‘Mabi’ means ‘tree kangaroo’ in the language of the local Ngadjonji and Dulguburra Yidinji peoples, and Mabi Forest once covered much of the area north and west of Malanda, extending to Atherton, Kairi and Yungaburra. Of the estimated original 19,000 hectares only about 1,000 hectares remains in small isolated fragments.
Mabi Forest is identified as Regional Ecosystem 7.8.3 and is classified ‘Complex Notophyll Vine Forest 5b’.
It occurs only on fertile basalt (red) soils in areas where the rainfall is between 1300 and 1600 mm. It was originally classified in the 1960s by ecologists Len Webb and Geoff Tracey, based on its physical (structural) characteristics and species composition, using the Tolga Scrub as the basis for this description.
Because basalt soils are very free draining, and September to November can be dry, these forests can be drought stressed. Mabi forest characteristically has deciduous and semi-evergreen species that drop their leaves during dry times. (Examples are Brachychiton acerifolius and Melia azedarach.) This lets light through the canopy, allowing a shrub layer to thrive. The canopy of the forest is uneven, with plank buttressed canopy trees such as Argyrodendron perulatum reaching up to 45 m. This structural complexity supports a great diversity of mammals and birds.
Mabi Forest is listed as Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act (1999). Various local groups such as TREAT are actively involved with rehabilitating and restoring Mabi forest.
If you live next to or near Mabi forest, including Peterson Creek you can help by:
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Removing weedy species, not dumping garden waste
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Protecting remnants from stock
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Extending through restoration planting
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Limiting tracks through the forest.
Other Mabi forest remnants that you can visit on the Tablelands include:
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Curtain Fig
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Wongabel
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Halloran’s Hill
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Tolga Scrub
MABI PLANT SPECIES
Scientific name
Acmenosperma claviflorum
Anthocarapa nitidula
Brachychiton acerifolius
Celtis paniculata
Cryptocarya hypospodi
Diploglottis diphyllostegia
Dysoxylum parasiticum
Elaeocarpus coorangooloo
Endiandra cowleyana
Euroschinus falcatus
Ficus fraseri
Flindersia brayleyana
Litsea leefeana
Melia azedarach
Terminalia sericocarpa
Aleurites rockinghamensis
Alloxylon flammeum
Alstonia scholaris
Argyrodendron peralatum
Argyrodendron sp. (Boonjie B.P.Hyland RFK2139)
Castanospermum australe
Elaeocarpus grandis
Ficus henneana
Ficus obliqua
Flindersia schottiana
Toona ciliata
Vitex queenslandica
Asplenium australasicum
Drynaria rigidula
Platycerium bifurcatum
Platycerium superbum
Adiantum hispidulum
Pellaea falcata var. nana
Dienia montana
Alocasia brisbanensis
Alpinia caerulea
Alpinia modesta
Cyperus mirus
Cyrtococcum oxyphyllum
Dendrocnide cordifolia
Dendrocnide moroides
Oplismenus burmanni
Oplismenus hirtellus
Pollia crispata
Pollia macrophylla
Pseuderanthemum variabile
Urtica incisa
Austrosteenisia blackii
Cayratia saponaria
Cissus antarctica
Elaeagnus triflora
Maclura cochinchinensis
Melodinus australis
Piper hederaceum
Tylophora benthami
Acmena smithii
Agathis robusta
Ficus congesta
Melaleuca viminalis
Mischocarpus lachnocarpus
Syzygium australe
Breynia macrantha
Calamus caryotoides
Codiaeum variegatum var. moluccanum
Dichapetalum papuanum
Eumachia frutescens
Mackinlaya macrosciadea
Phaleria octandra
Acronychia acidula
Aglaia sapindina
Aphananthe philippinensis
Castanospora alphandii
Cryptocarya mackinnoniana
Cryptocarya murrayi
Endiandra insignis
Mallotus mollissimus
Mallotus philippensis
Myristica insipida
Neolitsea brassii
Neolitsea dealbata
Syzygium cormiflorum
Aglaia ferruginea
Breynia stipitata
Ficus septica
Fontainea picrosperma
Gossia hillii
Gossia myrsinocarpa
Neisosperma poweri
Phaleria clerodendron
Rhodamnia sessiliflora
Rhodomyrtus macrocarpa
Ternstroemia cherryi
Wikstroemia indica
Neoalsomitra clavigera
Phyllanthera grayi
Smilax calophylla
Trophis scandens
Common name
Trumpet satinash
Incensewood
Flame kurrajong
Silky celtis
Northern laurel
Northern tamarind
Yellow mahogany
Coorangooloo quandong
Northern rose walnut
Pink poplar
Fraser's fig
Queensland maple
Brown bollywood
White cedar
Damson
Candlenut
Flame silky oak
Milky pine
Red tulip oak
Boonjie tulip oak
Black bean
Silver quandong
Superb fig
Small leaf fig
Floppy-leaf ash
Red cedar
Queensland vitex
Keeled bird's nest fern
Basket fern
Elkhorn fern
Staghorn fern
Rough maidenhair fern
Dwarf sickle fern
Broadleaf ground orchid
Cunjevoi
Blue ginger
Modest ginger
Mirus sedge
Pointed leaf rainforest grass
Cordate stinging bush
Gympie stinging bush
Burman's rainforest grass
Hairy leaf rainforest grass
Crispate pollia
Large leaf pollia
Floor flower
Tropical stinging nettle
Black's bloodvine
Silver hair cayratia
Native grape
Millaa Millaa vine
Cockspur vine
Brown sugar vine
New holland pepper
Bentham's tylophora
Smith's lillipilli
Smooth bark kauri pine
Red leaf fig
Weeping bottlebrush
Woolly-fruited mischocarp
Creek satinash
Atherton sauropus
Fish tail lawyer vine
Moluccan cordiaeum
Papuan dichapetalum
Atherton turkey bush
Green mackinlaya
Dwarf phaleria
Lemon aspen
Bujarra
Grey handlewood
Brown tamarind
Mackinnon's laurel
Murray's laurel
Hairy walnut
Woolly kamala
Red kamala
Australian nutmeg
Brass's bollywood
Velvet leaf bollywood
Bumpy satinash
Rusty bujarra
Glossy leaf breynia
Septic fig
Bitter seed fontainea
Hill's lignum
Atherton lignum
Red boat tree
Scented phaleria
Iron malletwood
Finger cherry
Cherry beech
Tye bush
New mitre vine
Gray's cryptolepis
Shiny barwire vine
Burney vine
Place in forest
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Canopy
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Emergent
Epiphyte
Epiphyte
Epiphyte
Epiphyte
Ground fern
Ground fern
Ground orchid
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Herb
Liana
Liana
Liana
Liana
Liana
Liana
Liana
Liana
Riparian
Riparian
Riparian
Riparian
Riparian
Riparian
Scrambler
Scrambler
Scrambler
Scrambler
Scrambler
Scrambler
Scrambler
Subcanopy
Subcanopy
Subcanopy
Subcanopy
Subcanopy
Subcanopy
Subcanopy
Subcanopy*
Subcanopy*
Subcanopy
Subcanopy*
Subcanopy*
Subcanopy
Understorey
Understorey*
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey
Understorey*
Vine
Vine
Vine
Vine
* pioneer species
MABI BIRD LIST
1 Wet Tropics endemic species
2 Now extinct from Mabi Forest
Southern Cassowary 2
Australian Brush-turkey
Orange-footed Scrubfowl
Pacific Baza
Square-tailed Kite
Black Kite
Whistling Kite
Brown Goshawk
Grey Goshawk
Collared Sparrowhawk
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Australian Hobby
Peregrine Falcon
Nankeen Kestrel
Red-necked Crake
Bush-hen
White-headed Pigeon
Brown Cuckoo-Dove
Emerald Dove
Wompoo Fruit-Dove
Superb Fruit-Dove
Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove
Topknot Pigeon
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Rainbow Lorikeet
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Double-eyed Fig-Parrot
Australian King-Parrot
Crimson Rosella
Oriental Cuckoo
Brush Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Noisy Friarbird
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Macleay's Honeyeater 1
Lewin's Honeyeater
Bridled Honeyeater 1
Brown Honeyeater
White-cheeked Honeyeater
Eastern Spinebill
Dusky Honeyeater
Scarlet Honeyeater
Pale-yellow Robin
Grey-headed Robin 1
Chowchilla 1
Eastern Whipbird
Golden Whistler
Rufous Whistler
Little Shrike-thrush
Bower's Shrike-thrush 1
Yellow-breasted Boatbill
Black-faced Monarch
Spectacled Monarch
White-eared Monarch
Pied Monarch 1
Leaden Flycatcher
Satin Flycatcher
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo
Little Bronze-Cuckoo
Common Koel
Channel-billed Cuckoo
Rufous Owl
Barking Owl
Southern Boobook
Lesser Sooty Owl 1
Masked Owl
Barn Owl
Tawny Frog mouth
Papuan Frogmouth
Large-tailed Nightjar
Australian Owlet-nightjar
White-rumped Swiftlet
White-throated Needletail
Fork-tailed Swift
Azure Kingfisher
Little Kingfisher
Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher
Laughing Kookaburra
Rainbow Bee-eater
Dollarbird
White-throated Treecreeper
Spotted Pardalote
Yellow-throated Scrubwren
White-browed Scrubwren
Atherton Scrubwren 1
Large-billed Scrubwren
Brown Gerygone
Fairy Gerygone
Mountain Thornbill 1
Helmeted Friarbird
Rufous Fantail
Grey Fantail
Spangled Drongo
Barred Cuckoo-shrike
Cicadabird
Varied Triller
Olive-backed Oriole
Figbird
Black Butcherbird
Pied Butcherbird
Pied Currawong
Victoria's Riflebird 1
Torresian Crow
Spotted Catbird
Tooth-billed Bowerbird 1
Golden Bowerbird 1
Satin Bowerbird
Red-browed Finch
Yellow-bellied Sunbird
Mistletoebird
Welcome Swallow
Tree Martin
Fairy Martin
Silvereye
Metallic Starling