The Black Jungle Conservation Reserve is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia near the territorial capital of Darwin. The rural area of Darwin and its development has a contrasting history to the more southern regions and their rural zones. The development of the rural area around Darwin occurred after 1950 as agricultural ventures were trialed. Prior to this the area was tropical savanna with pockets of monsoon rainforest and melaleuca swamps, unchanged for thousands of years, except by the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land who hunted and gathered and managed the landscape with fire. Black Jungle Conservation Reserve is a part of the Adelaide River Coastal Floodplain system which encompasses Black Jungle and Lambells Lagoon Conservation Reserves, Fogg Dam, Leaning Tree Lagoon Nature Park, Melacca Swamp and Djukbinj National Park. These Reserves encompass a range of wetland types and form part of the internationally significant Adelaide River floodplain.
These wetland habitats are important due to their high conservation value, supporting a variety of rare and threatened species; large waterbird populations, monsoon rainforests, breeding grounds for the estuarine or Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), and the highest global recorded biomass of predator and prey species (water python and dusky rat). The wetland systems with its diverse landscapes include sites of ritual, mythological and spiritual significance to the traditional owners and have been a source of abundant traditional foods, medicine plants and other resources. Some of these areas also contain historical World War II sites.
Introduction
The Black Jungle and Lambells Lagoon Conservation Reserves (NT land portions 8 and 16.03) are joined by a narrow vegetated corridor approximately 3 km long through horticultural private land (Brockwell 2001). These reserves adjoin the Fogg Dam Reserve forming part of the Adelaide River Coastal Floodplain area (Brockwell 2001; Dept. LRM 2013). The Black Jungle section contains spring fed monsoon rainforest patches (Barrow et al. 1993; Dept. LRM 2013) which supports large numbers of wildlife, including populations of threatened species, and provides breeding habitats for wetland birds and saltwater crocodiles (NT Parks & Wildlife Comm.; Russell-Smith 1991; Salmon 2013). Springs and permanent water sources maintain pockets of rainforest and provide a dry season refuge for waterbirds (Russell-Smith 1991; Salmon 2013). The highest density breeding ground in the world for the magpie goose, Anseranus semipalmata, has been recorded near Black Jungle swamp; the conservation reserve being of particular importance in the wet season (Brockwell 2001; Parks & Wildlife Comm. NTG; Russell-Smith 1991).
Location
The Black Jungle Conservation Reserve is about southeast of Darwin, Northern Territory, located in the Hundred of Hutchison (ILUA). The reserve has restricted access to the public except via permit for scientific purposes, i.e. research, collection of crocodile eggs (Parks & Wildlife Commission; NTG).
Climate
This region of the Northern Territory is in the dry tropics being distinctly seasonal, having a long dry season from April to November and a shorter wet season from December to March. High rainfall of approximately 1380 mm is recorded annually the most rainfall occurring in January and February. Average daily temperatures are relatively stable throughout the year ranging from 31.2 °C in July and 35.6 °C in October. Night time temperatures average 15 °C in July and 23.8 °C in January and February. Humidity builds from September and remains reasonably high throughout the wet season (Bureau of Meteorology 2006).
Vegetation Structure
The area has been classified as open woodland savannah, with pockets of wet monsoon rainforest and melaleuca swamp and some areas dominated by grass and sedge communities (Russell-Smith 1991; Russell-Smith et al. 1991). The over-storey in the woodland is co-dominated by Eucalyptus miniata and E. tetrodonata species (Russell-Smith 1991; Russell-Smith et al. 1991). An important feature of wet monsoon rainforest is the availability of permanent moisture; in the form of permanent creeks and springs, dominated by evergreen trees and palms (Russell-Smith 1991; Russell-Smith et al. 1991). Generally these patches have a canopy height of up to 30 m, overlying a dense understorey of smaller ground ferns and sedges (Russell-Smith 1991; Russell-Smith et al. 1991).