Open Access

Kristine French, Belinda Pellow, Meredith Henderson

• Vegetation in the Holsworthy Military Area located 35 km south-west of Sydney (33°59'S 150°57'E) in the Campbelltown and Liverpool local government areas was surveyed and mapped. The data were analysed using multivariate techniques to identify significantly different floristic groups that identified distinct communities. Eight vegetation communities were identified, four on infertile sandstones and four on more fertile shales and alluviums. On more fertile soils, Melaleuca Thickets, Plateau Forest on Shale, Shale/Sandstone Transition Forests and Riparian Scrub were distinguished. On infertile soils, Gully Forest, Sandstone Woodland, Woodland/Heath Complex and Sedgelands were distinguished. We identified sets of species that characterise each community either because they are unique or because they contribute significantly to the separation of the vegetation community from other similar communities. The Holsworthy Military Area contains relatively undisturbed vegetation with low weed invasion. It is a good representation of continuous vegetation that occurs on the transition between the Woronora Plateau and the Cumberland Plain. The Plateau Forest on Shale is considered to be Cumberland Plains Woodland and together with the Shale/Sandstone Transition Forest, are endangered ecological communities under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. The Melaleuca Thickets may also be considered part of the endangered ecological community, Sydney Coastal River-flat Forest. As such the area has high conservation significance.