Lacustrine and Palustrine Typology

Under the Queensland Wetlands Program, and as part of the National Project on National Wetland Indicators Final Report (Conrick et al., 2007), attributes have been identified addressing characteristics of lacustrine and palustrine wetlands at increasingly specific scales (continental, ecosystem, landscape, and local). These can be used for classifying wetlands through the Wetland Description Tool (see below). Each category has specific layers to identify different features of wetlands that can be used in the classification system.

The Queensland Wetlands Program has developed a typology that uses attributes collated in the mapping and the framework of the Wetland Description Tool to provide further resolution for lacustrine and palustrine wetlands. Through expert consultation and an iterative process of ‘reality checking’ with the mapping, a series of Wetland Habitat Types (see below) has been developed that are broad enough to cover the state of Queensland but also allow for identification and grouping of key ecological and physical processes within wetlands of each broad climatic zone.

As wetlands are diverse spatially and temporally, this typology also allows for combining Wetland Habitat Types which may be found within an individual wetland (e.g. a lacustrine waterbody may have a palustrine fringe). Therefore it may be useful to look at two or more wetland conceptual models to get an idea of the complete picture of an individual wetland or complex.

The detailed wetland classification system developed by Blackman (1992, 1995) and based on Cowardin et al., (1979) is recommended for use when a more localised classification is required.

Advantages of the Queensland Wetland Habitat Typology

• Through using the Wetland Description Tool, the Wetland Habitat Typology has been workshopped nationally and debated extensively.
• The Typology is not designed to replace existing classification systems, and can be easily translated to other systems as it includes a descriptive list of attributes. This allows for consistency in reporting across jurisdictions.
• The attributes and components that form the basis of this system can be applied efficiently at a statewide scale using wetlands mapping and inventory in a Geographic Information System.
• The Typology is based on key attributes, drivers and components of Australian wetlands and it is therefore easier to depict wetland function and choose indicators for wetland monitoring.
• The Typology is effective for reporting at regional, state and national levels.
• If additional attributes are considered important at state or regional level, more refined wetland typologies can be developed. However, for the purposes of reporting nationally they can be combined up and robustly compared.
• States can agree on lead jurisdictions for the development of wetland conceptual models associated with the typology. That is, a national set of conceptual models can be developed and shared between jurisdictions that are complementary to regional and local wetland conceptual models.
• The naming convention for the typology is intuitive and descriptive, and relates directly to the key components driving the system.
• The Typology is exhaustive—all wetlands are covered.
• The Typology can underpin all subsequent management guidelines, indicators, science synthesis, conceptual models, literature reviews and more. These can be developed up based on the typology and can therefore be used appropriately according to relevant wetland habitat type.

Table 1: Wetland Description Tool: wetland description layers to assist in classifying wetlands in Queensland.

Resolution	Level	Category	Attribute	Attribute in Wetland Habitat Typology
Ecosystem	Primary	Wetland systems	Marine Estuarine Riverine Lacustrine Palustrine Subterranean Nival Reservoir	Lacustrine Palustrine
Continental	Primary	Climate	Equatorial Tropical Subtropical Desert Grassland Temperate	Coastal and Sub-Coastal, which includes Equatorial and Tropical, Subtropical and Temperate Inland, which includes Semi Arid and Arid
Local	Primary	Water type	Saline Freshwater, low pH Freshwater, neutral/high pH	Saline Fresh
Local	Primary	Water regime	Commonly wet Periodic inundation	Commonly wet Periodic inundation
Landscape	Primary	Geomorphology/ topography	Floodplain Non-Floodplain (depressional) Non-Floodplain (springs)	Floodplain Non-Floodplain (depressional) Non-Floodplain (springs) – for Inland Palustrine Systems only
Landscape	Primary	Soils	Peat (organic) Mineral Rock (non-soil)	Rock Soil Sand (which covers both Sand-Perched and Sand-window systems)
Local	Primary	Dominant vegetation structure	Forested Shrub Sedge/grass/forb No emergent vegetation	Tree Shrubs (Wet Heath for Coastal and Sub-coastal; Lignum for Arid and Semi-Arid) Grasses/Sedges/Herbs
Local	Secondary	Dominant Vegetation Community	Examples: Melaleuca Eucalyptus	Dominant vegetation community is used for the tree wetlands to divide: Melaleuca and Eucalypt swamps Palm swamps
Local	Secondary	Substrate	Igneous Metamorphic Sedimentary-detrital Sedimentary-pyroclastic Sedimentary-chemical or organic Unconsolidated Examples of these are: Dolerite (IG) Granite (IG) Limestone	Secondary substrate not currently used in typology

Table 2: Queensland Wetland Habitat Typology: Major Wetland Habitat Types for Wetland Conceptual Models and Wetland Management Profiles

	Wetland System	Climatic Zone	Wetland Substrate	Water Type	Water Regime	Landscape Geomorphology/ Topography	Vegetation	Wetland Name	Short Name	Wetland Profile
Coastal and Sub-Coastal
1	Palustrine	Coastal and Sub-Coastal	All	Saline	All	All	All	Coastal and sub-Coastal Saline Swamps of all substrates, water regimes, topographic types and vegetation communities	Coastal and sub coastal Saline Swamps	Coastal grass-sedge wetlands
2a	Palustrine	Coastal and Sub-Coastal	All	Fresh	All	Non-Floodplain (depressional)	Trees (Melaleuca and Eucalypt)	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Non-Floodplain Tree Swamps (Melaleuca and Eucalypt)  of all substrates and water regimes	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Non-Floodplain Tree Swamps - Melaleuca and Eucalypt	Coastal and sub-coastal tree swamps
2b	Palustrine	Coastal and Sub-Coastal	All	Fresh	All	Non-Floodplain (depressional)	Wet Heath	Coastal and Sub-Cosatal Non-Floodplain Wet Heath Swamps of all substrates and water regimes	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Non-Floodplain Wet Heath Swamps	Coastal and sub-coastal wet heath swamps
2c	Palustrine	Coastal and Sub-Coastal	All	Fresh	All	Non-Floodplain (depressional)	Grasses, Sedges, Herbs	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Non-Floodplain Grass, Sedge and Herb Swamps of all substrates and water regimes	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Non-Floodplain Grass, Sedge and Herb Swamps	Coastal grass-sedge wetlands
3a	Palustrine	Coastal and Sub-Coastal	All	Fresh	All	Floodplain	Trees (Melaleuca and Eucalypt)	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Floodplain Tree Swamps - Melaleuca and Eucalypt of all substrates and water regimes	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Floodplain Tree Swamps - Melaleuca and Eucalypt	Coastal and sub-coastal tree swamps
3b	Palustrine	Coastal and Sub-Coastal	All	Fresh	All	Floodplain	Wet Heath	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Floodplain Wet Heath Swamps of all substrates and water regimes	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Floodplain Wet Heath Swamps	Coastal and sub-coastal wet heath swamps
3c	Palustrine	Coastal and Sub-Coastal	All	Fresh	All	Floodplain	Grasses, Sedges, Herbs	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Floodplain, Grass, Sedge Herb  Swamps of all substrates and water regimes	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Floodplain Grass, Sedge, Herb Swamps	Coastal grass-sedge wetlands
4	Palustrine	Coastal and Sub-Coastal	All	Fresh	All	All	Trees (Palm)	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Tree Swamps - Palm of all substrates, topographic types and water regimes	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Floodplain Tree Swamps - Palm	Coastal Palm Swamps
5	Lacustrine	Coastal and Sub-Coastal	All	All	All	Floodplain	NA	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Floodplain Lakes of all substrates, water types and water regimes.	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Floodplain Lakes	Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lakes and non-floodplain soil lakes
6	Lacustrine	Coastal and Sub-Coastal	Rock	All	All	Non-Floodplain	NA	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Non-Floodplain Rock Lakes of all water types and water regimes	Coastal Sub-Coastal Non-Floodplain Rock Lakes	Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lakes
7a	Lacustrine	Coastal and Sub-Coastal	Sand	Fresh	All	Non-Floodplain (Window)	NA	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Non-Floodplain Sand Lakes (window) of all water types and water regimes	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Non-Floodplain Sand Lakes - Window	Coastal non-floodplain sand lakes
7b	Lacustrine	Coastal and Sub-Coastal	Sand	Fresh	All	Non-Floodplain (Perched)	NA	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Non-Floodplain Sand Lakes (perched) of all water types and water regimes	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Non-Floodplain Sand Lakes - Perched	Coastal non-floodplain sand lakes
8	Lacustrine	Coastal and Sub-Coastal	Mineral soils	All	All	Non-Floodplain	NA	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Non-Floodplain Soil Lakes of all water types and water regimes	Coastal and Sub-Coastal Non-Floodplain Soil Lakes	Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lakes and non-floodplain soil lakes
Arid and Semi-Arid
9	Palustrine	Arid and Semi-Arid	All	Saline	All	All	All	Arid and Semi-Arid Saline Swamps of all substrates, water regimes, topographic types and vegetation communities	Arid and Semi-Arid Saline Swamps	Semi-Arid Swamps
10a	Palustrine	Arid and Semi-Arid	All	Fresh	All	All	Trees	Arid and Semi-Arid fresh Tree Swamps of all substrates, and water regimes and topographic types	Arid and Semi-Arid Tree Swamps	Arid swamps Semi-Arid Swamps
10b	Palustrine	Arid and Semi-Arid	All	Fresh	All	All	Lignum	Arid and Semi-Arid Lignum Swamps of all substrates, and water regimes and topographic types	Arid and Semi-Arid Lignum Swamps	Arid swamps Semi-Arid Swamps
10c	Palustrine	Arid and Semi-Arid	All	Fresh	All	All	Grasses, Sedges, Herbs	Arid and Semi-Arid Grass, Sedge, Herb Swamps of all substrates, water regimes and topographic types	Arid and Semi-Arid Grass, Sedge, Herb Swamps	Arid swamps Semi-Arid Swamps
11	Palustrine	Arid and Semi-Arid	All	All	All	Non-Floodplain (spring)	All	Arid and Semi-Arid, Non-Floodplain Swamps - Springs of all substrates, water regimes and vegetation communities	Not Available	Great Artesian Basin spring wetlands
12	Lacustrine	Arid and Semi-Arid	All	Saline	All	All	NA	Arid and Semi-Arid, Saline Lakes of all substrates, topographic types and water regimes	Arid and Semi-Arid Saline Lakes	Arid and semi-arid lakes
13	Lacustrine	Arid and Semi-Arid	All	Fresh	All	Floodplain	NA	Arid and Semi-Arid, , Floodplain Lakes of all, substrates and water regimes	Arid and Semi-Arid Floodplain Lakes	Arid and semi-arid lakes
14	Lacustrine	Arid and Semi-Arid	All	Fresh	All	Non-Floodplain	NA	Arid and Semi-Arid, Non-Floodplain Lakes of all substrates and water regimes	Arid and Semi-Arid Non-Floodplain Lakes	Arid and semi-arid lakes
15	Lacustrine	Arid and Semi-Arid	All	All	Permanent	All	NA	Arid and Semi-Arid, Permanent Lakes permanently inundated lakes of all substrates, water types, topographic types and vegetation communities	Arid and Semi-Arid Permanent Lakes	Arid and semi-arid lakes