- Wallum is the regionally distinct vegetation on coastal dunefields, beach ridge plains and sandy backbarrier flats in subtropical northern NSW and southern Queensland (22°S to 33°S). This study examined floristic patterns in the wallum and allied vegetation along 400 km of coastline in north-eastern NSW. Floristic and environmental data were compiled for 494 quadrats allocated on the basis of air photo pattern and latitude. A phytosociological classification displayed strong congruence with an initial classification based upon photo pattern, especially for single stratum vegetation, thereby suggesting that API (air photo interpretation) is a valuable technique for the recognition of floristic assemblages. The utility of API for depicting the spatial distribution of tallest stratum species in multi-stratum vegetation was also confirmed. Nonetheless, photo signatures of the tallest stratum are less satisfactory as surrogates for identifying noda for the full complement of species in multi-stratum vegetation. Ordination supported the numerical classification, and reinforced the value of API for capturing meaningful biological and environmental data. Plant – environment relationships were examined for a range of variables. The consistent trend to emerge was a comparatively strong correlation between floristic composition and topographic position, and in some instances also between floristic composition and geology. Mean species richness at the 25 m2 scale was lower in wetter habitats, although differences were not consistently significant.
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