Coocumbac Island Nature Reserve

Coocumbac Island Nature Reserve New South Wales
IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
Coocumbac Island, photographed from Taree
Coocumbac Island Nature Reserve
Nearest town or city	Taree
Coordinates	31°55′12″S 152°27′18″E / 31.92000°S 152.45500°E / -31.92000; 152.45500Coordinates: 31°55′12″S 152°27′18″E / 31.92000°S 152.45500°E / -31.92000; 152.45500
Established	September 1981 (1981-09)^[1]
Area	0.06 km² (0.0 sq mi)^[1]
Managing authorities	NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Website	Coocumbac Island Nature Reserve
See also	Protected areas of New South Wales

The Coocumbac Island Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve located in the mid–north coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The 6-hectare (15-acre) reserve, situated on the Manning River near Taree, is a rare example of a subtropical lowland rainforest.^[2]

Much of Australia's lowland sub tropical rainforest was cleared for housing and agriculture, leaving only small patches remaining, such as at Coocumbac Island. The soils are derived from the Manning River. These alluvial soils are enriched from basaltic deposits upstream at Barrington Tops and the Comboyne and Bulga plateaux. The average annual rainfall in nearby Taree is 1,176 millimetres (46.3 in).

Features

Fauna

The most obvious mammal species on the island is the grey-headed flying fox, whose numbers may reach five thousand at certain times of the year. Noteworthy birds occurring here include the osprey and wompoo fruit-dove.^[3]

Flora

The ecological community on the island is known as the large fig - giant stinger tree association.^[4] The genus ficus is well represented, with all the strangler figs of this latitude present. Particularly prominent are the large Moreton Bay figs. Other figs are deciduous fig, strangler fig, small leaf fig and watery fig. The town of Taree, takes its name from another of the local figs, the sandpaper fig.

Other tree species include stinging tree and the native olive. The native elm grows on the island, here at its southernmost point of natural distribution. A large native hackberry occurs on the island, 30 metres (98 ft) tall and with a trunk diameter of 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in). Less common trees include white walnut and the Australian rose mahogany.

Rainforest regeneration programs have been put in place to encourage local rainforest species and suppress the problem of invasive weeds.^[4]

Mangroves

Surrounding the island is an impressive community of two species of mangroves; grey mangrove and river mangrove.

Etymology

Coocumbac means "meeting place" in the local indigenous Biripi language.^[3] Australian indigenous people regularly visited the rainforest for the collection of food, medicinal purposes, the collection of fibres for making bags and nets and social gatherings. The rainforest has spiritual significance to the traditional indigenous custodians.

References

1 2 "Coocumbac Island Nature Reserve". Office of Environment and Heritage. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
↑ "Lowland rainforest on floodplain in the NSW North Coast Bioregion - endangered ecological community listing". Office of Environment and Heritage. Government of New South Wales. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
1 2 "Coocumbac Island Nature Reserve: Plan of Management" (PDF). NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (PDF). Government of New South Wales. September 2003. ISBN 0-7313-6573-9. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
1 2 Floyd, A. G. Australian Rainforests of New South Wales 2. p. 18. ISBN 0-949324-32-9.

Nature reserves of New South Wales, Australia

Central NSW	Abercrombie Caves Arakoola Avisford Barton Binnaway Boomi Boomi West Borenore Caves Boronga Brigalow Park Budelah Careunga Coolbaggie Copperhannia Dapper Donnybrook Dural Eugowra Freemantle Gamilaroi Girralang Jenolan Caves Kemps Creek Kirramingly Koorawatha Kuma Macquarie Marshes Midkin Munghorn Gap Narran Lake Pilliga Planchonella The Rock Tollingo Turallo Wambool Weetalibah Winburndale Woggoon Wongarbon Yaegl Yarringully

Hunter and Mid North Coast	Awabakal Baalijin Back River Bagul Waajaarr Bandicoot Island Bird Island Bollanolla Boonanghi Boondelbah Boorganna Bowraville Bretti Brimbin Bugan Burning Mountain Bushy Island Camels Hump Camerons Gorge Cedar Brush Coocumbac Island Coolongolook Cooperabung Creek Coramba Corrie Island Coxcomb Darawank Fifes Knob Fishermans Bend Gads Sugarloaf Ganay Garby Goonook Hexham Swamp Jaaningga Jagun Jasper John Gould Juugawaarri Karuah Kattang Khappinghat Khatambuhl Killabakh Killarney Kooragang Koorebang Kororo Lake Innes Limeburners Creek Little Broughton Island Macquarie Mernot Mills Island Moffats Swamp Monkerai Monkeycot Moon Island Moonee Beach Mount Seaview Muttonbird Island Ngambaa North Rock One Tree Island Pambalong Pee Dee Pulbah Island Queens Lake Rawdon Creek Regatta Island Running Creek Seaham Swamp Seal Rocks Skillion Snapper Island Stormpetrel Talawahl The Castles The Glen Tilligerry Tingira Heights Tomalla Towibakh Valla Wallabadah Wallamba Wallaroo Wallis Island Weelah Willi Willi Caves Wingen Maid Wingham Brush Worimi Yahoo Island Yarravel Yessabah

New England Tablelands	Aberbaldie Ashford Caves Bluff River Bolivia Hill Booroolong Burnt-Down Scrub Deer Vale Demon Duval Georges Creek Gibraltar Guy Fawkes River Imbota Ironbark Jobs Mountain Linton Little Llangothlin Mann River Melville Range Mother Of Ducks Lagoon Mount Hyland Mount Mackenzie Mount Yarrowyck Muldiva Ngulin Serpentine Severn River Stony Batter Creek The Basin Tuggolo Creek Watsons Creek Yina

Northern Rivers	Andrew Johnston Big Scrub Ballina Banyabba Billinudgel Boatharbour Booyong Broken Head Brunswick Heads Bungabbee Byrnes Scrub Captains Creek Chambigne Chapmans Peak Clarence Estuary Cook Island Couchy Creek Cudgen Cumbebin Swamp Davis Scrub Flaggy Creek Gumbaynggirr SCA Hattons Bluff Hayters Hill Hogarth Range Hortons Creek Iluka Inner Pocket Julian Rocks Koukandowie Limpinwood Little Pimlico Island Marshalls Creek Moore Park Mororo Creek Mount Neville Mount Nullum Muckleewee Mountain Munro Island North-West Solitary Island North Obelisk North Solitary Island Numinbah Richmond River Sherwood Snows Gully South West Solitary Island Split Solitary Island Stotts Island Susan Island Tabbimoble Swamp Tallawudjah Tuckean Tucki Tucki Tweed Estuary Tyagarah Ukerebagh Uralba Victoria Park Waragai Creek Wilson Wilsons Peak Woodford Island Wooyung

Outback NSW	Big Bush Boginderra Hills Buddigower Cocopara Goonawarra Gubbata Ingalba Jerilderie Kajuligah Kemendok Lake Urana Langtree Ledknapper Loughnan Morrisons Lake Mutawintji Narrandera Nearie Lake Nocoleche Nombinnie Pucawan Pulletop Quanda Round Hill Tarawi The Charcoal Tank Yanga Yathong

South Coast and Highlands	Araluen Badja Swamps Bamarang Barren Grounds Barrengarry Bees Nest Bell Bird Creek Belowla Island Bermaguee Bimberi Binjura Black Andrew Black Ash Bobundara Bogandyera Bondi Gulf Bournda Broulee Island Brundee Swamp Brush Island Burnt School Burra Creek Burrinjuck Cambewarra Range Cecil Hoskins Clarkes Hill Comerong Island Coolumbooka Coornartha Courabyra Cullendulla Creek Cuumbeun Dananbilla Dangelong Devils Glen Downfall Eagles Claw Egan Peaks Ellerslie Five Islands Flagstaff Memorial Good Good Goorooyarroo Gungewalla Hattons Corner Illawong Illunie Ironmungy Jerralong Jingellic Joadja Kangaroo River Kybeyan Meringo Merriangaah Montague Island Mount Clifford Mount Dowling Mudjarn Mullengandra Mundoonen Myalla Nadgee Nadgigomar Narrawallee Creek Nest Hill Ngadang Nimmo Numeralla Oak Creek Parma Creek Paupong Queanbeyan Quidong Razorback Robertson Rodway Saltwater Swamp Scabby Range Scott Stony Creek Strike-a-Light Tabletop Tapitallee Tinderry Tollgate Islands Triplarina Ulandra Undoo Wadjan Wanna Wanna Wee Jasper Wiesners Swamp Wogamia Wollondilly River Woollamia Worrigee Wullwye Yanununbeyan Yaouk Yatteyattah

Sydney and surrounds	Agnes Banks Berkeley Bird Island Castlereagh Central Gardens Cockle Bay Dalrymple-Hay Dharawal Evans Crown Gulguer Lion Island Long Island Manobalai Mulgoa Muogamarra Newington Pelican Island Pitt Town Rileys Island Royal National Park Spectacle Island Towra Point Wallumatta Wamberal Lagoon Wambina Windsor Downs

Protected areas of New South Wales

Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia

Federal divisions	Cowper Lyne

State electorates	Coffs Harbour Myall Lakes Oxley Port Macquarie

Local government areas	Bellingen Coffs Harbour Kempsey Nambucca Port Macquarie-Hastings Greater Taree

Cities	Coffs Harbour

Towns / suburbs	Arakoon Batar Bellingen Birdwood Boambee Bonny Hills Bonville Bostobrick Bowraville Camden Haven Collombatti Comboyne Coopernook Coramba Corindi Beach Crescent Head Cundletown Dorrigo Ellenborough Frederickton Hannam Vale Harrington Hat Head Herons Creek Jerseyville Karangi Kempsey Kendall Kew Kinchela Kindee Kolodong Krambach Kundabung Lake Cathie Lansdowne Laurieton Long Flat Lowanna Macksville Manning Point Mylestom Nambucca Heads Nana Glen Newee Creek New Entrance North Haven Oceanside Old Bar Park Beach Port Macquarie Raleigh Repton Sawtell Scotts Head Smithtown South West Rocks Taree Taylors Arm Telegraph Point Thora Toms Creek Tinonee Toormina Ulong Urunga Valla Warrell Creek Wingham Woolgoolga Wauchope

Rivers	Apsley Barnard Barrington Bellinger Bowman Camden Haven Cells Christmas Coolongolook Cooplacurripa Crawford Dawson Doyles Ellenborough Forbes Georges Hastings Kalang Kunderang Lansdowne Macleay Manning Maria Mummel Myall Lakes Myall Nambucca Never Never Nowendoc Pappinbarra Pipers Ralfes Rosewood Rowleys Smiths Lake Stewarts Taylors Throne Tobins Walcrow Wallamba Wallingat Wallis Lake Wang Wauk Williams Wilson

Ranges and mountains	Banda Banda Three Brothers

National parks / Nature reserves / Important Bird Areas	Coocumbac Island Nature Reserve Dooragan NP Ellenborough Falls Hastings-Macleay IBA Hat Head NP Kattang Nature Reserve Maria NP Middle Brother NP Sea Acres NP

Major tourist attractions	Big Banana Billabong Koala and Wildlife Park North Coast Regional Botanic Garden Willi Willi Caves

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