The Granite/Traprock and Mid slopes of the Southern Downs Regional Council area contains a variety of flora and fauna ranging from Eucalypt woodlands to open forests interspersed with small biologically significant areas of open scrub (dry rainforest), grassland and sedgelands. This area has soils derived from Granite, Traprock and Sandstone geology and landforms. The elevated granite of the south-east has distinctive vegetation with species of eucalypts not found elsewhere in Queensland with a high degree of endemism. The area forms part of the New England Tableland bioregion. Soils typically range from shallow coarse sands to deep sandy loams with either a hardpan or hard rock within the subsoil. Traprock/Mid slopes is also a distinctive vegetation area with Eucalypt woodlands to open forests with a small area of scrub and rainforest in wet gullies. Traprock/Mid slopes soils typically range from sandy clay loam, loams to clay loams with medium clays in the subsoil.
Approximately 550 native animal species ranging from mammals to insects occupy native remnant bushland within Granite/Traprock & Mid Slopes. Please refer to Qld Government Department of Environment and Science website, WetlandInfo. Please click onto the following link: Native Animals of Stanthorpe for a detailed report.
Climatic conditions are typically cold winters and cool summers with periods of many frost days typically up to 50 cold events occurring in one year.
Locations include:
Granite: Stanthorpe, Amiens, Applethorpe, Ballandean, Broadwater, Cottonvale, Dalcouth, Diamondvale, Eukey,
Glen Aplin, Greenlands, Kyoomba, Lyra, Nundubbermere, Pozieres, Severnlea, Somme, The Summit, Thorndale, Wallangarra, Wyberba.
Traprock: Pikedale, Pikes Creek, Passchendaele, Mingoola, Leslie Dam, Leyburn, Bony Mountain, Glenlyon,
Cherry Gully, Pratten, Leyburn.