Tropical Topics A n i n t e r p r e t i v e n e w s l e t t e r f o r t h e t o u r i s m i n d u s t r y

Weeds in the wet tropics No. 27 April 1995 Don’t give a weed a break Notes from the In the 1840s someone decided that a Central American flowering would look good in their garden in Calcutta in India. It grew well. It spread throughout Editor India, across Asia to Siam (Thailand) and on to China, the Pacific islands and A weed is a plant which grows where Papua New Guinea. Within a century it was also well established in Africa. it is not wanted. A plant introduced to improve pasture may be unwelcome in our back yards. A plant which we Siam weed, Chromolaena odorata, is boots or to machinery used overseas. admire in our gardens may well cause now considered one of the world’s The Department of Lands has been the destruction of native vegetation. worst weeds. It is fast-growing and spraying the infestation with This issue of Tropical Topics competitive. In open areas it forms herbicides; the third program is due to concentrates on environmental dense tangled bushes which can start at the end of this month. It is weeds, specifically those which cause intense bushfires in the dry hoped that the weed is confined to the endanger the natural environment in season. It can climb up to 20m on Tully area and can be controlled but trees, smothering them with its dense there are concerns it may have been the wet tropics. growth. Growing over a metre in just a carried further. couple of months it can overwhelm Each component in an ecosystem has sugar cane and other crops and it is Siam weed is not the only weed natural checks on its population toxic to stock. threatening the wet tropics. As can be growth; over time providers and seen on the following pages and consumers have struck a balance. Australia was thought to be one of the creepers, trees, shrubs and grasses all However, when one element of an few tropical areas free from this weed have a destructive potential. However, ecosystem is transplanted into — until July 1994 when a DPI botanist very few of these weeds are able to another it usually travels without its spotted it near Mission Beach. No one establish themselves in unbroken enemies, the diseases and predators knows how it got rainforest. If a siam weed seed is which would normally check its there but the dropped under the forest canopy it growth. Some fail to thrive in an feathery seeds can’t grow in the dim light. However, if alien situation, others fit in to some may easily have the same seed is deposited wherever degree and yet others achieve attached there is a break — along a river bank, outrageous success — at the expense themselves to in a clearing, at the roadside or of the locals. A successful weed is a visitor’s anywhere there has been a hardy, fast-growing, competitive, disturbance — it will spring to life and aggressive, reproduces quickly and quickly destroy surrounding abundantly and disperses with ease. vegetation. The more the forest is disturbed the more danger there is of It is difficult to predict which plants weeds attacking the remaining part. will become weeds. A species may, at The best way to defend the rainforest first, adapt to its new environment is not to give the weeds a break. without appearing to be a problem. This is known as the lag phase. Then it may suddenly launch into the expansionist phase — a rapid population increase which may Siam weed has a similar growth habit to eventually dominate neighbouring lantana, soft hairy roughly triangular leaves, Illustration courtesy Department of Lands vegetation. soft round stems, no prickles and masses of white or pale lilac flowers in winter. The Department of Lands is keen to hear of any sightings of the plant. If you see it call the Innisfail office on (070) 61 1446 or your local Department of Lands office. Weeds in the water Water weeds are a widespread problem in Australia. Many species have been introduced to decorate garden ponds or aquariums and have then found their way into natural waterways where they have become pests. Water weeds usually grow very fast under tropical Some biological control of four serious waterweeds, conditions, some infestations doubling in size each week. salvinia, water hyacinth, alligator weed and water lettuce They form dense mats of vegetation on the surface of the has been achieved by releasing weevils and beetles which water which: feed on these species. There is no known predator for • reduce light reaching submerged plant species cabomba. • use up oxygen in the water, depriving and killing fish and other aquatic creatures It is essential for aquarium and pond owners and those • restrict the movements of water-based dealing in water plants to be aware of the potential problems animals including waterbirds not just of proven pest plants but also of those not yet • choke drains and restrict the flow of released on the environment. Unwanted aquatic plants water should be burned or composted and NEVER NEVER • clog up pumps, seriously dumped in waterways. Pond owners should also be careful affecting irrigation and to prevent water plants being carried away when there is aquaculture equipment heavy rain and flooding. (Likewise, unwanted fish should • foul boat engines and never be released into waterways.) restrict navigation, watersports, swimming and The best native plants to use are fishing probably Blyxa species and stoneworts • cause water loss, at up to four times the normal — Chara and Nitella species. Others evaporation rate, through rapid transpiration from the leaves are Pacific and ferny azolla (Azolla • during floods, together with trapped debris, can filiculoides, A. pinnata), hydrilla cause the collapse of bridges and fences. (Hydrilla verticillata), clasped pondweed • restrict livestock access to water sources (Potamogeton perfoliatus) and ribbonweed • endanger stock and children who may (Vallisneria gigantea). (See Waterplants become entangled and drown book in Bookshelf) Please remember that • provide breeding places for disease- even native plants can cause problems if carrying mosquitoes. introduced to the wrong area so please do not dump them in watercourses. Also, please do not collect from the wild. Some natives are rare or threatened. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) (left) has beautiful purple flowers and despite its Cabomba, or fanwort, (Cabomba remarkable abilities to clean caroliniana) (right) is a popular aquarium up polluted water, has become plant from America which is causing an invasive and unwanted problems in ponds, lakes, dams and quiet species all over rivers in Queensland. In some areas it the tropical has been declared a category P2 world outside its plant. Sale of cabomba is illegal in native Brazil. In Queensland it is a category P2/P3 weed. Queensland.

What is a declared plant? In a word A declared plant (formerly termed ‘noxious plant’) is a plant considered a Exotic is a word which conveys a positive serious enough pest to warrant its control being enforced under legislation (the image to most people. Exotic holidays, Rural Lands Protection Act 1985-1988). exotic food, exotic fruits — the word has come to mean things which are strange or Declared plants are placed in various unusually colourful or beautiful. In fact, categories, though some plants may the word means foreign, from outside be in more than one category. that country. While we can safely admire exotic animals and plants when we travel, P1 — plants which do not occur in if transported elsewhere they can become Queensland and whose introduction pests. Pigs, foxes, cats, rabbits and so on into the State is PROHIBITED. are all exotic animals — but unwanted in P2 — plants which are to be natural areas of Australia. Similarly many completely DESTROYED throughout exotic plants can become exotic weeds. an area. P3 — plants whose numbers and distribution should be REDUCED in an Rubber (Cryptostegia Weeding in the Wet area. grandiflora) (above) is a declared It is tempting, when the ground is wet, to P4 — plants which should be category P3 weed. A garden escapee, pull up all those nasty weeds by the PREVENTED FROM SPREADING originally from Madagascar, it roots. However, this may leave the soil beyond places in which they occur. threatens mainly dry rainforest and vulnerable to soil erosion and simply P5 — plants which should be riverside forest. It invades prepare the ground for the next generation CONTROLLED only on land under the agricultural land and is poisonous to of germinating seeds. A more effective control of a Government Department stock, costing the grazing industry method is to snip the offending plants or Local Authority. about $8 million each year. and cover the ground with a thick layer of newspaper and mulch. Few weeds will For more information contact your local Department of Lands office. survive this treatment. 2 Cartoon illustration courtesy ACT Parks and Conservation Service Plant illustrations courtesy Department of Lands Nature notes A diary of natural events creates a pleasing journal which grows richer with the passage of time. Watching for the recurrence of an event after noting it in a previous year, and trying to understand what could have caused changes in timing, is intriguing.

These notes are from the author's own notebook, or were offered by researchers and fellow naturalists. Readers will, inevitably, note variations between their observations and those appearing here. If you do not keep a nature diary perhaps this will inspire you to begin one.

Banana bush is a shrub or small shrubby tree named for the bright yellow fruit it produces at about this time of year. Carried in pairs, these split open when ripe to reveal bright red flesh in which the seeds are embedded.

Shell vine (Connarus conchocarpus)is one of the woody lianes of wet tropics rainforests. Its bright pink to red fruit have started dropping, and will continue to appear on the forest floor over the next couple of months. When The fruits of white cedar will begin to mature they split open showing a dark turn yellow towards the end of the seed with a small fleshy yellow aril. month, the crop being eagerly awaited However, they are sometimes opened by several bird species including fig beforehand by sulphur-crested birds and orioles. White cedar, also cockatoos, presumably because of known as Persian lilac, which gives an competition from other birds. indication of how widespread this tree Banana bush is currently known as is, is in the same family as red cedar Tabernaemontana pandacaqui, but and spur mahogany. Trees in was formerly classified as Ervatamia this family — Meliaceae — angustisepala. Although Latin or The distinctive small tree produce a variety of fruit Greek names for plants can sound known as bleeding heart ranging from those confusing they often provide (right) will usually carry with a fleshy aril interesting historical geographic or flowers this month. (spur mahogany) to botanical information. The genus name The flowers are those with wind- Ervatamia, for example is a latinised either male or distributed seeds abbreviation of the name by which this female, borne on (red cedar). White plant is known in parts of southern short spikes cedar (Melia India. which push azedarach) has a upwards among thinly-fleshed fruit Botanists have recently shifted banana the leaves or at enclosing a very hard bush into the genus the ends of twigs. Fruit of the bleeding stone. This contains two to five small Tabernaemontana. Translated as heart (Omalanthus novo-guineensis, seeds, not just a single seed as casual ‘mountain tavern’, this was the name formerly O. populifolius) is very inspection might suggest. The ripe which an Austrian physician gave important to several species of fruit hang from the tree for several himself by translating his own surname bowerbirds and pigeons, so a prolific months serving as an arboreal larder of Bergzabern into the Latin tree on the uplands is busy with the for the birds. Tabernaemontanus! This physician, comings and goings of a rich variety of who lived and worked in Germany in birds. The leaves, which turn a bright the sixteenth century, was honoured red when aged, show a small cup- by botanists because he wrote an shaped gland at the base, the secretion important guide to the medicinal from which may attract small insects. properties of a number of plants. The leaves are an important food for Acknowledgements to Rebel Elick, Daintree River ringtail possums and to Esther Cullen and various texts. a lesser extent for Herbert River ringtails. They are the only food for caterpillars of the Hercules moth.

3 Weeds in the wet tropics Invaders from the garden One day, somewhere in the wet tropics, Singapore daisy (Wedelia trilobata) someone may have cleared a drain of (below) is a useful ground cover with choking vegetation, or cleaned up their bright green leaves and sunny yellow garden. The easiest way to get rid of the flowers. rubbish was to dump it on the nearest patch of bush or river. From there the broken fragments of one plant, Sanchezia parvibracteata, (below) were carried away on flood waters. Landing on the banks of a hospitable creek they took root. Soon a large shrub had grown, from which other fragments fell and took root. Sanchezia became king of the river bank, excluding native plants as it spread in dense thickets. This grandiflora is among the most invader would have rapidly growing and destructive weeds in Have you ever tried to get rid of it? If expanded its territory the wet tropics. Introduced as a garden so you will know how tenacious it is, Thunbergia illustration courtesy Department of Lands indefinitely had it creeper it escaped from cultivation and appearing repeatedly after being not been stopped established itself along lowland rainforest sprayed and/or pulled up and in its tracks by edges and river courses. From there it began apparently eradicated. It is extremely poison sprays its stunningly successful invasion. Climbing aggressive and spreads readily, administered by rapidly up and over rainforest trees it forming thick swards in sunny and Department of smothered them completely, reducing them shady places. Ground covers are Environment to dead stumps which eventually fell. All valued for their ability to suppress and Heritage that could then be seen was a wasteland, a weeds — but when they escape into staff. carpet of triumphant thunbergia. Its the wild they perform the same destructive march has been measured at function, forming thick invasive 0.6ha per year. carpets which suppress native seedlings. There is particular concern Physical attacks on thunbergia usually just that Singapore daisy planted at island Sanchezia, a South help it to spread. It reproduces mainly by a resorts will become destructive. American shrub with tuberous root-system, the tubers reaching Many other popular ground covers large dark green yellow- massive sizes and weighing as much as are also potential threats (see the veined leaves (left) and 70kg. Even small pieces of these will sprout What-not-to-plant guide on page 7). clusters of yellow trumpet so, if they are transported by river or in land flowers, is common in fill, they can start new infestations. Clitoria laurifolia, a shrub with a tropical gardens. It has Herbicides have been used with success, pretty blue flower, is another infested creeks between particularly along the Mulgrave River, south imported pest, originally from tropical Cairns and Innisfail, notably of Cairns. However, the story does not end America. It has invaded the Henrietta Creek in there. Once the affected area has been understorey of melaleuca swampland Wooroonooran (formerly cleared of thunbergia it is vulnerable to in Edmund Kennedy National Park, Bellenden Ker) National Park. Please further invasion by other weeds. A program north of Cardwell, where it had do not buy, sell or grow this plant and of revegetation and further vigilant weed produced dense thickets before it if it is in your garden please remove it — eradication is necessary to rehabilitate the was discovered and control measures and dispose of it thoughtfully. area. begun.

Fire danger

The notorious weed lantana (left) is yet another garden runaway which was brought from America in the mid 1800s. Now almost four million hectares in eastern Australia are infested, a particular headache for farmers whose stock are poisoned by the plant. In the wet tropics Lantana camara grows on better soils on cleared land and in disturbed open forest; the worst invasions of the wet tropics have taken place in eucalypt forest in the Herbert River area. It doesn’t like shade so will not invade intact rainforest but does grow at its edges. There it can cause damage by burning fiercely when dry and damaging nearby trees. Non-native grasses are even more of a fire hazard. Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) and molasses grass (Melinis minutiflora) grow lushly after rain providing a large fuel load which, when dry, burns more readily and hotter than native grasses. This damages the rainforest edge, pushing it back and allowing the grasses and other exotic species to become further established. When they burn, the same thing happens again, the rainforest margin continually retreating under

Lantana illustration courtesy Department of Lands fire. This is common throughout the wet tropics and is particularly obvious on hillsides.

4 Commercial runaways over. It is capable of invading natural areas which are free from human disturbance.

The main area affected by pond apple is the Russell River, near Innisfail, this infestation extending north to Gordonvale and south to Cardwell. It is also growing on the Daintree River and in other spots. Since the fruits can survive long periods floating No one in water and are eaten and dispersed by knows how harungana pigs and cassowaries this weed is likely to (Harungana madagascariensis) spread rapidly. (above) arrived in the wet tropics. It may have been introduced as an Pond apple can be killed by fire which ornamental garden tree in the Babinda does not destroy melaleuca but it is area where it was first recorded in 1937. It difficult to burn many swamp areas. The has not yet spread more then about 30km best control is achieved with chemicals but but is now considered to have moved into the process is laborious and slow and the an expansionist phase. sites often inaccessible. However, if nothing is done it is predicted that melaleuca Harungana is a pioneer species which ecosystems in the wet tropics will be germinates en masse and establishes itself gradually lost to this invader. quickly, easily and in large numbers wherever there has been any sort of Ironically, pond apple is rare in its native disturbance — at the rainforest edge, Probably the worst Florida where it was extensively cleared for along tracks, roads, drains and rivers invader of the wet tropics to agriculture. Now Melaleuca quinquenervia, (such as the Russell) and in clearings. Its date has been pond apple introduced from Australia, is seriously spreading roots sucker, producing (Annona glabra) (above). A native of threatening the native vegetation! numerous new plants sometimes several tropical America and Africa, it was metres from the adult. If it is cut or blown brought to Australia (possibly in 1912) A number of other plants which were down it suckers again. Other species to be used as root stock for its close introduced for commercial purposes also cannot compete with this and harungana relative the custard apple which doesn’t threaten the wet tropics. Coffee plants have quickly dominates until the canopy over a otherwise grow well in wet soils. It is a spread from plantations into rainforest few hectares consists exclusively of this shrubby tree which reaches about 15m. around the Atherton Tableland and species. It is salt-tolerant and can stand Kuranda. Spread quickly and easily by birds immersion in fresh water so has and other animals, this plant, an Harungana produces numerous seeds energetically established itself in understorey species by nature, flourishes in which may be dispersed by small birds, lowland seasonal swamps and along the forest. Many plants have been removed fruit bats, by water and on machinery. drains. It is particularly destructive in from Lake Barrine National Park. While not Researchers have found it thriving 2½km melaleuca swamps where it forms a yet a major problem, coffee may become into undisturbed rainforest in small gaps dense understorey which prevents one. Chukrasia velutina is a cabinet timber created by tree falls, landslips and so on young trees from developing. As tree, related to red cedar, a small number of as well as dominating disused logging mature melaleucas gradually die there which were planted near Lake Tinaroo in the tracks throughout the Wooroonooran are no young ones to replace them and 1960s. Its seeds are wind dispersed and now (formerly Bellenden Ker) National Park. pond apple thrives; in areas where that the original trees are mature, seedlings Since it is found up to altitudes of 1800m melaleucas have been killed by salt are being found in large numbers. It seems in its native Africa, there are fears that to be on the verge of a population over the next 20-30 years the forest in this water, pond apple has completely taken Pond apple illustration courtesy Dr J.T.Swarbrick. Copyright Weed Science Consultancy explosion. park, right up to the mountain tops, could become dominated by this aggressive Troublesome natives species. Many of the more accessible Although most weeds are exotic plants, under certain trees have been poisoned successfully circumstances even the natives can cause problems. There and eradication of this species may be are two ways this can happen. possible although the longer the problem is left the more difficult and expensive it When a plant is moved from one part of Australia to will become. another it may dominate the local ecosystem. This has happened with sweet pittosporum (Pittosporum Harungana is a large tree which grows to undulatum), a rainforest shrub which, after being 25m or more. It has bunches of small pale introduced as an ornamental plant, is now invading flowers and orange-brown fruit. Its most southern Australian eucalypt forests. There it crowds out characteristic feature is its orange sap the young trees, just as pond apple does with melaleuca in which can be seen if leaves are broken off the wet tropics. Cadagi (Eucalyptus torelliana), familiar or if the bark is scraped. from north-east Queensland rainforests especially around Kuranda, is considered an invasive plant in southeast Camphor laurel (Cinnamomum Queensland. camphora) is causing similar problems on the Atherton Tableland. Originally from Natives can also dominate an environment which has been altered, China, Japan and Taiwan, it has spread allowing certain local species an unfair advantage. In the wet tropics native vines grow along creek lines and edges of rainforest, vigorously following cyclone damage. The opening up of rainforest artificially by excluding rainforest species and roads and other clearings allows them additional opportunities. preventing regeneration of native forest. Its very fertile seeds are spread by birds Merremia peltata (above) is a native vine which has grown up over much of the and like harungana it suckers from the roadside vegetation along the Daintree road. roots and is very difficult to kill.

5 Questions & Answers Facts and Stats on weeds Q What are the effects of fresh water growing. There are about 15-20 000 native (rain) on the reef? Blue coral (the uncommon Heliopora plants in Australia. Naturalised plant caerulea) actually has pigments in its species ( those which have become A Fresh water, because it is less dense skeleton due to the presence of iron part of the environment) range from than salt water, floats on top and usually salts, although in the living animal this about five percent of all plants in the diffuses without changing the salinity colour is masked by brown tissues. Northern Territory to 31 percent in too much. However, a massive amount Other corals have red or black skeletons. Tasmania with an overall proportion of at least 15 percent. Of these about half of rain falling on the reef at low tide can However, none of these are true hard invade native vegetation and probably affect the corals. The next tide should corals, their tentacle structure more a quarter are serious or very serious bring in salt water to remedy the closely resembling soft corals. The environmental weeds or have the situation but if there is continuous colour of some soft corals, for example potential to be so. Weeds, mainly heavy rain for several days the corals, the Gorgonians, is caused by crystalline those affecting agriculture, cost which require a certain degree of salinity, structures in their tissues, called Australia an estimated 3 billion dollars become stressed and may ‘bleach’. sclerites or spicules. each year. Most hard corals have, living in their tissues, algal cells (zooxanthellae) Of course, colour appears to change Over 60 introduced plant species are which provide the corals with much of with depth; even in the clearest water declared noxious for Queensland. Of their food in return for a home. However, the long wavelengths (reds) are those, 31 percent were introduced deliberately as ornamental plants. stressful conditions such as high excluded beyond the first 10-15 metres. temperatures or fresh water can lead to Only short wavelengths of light — the In 1992 eight species of weeds were the corals expelling the zooxanthellae blues — can penetrate deep into the identified as the most destructive to — a process known as bleaching ocean. native plant communities in the Wet because the corals then appear to be Tropics World Heritage Area. They almost pure white (see question below). were pond apple/cherimoyer (Annona Continued stress may eventually lead glabra) (tropical American and to the corals’ death. African tree), Harungana madagascariensis (African tree), blue Q Besides zooxanthellae, what causes sky vine (Thunbergia grandiflora) (Indian vine), Turbina corymbosa colour differences in coral? (American vine), Lantana camara (American shrub), Sanchezia A The colours of coral are caused by a parvibracteata, (South American combination of the zooxanthellae, which shrub), Clitoria laurifolia (tropical are a brownish colour, and the natural American shrub) and Coffea species pigments of the coral tissue. The (originally tropical African shrub). zooxanthellae colour acts as a background, enhancing the tissue Over 3200km of roads cross the Wet colour. This can be appreciated when Tropics World Heritage Area. bleaching takes place and the corals Together with powerlines and railways they provide long breaks in become very pale versions of their the canopy allowing light-loving weeds normal hues. This is due to the visual to develop, particularly where the soil effect of the white background skeleton, has been disturbed. normally masked by the zooxanthellae. In healthy staghorn corals, the more A study of tourist vehicles in Kakadu intense colours at the branch tips National Park found that 70 pecent of indicate points where the colony is them were carrying seeds, many of them alien to the area.

Siam weed poisons over 3000 cattle each year in the Philippines. Up to 87 000 seeds have been recorded from Tourist talk just one siam weed plant in India.

ENGLISH GERMAN JAPANESE There is a plus side to pond apple — its fruits are a food source for weed Unkraut za sso cassowaries, although these exotic nicht-heimich gairai shu no threatened birds therefore serve to introduced eingefuehrt mochi komareta disperse the seeds. native heimich jisei no If you have any queries about noxious grass Grass kusa (harmful) weeds contact your local vine Wein tsu ru council or Department of Lands office. tree Baum ju moku For information about crop weed shrub Busch/Strauch tei boku control contact the Department of invade eindringen shin nyu suru Primary Industries. smother ueberwuchern so shi suru

6 The what-not-to-plant guide As can be seen on previous pages, a large number of serious weeds in the wet tropics, and indeed in all of Australia, were originally introduced as garden ornamentals. When planting your personal or resort garden there are some particularly troublesome species which it is best to avoid. Bear in mind that the plants least likely to cause trouble are those native to the local area. They will also grow well and, in the case of resorts, provide a uniquely Australian experience for visitors.

Neither Thunbergia grandiflora, nor Passiflora coccinea) have beautiful its close relative Thunbergia flowers but are also dangerous plants. laurifolia, can be sold. Interestingly, If a vine is required several natives thunbergia belongs to the family such as bower climber (Pandorea which includes other jasminoides) with pink trumpet flowers bad weeds such as Sanchezia and Tecomanthe hillii with parvibracteata (see page 4), metal spectacular bunches of pink flowers plant/red ivy (Hemigraphis colorata), are very decorative. (But take care — Stephanophysum longifolium, a many vines can be invasive.) scrambling plant and Perilepta dyeriana. It is a good idea to avoid Singapore daisy (Wedelia trilobata) planting all imported plants from this has already been mentioned (page 4). African tulip family. Other ground covers with a tendency tree (Spathodea campanulata) is to smother everything in their path are grown widely for its attractive scarlet Thunbergia is by no means the only wandering jew (Tradescantia and flowers (above) but this tree’s destructive vine, there are many many Zebrina species), metal plant/red ivy windblown seeds are rapidly others. Turbina corymbosa, a native (Hemigraphis colorata) and peacock spreading the species throughout the of tropical America and a member of fern (Selaginella willdenovii). wet tropics. Why not plant the local the morning glory family, has been flame tree (Brachychiton acerifolius) found behaving like thunbergia on the instead? Its dramatic red flowers banks of the Barron River. Certain attract rainbow lorikeets. passion flowers (particularly Please don’t buy, sell or grow the above plants — and if weeding them out please dispose of them thoughtfully. Don’t dump them in bushland. Ecotourism — towards a definition? In future the 1990s may well be seen as the decade of ecotourism. It may also be seen as a time when the tourism industry, academics and natural and cultural resource agencies all jumped on the bandwagon, only some of them understanding the concept of ecologically sustainable development (ESD) while others simply indulged in the marketing benefits. So, what exactly is ecotourism? Don’t panic if you can’t answer. You are not alone! Even the authors of the National Ecotourism Ecotourism — how do you measure up? Strategy (yes, there is one!) have recognised that “the term So, what is the ‘ecotourism factor’ of your tour program or ‘ecotourism’ has been widely open to misinterpretation by operation? A simple way to determine this is to study the planners, operators, managers, marketers and the media.” following four key elements of ecotourism (defined within (Wright 1993) the National Ecotourism Strategy) and ask yourself the questions below. Hector Ceballos-Lascurain, who first coined the notorious term, defined ecotourism as: “Tourism that involves travelling • The natural environment to relatively undisturbed natural areas with the objective of Is your operation based on the natural environment and admiring, studying and enjoying the scenery and its wild does it include cultural values? plants and animals, as well as any cultural features found there.” (Hector Ceballos-Lascurain 1991) • Ecological and cultural sustainability Does your operation attempt to minimise environmental However, this definition doesn’t really address ESD. Peter impacts, for example, through use of environmentally- Valentine includes it: “Ecotourism is nature-based tourism friendly cleaning agents, and support local communities? that is ecologically sustainable and is based on relatively undisturbed natural areas; is non-damaging and non- • Education and interpretation degrading; provides a direct contribution to the continued Does your operation provide educational or interpretive protection and management of protected areas used; and is programs for increasing public awareness of environmental subject to an adequate and appropriate management regime.” and cultural issues and values? (Valentine 1991) • Provision of local and regional benefits But this omits cultural appreciation and conservation elements. Does your operation use locally-based companies and Ceballos-Lascurain includes it in yet another definition: facilities, employ local guides with specialised knowledge “Environmentally responsible travel and visitation, to enjoy and purchase provisions and services in the area? and appreciate nature and accompanying cultural features, that promotes conservation, has low visitor impact and provides for beneficially active socioeconomic involvement of local populations.” (Ceballos-Lascurain, 1992)

Contributed by Margot Warnett, DEH Townsville

If you’d like more information on ecotourism in Australia, a copy of the National Ecotourism Strategy can be obtained from the Federal Department of Tourism Tel: (06) 27 97111. 7 Bookshelf Weeds in the Wet Tropics World Plant Invasions — the incidence of Noxious Weeds of Australia Heritage Area of north Queensland environmental weeds in Australia W.T.Parsons and E.G.Cuthbertson Stella Humphries and Peter Stanton Kowari 2 — Australian National Parks Inkata Press (1992) Wet Tropics Management Agency and Wildlife Service (1991) (1992) A massive tome dealing with harmful Less specific to the wet tropics, but a weeds all over Australia. However, This report identifies and deals useful look at weeds with papers from the recently discovered environmental particularly with the eight species which ninth Australian Weeds Conference. weeds of the wet tropics such as most threaten the wet tropics harungana and sanchezia are not environment (see facts and stats). Australian Water Weeds included. Australian Water Resources Council The biology, distribution, impact and Pestfact control of five weeds of the Wet Tropics An informative collection of one booklet Department of Lands World Heritage Area and nine leaflets. These excellent pestfact sheets on a Dr J.T.Swarbrick number of weeds and feral animals are Wet Tropics Management Agency Waterplants in Australia available from offices of the Department (1993) G.R.Sainty and S.W.L.Jacobs of Lands. Australian Water Resources Council The first of three reports, this looks at Poster pond apple, harungana, turbina, An excellent field guide to natives and Bushland Weeds is an excellent colour sanchezia and coffee. Two later reports exotics with colour photos and key. poster produced by Brisbane City deal with chemical control. Council. Call (07) 225 0411 for a copy.

This newsletter was produced by the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage (now The Environmental Protection Agency) with funding from the Wet Tropics Management Authority.

For further information contact... Opinions expressed in Tropical Topics are not necessarily those of Stella Martin Wet Tropics Management Agency the Department of Environment and The Editor Heritage (EPA). (For general infomation on the Wet Tropical Topics Tropics World Heritage Area only.) Environmental Protection Agency PO Box 2050 While all efforts have been made to PO Box 2066 CAIRNS QLD 4870 verify facts, the Department of CAIRNS QLD 4870 Ph: (07) 4052 0555 Environment and Heritage (EPA) Fax: (07) 4031 1364 takes no responsibility for the Ph: (07) 4046 6674 Website: www.wettropics.gov.au accuracy of information supplied in Fax: (07) 4046 6751 Tropical Topics . e-mail: [email protected]