3,329
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 0 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 275 275 275 275 275 276

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

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Australian Land Use and Management Classification (ALUMC) metadata

Wet Tropics (WET) IBRA bioregion land use
ALUMC code and description
Area (ha)
% total area
Total 1,986,063 99.8%
1.1 Nature conservation 966,660 48.6%
2.1 Grazing native vegetation 313,404 15.8%
1.3 Other minimal use 190,284 9.6%
3.3 Cropping 159,096 8.0%
1.2 Managed resource protection 114,241 5.7%
2.2 Production native forests 54,296 2.7%
6.5 Marsh/wetland 48,594 2.4%
5.4 Residential and farm infrastructure 40,331 2.0%
4.3 Irrigated cropping 29,682 1.5%
4.4 Irrigated perennial horticulture 16,776 0.8%
3.1 Plantation forests 15,985 0.8%
6.3 River 10,393 0.5%
5.5 Services 6,121 0.3%
6.2 Reservoir/dam 5,894 0.3%
3.2 Grazing modified pastures 5,251 0.3%
5.2 Intensive animal production 1,571 0.1%
5.7 Transport and communication 1,555 0.1%
4.2 Grazing irrigated modified pastures 1,252 0.1%
3.6 Land in transition 1,033 0.1%
5.3 Manufacturing and industrial 1,025 0.1%
5.8 Mining 809 0.0%
4.5 Irrigated seasonal horticulture 783 0.0%
5.9 Waste treatment and disposal 286 0.0%
6.1 Lake 262 0.0%
5.1 Intensive horticulture 202 0.0%
5.6 Utilities 93 0.0%
3.4 Perennial horticulture 62 0.0%
4.1 Irrigated plantation forests 49 0.0%
4.6 Irrigated land in transition 44 0.0%
6.6 Estuary/coastal waters 21 0.0%
3.5 Seasonal horticulture 6 0.0%

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Wildlife

Kingdom
Class
Native Introduced Wetland
indicator
species
Rare or
threatened
species
All
TOTAL 7,209 781 632 448 7,990
Animals 1,208 40 293 107 1,248
Mammals 145 13 7 29 158
Birds 502 10 99 39 512
Reptiles 208 2 23 13 210
Amphibians 73 1 22 17 74
Ray-finned fishes 97 8 100 7 105
Cartilaginous fishes 14 0 14 0 14
Insects 160 6 28 1 166
Malacostracans 7 0 0 1 7
Arachnids 2 0 0 0 2
Bacteria 38 0 0 0 38
Chromists 34 0 0 0 34
Fungi 913 1 0 0 914
Plants 5,014 740 339 341 5,754
Protozoans 2 0 0 0 2

Note: Wildlife statistics are based on information that has been submitted to the DETSI WildNet database and converted to a 10km² grid. The grid information has been intersected with the mapping polygons to determine the species lists. Click here to view the species grid metadata.

Information from WildNet can also be accessed via Wildlife Online and WetlandMaps.

Rare or threatened includes species listed as extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or conservation dependent under either the Nature Conservation Act or Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act

Disclaimer: While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this product, the Queensland Government and Australian Government make no representations or warranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaim all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which might be incurred as a consequence of reliance on the product, or as a result of the product being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason.

AreaType-ibra-bioregion

This page should be cited as:

Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2013) Wet Tropics (WET) IBRA bioregion — facts and maps, WetlandInfo website, accessed 16 April 2025. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/ibra-bioregion-wet-tropics-wet/

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