Semi-evergreen vine thicket

Endangered under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Also known as ‘softwood scrub’ or ‘vine scrub’, semi-evergreen vine thicket (SEVT) is an extreme form of dry seasonal subtropical rainforest. To survive prolonged dry periods, some species drop their leaves, and only regrow them once rain arrives.

SEVT communities are home to a diverse range of plant species, including bottle trees, Burdekin plum and white cedar. As the name suggest, vines are also a prominent feature. Almost 450 plant species have been recorded from SEVT, with nearly half of these found only in this vegetation community. Six of the 10 regional ecosystems that make up SEVT are also listed as endangered or of concern under Queensland’s Vegetation Management Act 1999.

Originally covering nearly 900,000 ha, less than 150,000 ha (17%) now remains. Threats include land clearing, fire, weeds, grazing, feral animals and coastal development. SEVT provides habitat for a number of threatened native animals, including the black-breasted button quail, ghost bats, and several small insectivorous bat species known as microbats. Find out more about semi-evergreen vine thicket, its location, identification, importance and species here.

To support the restoration of SEVT in our region, FBA has established stewardships with landholders to protect it on their properties, and coordinated a large SEVT revegetation project at Mt Etna Caves National Park.