The vegetation and flora of Mabuyag, Torres Strait, Queensland.

Mabuyag (Mabuiag Island) is the smallest permanently occupied island in the Central Western Islands of Torres Strait. The island is formed on acid volcanic basement rocks and the landscape is rugged with low, shrubby windswept vegetation occupying numerous hillocks and knolls. Vegetation mapping and biodiversity planning was carried out by the authors between 2007 and 2012 for the Land and Sea Management Unit of the Torres Strait Regional Authority. A total of 21 vegetation communities, within 11 broad vegetation groups and 31 regional ecosystems occur on the island. These represent 17% of regional ecosystems recorded across the broader Torres Strait Island landscape. There are currently 434 flora species recorded on the island comprising 364 (94%) native species and 70 (16%) introduced species. Three plant species are significant at either federal or state level. A further 16 are considered to have significance at the regional and local level. A number of management issues affecting the integrity of the island's biodiversity values such as fire and invasive plant and animal species are described for each of the habitats identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]