Commonwealth of Australia

 

Inclusion of ecological communities in the list of threatened ecological communities under section 181 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

 

 

 

 

I, IAN CAMPBELL, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, pursuant to section 184(1)(a) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, hereby amend the list referred to in section 181 of that Act by:

 

as described in the Schedule to this instrument.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dated this…..............11th.........................day of…..........August........................................2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ian Campbell

 

 

Minister for the Environment and Heritage


SCHEDULE

 

Blue Gum High Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion

 

The Blue Gum High Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion ecological community is limited to the Sydney region, generally in the northern suburbs of Sydney at altitudes higher than 100 m above sea level. It predominantly occurs on deep soils derived from Wianamatta Shale in high-rainfall areas that receive more than 1100 mm per year. Some patches also occur on Hawkesbury Sandstone and the Mittagong formation.

 

The Blue Gum High Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion ecological community is a type of Eucalyptus tall open forest. It comprises a tall canopy of dominant trees, that may reach a height of over 30 m, above a midstorey of shrubs and small trees and a diverse ground layer with herbs, grasses, ferns and vines. Typical plant species found in the Blue Gum High Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion are listed in the table, below. This list is not exhaustive and not all of the species listed will occur in every patch of Blue Gum High Forest.

 

Typical plant species found in the Blue Gum High Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion.

Typical species

Dominant tall trees

Sydney Blue Gum (Eucalyptus saligna)

Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis)

Smooth-barked Apple (Angophora costata)

Small trees and shrubs

Forest Oak (Allocasuarina torulosa)

Coffee Bush (Breynia oblongifolia)

Hairy Clerodendrum (Clerodendrum tomentosum) Blueberry Ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus)

Prickly Beard-heath (Leucopogon juniperinus)

Narrow-leafed Orangebark (Maytenus sylvestris)

Mock Olive (Notelaea longifolia)

Narrow-leaved Geebung (Persoonia linearis)

Rough-fruited Pittosporum (Pittosporum revolutum)

Sweet Pittosporum (Pittosporum undulatum)

Muttonwood (Rapanea variabilis)

Herbs, grasses and ferns

Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum aethiopicum)

Common Ground Fern (Calochlaena dubia)

Flax Lily (Dianella caerulea)

Bordered Panic (Entolasia marginata)

Spiny-headed Mat-rush (Lomandra longifolia)

Pastel Flower (Pseuderanthemum variabile)

Vines

Australian Clematis (Clematis aristata)

Wombat Berry (Eustrephus latifolia)

Wonga Wonga Vine (Pandorea pandorana)

Bearded Tylophora (Tylophora barbata)

 

The Blue Gum High Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion ecological community typically has some characteristic native species from all vegetation layers present. The ecological community includes occurrences with a canopy cover greater than 10% and a size greater than one ha. Additionally, occurrences with less than 10% canopy cover are also considered part of the listed Blue Gum High Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion ecological community if the fragments are greater than one ha in size and occur in remnants of native vegetation in excess of 5 ha.

 

Turpentine-Ironbark Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion

 

The Turpentine-Ironbark Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion ecological community is limited to the Sydney region. It occurs mainly on the Cumberland Plain at elevations less than 320 m but patches extend onto the shale caps of the surrounding Woronora, Blue Mountains and Hornsby Plateaux, at elevations up to 750 m. It occurs primarily on clay soils derived from Wianamatta shale, including clay lenses of Wianamatta shale within Hawkesbury sandstone. The ecological community less commonly occurs on transitional areas between soils derived from the Wianamatta shale and Hawkesbury sandstone, or on soils derived from Holocene alluvium, or the Mittagong formation. The Turpentine-Ironbark Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion is found predominantly in areas with a rainfall between 800 – 1 100 mm.

The Turpentine-Ironbark Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion is a type of eucalypt forest, with either a shrubby or grassy understorey, with a tree canopy dominated by Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera) and Ironbarks (Eucalyptus spp). The associated eucalypt species present vary with local conditions. Typical plant species found in the Turpentine-Ironbark Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion are listed in the table, below. This list is not exhaustive and not all of the species listed will occur in every patch of Turpentine-Ironbark Forest.

 

Typical plant species found in the Turpentine-Ironbark Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion.

Typical species

Dominant trees

Narrow-leaved Ironbark  (Eucalyptus crebra)

Mountain Grey Gum  (Eucalyptus cypellocarpa)

Round-leaved Gum  (Eucalyptus deanei).

Red Ironbark  (Eucalyptus fibrosa)

Mountain Mahogany  (Eucalyptus notabilis)

Grey Ironbark  (Eucalyptus paniculata)

Grey Gum  (Eucalyptus punctata)

Sydney Blue Gum  (Eucalyptus saligna)

Turpentine  (Syncarpia glomulifera)

Small trees and shrubs

Parramatta Wattle (Acacia parramattensis)

Breynia (Breynia oblongifolia)

Prickly Beard-heath (Leucopogon juniperinus)

Narrow-leaved Orangebark (Maytenus silvestris)

Mock Olive (Notelaea longifolia)

White Dogwood (Ozothamnus diosmifolius)

Rough-fruit Pittosporum (Pittosporum revolutum)

Sweet Pittosporum (Pittosporum undulatum)

Elderberry Panax (Polyscias sambucifolia)

Native Peach (Trema aspera)

Grasses and herbs

Forest Hedgehog-grass (Echinopogon ovatus)

Weeping Grass (Microlaena stipoides)

Basket Grass (Oplismenus aemulus)

Pastel Flower (Pseuderanthemum variabile)

Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra).

 

The Turpentine-Ironbark Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion ecological community typically has some characteristic native species from all vegetation layers present. The ecological community includes occurrences with a canopy cover greater than 10% and a size greater than one ha. Additionally, occurrences with less than 10% canopy cover are also considered part of the listed Turpentine-Ironbark Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion ecological community if the fragments are greater than one ha in size and occur in remnants of native vegetation in excess of 5 ha.