Editing Mooloolah River National Park (section)

== Park management ==
Management of parks, reserves and conservation areas in Queensland are guided by the Master Plan for Queensland's Parks and Forests which sets out the vision, values, goals and strategic objectives of protected area management in the State.<ref>Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing. 2014. Master Plan for Queensland's Parks and Forests.</ref>

The Park itself is managed by the [[Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service]] (QPWS) under the ''Nature Conservation Act 1992''.<ref name=":3" /> Management of the Park and other parks in Queensland is under the direction of individual Management Plans – in this instance the Mooloolah Park River National Park Management Plan.  The Plan provides an overview of the Park in terms of regional context, [[species composition]], values, threatening process and outlines the key strategies to be employed in managing the Park.<ref name=":0" /> The broad management practices such as burn scheduling, weed removal and invasive species control are likely to yield positive results for most species suited to the habitats in the Park.

In addition to the Park's Management Plan, many of the threatened species found in the Park also have their own recovery plans.<ref name=":11" /><sup>,</sup><ref name=":6" /> Management planning for the Mt Emu Sheoak involves protecting and restoring habitat, translocation, managing fire regimes, [[stormwater runoff]] and invasive weed control strategies. Ongoing monitoring of populations as well as further study and community awareness play an integral part in the Mt Emu Sheok's management. An understanding of the species’ genetics assists with translocation and determining appropriate fire management strategies.<ref name=":11" /> For the swamp stringybark it is much the same: monitor populations, assess genetic diversity, mitigate threats, and adapt management actions as required, including seed collection and storage and managing fire regimes.<ref name=":4" />  It is important for plant species with seed banks in the soil to have in place erosion and stormwater runoff controls to prevent their loss from otherwise suitable habitat.<ref name=":5" />

Healthland communities are influenced by and rely on fire events for regeneration. Traditional burn frequencies have been altered due to increased burning to reduce fuel loads and to prevent the risk to property. An understanding of fire management across the Park in terms of the areas to be burnt, timing and its effects on the various ecosystem types is important and can affect species richness and distribution.<ref name=":1" /> Fire events that are too rare or too frequent can result in a [[loss of habitat]] and food sources for species that proliferate at certain times after fire.<ref name=":8" /> The current management strategy for burns is no more than 30% in any one year in an 8-12 year regime.

The Mooloolah National Park Management Plan specifies a number of guidelines for the planning and implementation of these burns.<ref name=":0" /> The Park also falls under the guidance of the QPWS Planned Burn Guidelines. The Guideline provides for specific fire management across the various vegetation communities in the region such as heathlands, open forest, woodlands and melaleuca communities as would be found in the Park.  This allows for the tailored burning of these areas to provide the most optimal conditions for ecosystem health.  The Guidelines also allow for the controlling of noxious weeds such as lantana and advice for the avoidance of peat fires.<ref>Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing. 2013. Planned Burn Guidelines. South East Queensland Bioregion of Queensland.</ref>

The management of the areas surrounding the Park is important as many species located in the park are also located in the Park's vegetated buffer zones. The species in these areas may face considerably more threats and less protection than what the Park affords but these areas provide a valuable buffer for the intra-park species and the benefits associated with a larger overall habitat. Undertaking management options in external areas, such as in the Lower Mooloolah River Environmental Reserve, including weed removal, stock exclusion and controlled burnings will assist in protecting the Park's ecosystems and species.<ref name=":7" />