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The floristic composition and extent of Carex-dominated fens in the New South Wales New England Tablelands Bioregion and Barrington Tops area (lat 28° 41’ S–31° 55’ S; long 151° 23’ E–152° 05’ E) together with outliers from the central west (Coonabarabran) are described from 81 full floristic survey sites. These fens contained 234 vascular plant taxa of which 27% were exotic. The fens were dominated by herbaceous vegetation (96% of taxa). Cluster analysis of cover-abundance scores of vascular plant taxa from 81 plots placed within 71 separate Carex fens revealed three alliances: 1) Carex appressa, 2) Scirpus polystachyus – Carex tereticaulis and 3) Carex gaudichaudiana and seven communities: (1) Carex appressa – Stellaria angustifolia Fen (2) Carex appressa Fen (3) Scirpus polystachyus – Carex appressa Fen (4) Carex tereticaulis Fen (5) Carex gaudichaudiana – Isachne globosa Fen (6) Carex sp. Bendemeer – Carex gaudichaudiana Fen (7) Carex gaudichaudiana – Glyceria australis Fen The distribution of alliances showed a pattern of east-west separation. The most easterly alliance shares many features with the Carex gaudichaudiana Alliance of the Monaro Region of southern NSW while the other alliances have no counterparts within the current literature. We estimate that up to 5 000 ha of fen vegetation survive in the New England Bioregion of which 90% is on grazed land and only 0.2% is within conservation reserves. Seven outstanding examples of fens remain; most are examples of Community 5, with one representing Community 6 and none representing the other five communities. Many of these are not secured, and none of those within reserves are in their ‘natural’ state. We therefore strongly encourage measures to allow closure of drains, the opening of dams, and the rehabilitation of important fens such as Bishops, Racecourse and New Country Swamps.
The vegetation of Warra National Park (29° 29’S, 151° 56’E; 2041 ha in area) and Wattleridge (29°31’S, 151°54’E; 648 ha in area), located approximately 35 km southeast of Glen Innes and 5 km west of Mount Mitchell, within the Guyra and Severn Shires in the New England Tablelands Bioregion NSW, is described. Nine vegetation communities are defined, based on flexible UPGMA analysis of cover-abundance scores of all vascular plant taxa. These communities have been mapped based on analysis of quadrat data, air photo interpretation, substrate variation and ground-truthing.
Communities described are: (1) Leptospermum novae-angliae (New England Tea-tree) – Bursaria spinosa (Blackthorn) Riparian Scrub & Heath, (2) Eucalyptus pauciflora (Snow Gum) – Eucalyptus nova-anglica (New England Peppermint) Woodland, (3) Haloragis heterophylla (Variable Raspwort) – Carex inversa (Sedge) Herbfield, (4) Baeckea omissa (Baeckea) – Leptospermum gregarium (Swamp Tea-tree) Closed Wet Heath, (5) Eucalyptus cameronii (Die-hard Stringybark) – Eucalyptus campanulata (New England Blackbutt) Shrubby Open Forest, (6) Eucalyptus radiata subsp. sejuncta (Narrow-leaved Peppermint) – Eucalyptus acaciiformis (Wattle-leaved Peppermint) Woodland, (7) Eucalyptus cameronii (Die-hard Stringybark) – Eucalyptus caliginosa (Broad-leaved Stringybark) Grassy Open Forest, (8) Eucalyptus nobilis (Manna Gum) – Eucalyptus obliqua (Messmate) Tall Open Forest, and (9) Eucalyptus obliqua (Messmate) – Eucalyptus nobilis (Manna Gum) Tall Open Forest, (10) Leptospermum novae-angliae – Kunzea obovata – Brachyloma saxicola Shrubby Open Scrub and Closed Heath.
Of 11 communities within the area, four should be considered as threatened, while 18 taxa are considered to be of conservation significance.
The vegetation of Culgoa National Park (22 986 ha in area; 29°15’ S, 147°15’ E) in the central north of New South Wales, approximately 40 km west of Goodooga and adjoining the NSW/Queensland border, is described. Six vegetation communities are delineated based on UPGMA analysis of cover-abundance scores of all vascular plant taxa. These communities are mapped based on ground truthing and air photo interpretation. All communities are simple in structure being primarily woodlands, shrublands and grasslands. Communities described are: 1) Eucalyptus coolabah Woodlands, 2) Muehlenbeckia florulenta Shrubby Thickets, 3) Eucalyptus coolabah – Acacia pendula Woodlands & Grasslands, 4) Eucalyptus largiflorens – Eucalyptus coolabah Woodlands, 5) Eucalyptus largiflorens – Alectryon oleifolius Woodlands, 6) Callitris glaucophylla – Eucalyptus populnea Woodlands and Shrublands. A total of 240 vascular plant taxa were found of which 8% were exotic in origin. Conservation issues are discussed.
Acacia blakei forests and scrubs of north-eastern NSW are described and compared to similar vegetation found in the south-east of the state, primarily dominated by Acacia silvestris. Like those in the south, Northern Wattle Dry Sclerophyll Forests form often discrete stands with abrupt margins on steep slopes in rugged terrain on shallow often rocky soils. The structure is usually of a cohort with stems of an even height and size up to 20 m tall, and a sparse understorey with few grasses, herbs or shrubs. These systems are potentially maintained by infrequent extreme fire events. Notes are made on their management and conservation.
The vegetation of Mount Canobolas State Recreation Area (1673 ha), 14 km southwest of Orange (33°21’S, 154°59’E) in the Shire of Cabonne on the Central Tablelands of New South Wales is described. A floristic survey of 50x0.04 ha plots was conducted in November 1999. Seven communities are defined based on flexible UPGMA analysis of abundance scores of vascular plant taxa. Mapping of these communities is based on ground truthing, air photo interpretation and substrate. A total of 309 taxa was recorded including two species listed under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995: Eucalyptus canobolensis and Eucalyptus saxicola. Additionally the reserve contains the Mount Canobolas Xanthoparmelia lichen community recently listed on the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. This paper describes the seven communities and discusses their significance and distribution within the Recreation Area. A vegetation map and species list are provided.
The vegetation of Basket Swamp National Park (2820 ha), 30 km north east of Tenterfield (28°54’S, 152°09’E) in the Tenterfield Shire, in the Northern Tablelands Bioregion NSW, is described. Seven vegetation communities are mapped based on survey of plots, subsequent ground-truthing, air photo interpretation and substrate.
Communities described are: (1) Eucalyptus campanulata (Blackbutt) – Eucalyptus cameronii (Diehard Stringybark) Open Forests, (2) Eucalyptus campanulata (Blackbutt) – Eucalyptus cameronii (Diehard Stringybark) Grassy Open Forests, (3) Leptospermum trinervium (Tea-tree) – Leptospermum polygalifolium subsp. transmontanum (Creek Tea-tree) Riparian Scrub, (4) Leptospermum trinervium (Tea-tree) – Kunzea obovata (Pink Kunzea) – Leptospermum novae-angliae (New England Tea-tree) Heaths & Shrublands, (5) Ceratopetalum apetalum (Coachwood) – Lophostemon confertus (Brush Box) Closed Forest, (6) Eucalyptus obliqua (Messmate) – Eucalyptus campanulata (Blackbutt) Tall Open Forests, and (7) Baeckea omissa (Baeckea) – Baloskion stenocoleum (Sedge) Heathy Sedgelands.
All but two communities (3 & 7) were considered adequately reserved locally, no listed endangered or vulnerable communities were found. Thirty-six taxa were considered to be of conservation significance of which two are listed as vulnerable on Schedule 2 of the NSW TSC Act.A further nine have been reported under the RoTAP criteria.
The vegetation of Imbota Nature Reserve (30° 35’S, 151° 45’E) (218 ha in area), 10 km south-east of Armidale, and Yina Nature Reserve (30° 29’S, 151° 45’E), (101 ha in area), 10 km east of Armidale, on the Northern Tablelands, NSW, is described. Based on classification analyses, air photo interpretation and ground-truthing, seven vegetation communities are described and mapped : 1. Eucalyptus caliginosa (Broad-leaved Stringybark) Grassy Forest and Woodland on deep soils at Imbota; 2. Eucalyptus viminalis (Manna Gum) Grassy Forest and Woodland, Community; 3. Eucalyptus caliginosa (Broad-leaved Stringybark) Grassy Forest and Woodland on shallow soils at Imbota; 4. Eucalyptus caliginosa (Broad-leaved Stringybark) Grassy Forest and Woodland at Yina; 5. Eucalyptus blakelyi (Blakely’s Red Gum) – Eucalyptus melliodora (Yellow Box) Woodland; 6. Eucalyptus viminalis (Manna Gum) – Eucalyptus nova-anglica (New England Peppermint) Grassy Forest and Woodland and 7. Riparian Herbfields 252 vascular plant taxa (from 59 families) were recorded from the two reserves, 179 species in Imbota NR, the larger reserve and 209 in Yina NR. The lower species richness at Imbota is likely to have resulted human disturbance rather than from overall habitat heterogeneity.
Does an increase in the cover/abundance of Callitris glaucophylla or Callitris endlicheri affect the number of species recorded in plots (species density) or do other factors such as altitude or logging, fire or grazing history have greater explanatory power? This was tested using survey data from 1351 plots from northern New South Wales. Altitude was found to have the greatest explanatory power in predicting the number of species per plot. Increasing cover/abundance of Callitris glaucophylla was found to be positively correlated with increasing species density. Fire was found to have a minor negative effect on species density in Callitris glaucophylla stands and grazing a small positive correlation in Callitris endlicheri stands.
Vegetation of Little Bora Nature Conservation Trust Agreement, North Western Slopes, New South Wales
(2014)
The vegetation of the Little Bora Nature Conservation Trust Agreement property (560 ha in area), 8 km south east of Bingara (lat 29° 55’S long 150° 37’) in the Gwydir Shire and within the Nandewar Bioregion is described. Eight vegetation communities are defined based on flexible UPGMA analysis of cover-abundance scores of all vascular plant taxa. These communities are mapped based on ground truthing, ADS40 imagery interpretation, topography and substrate. Communities described are: 1) Melaleuca bracteata – Eucalyptus melanophloia – Eucalyptus camaldulensis Woodland, 2) Callitris glaucophylla – Eucalyptus melanophloia – Eucalyptus albens Woodland, 3) Callitris glaucophylla – Eucalyptus melanophloia – Brachychiton populneus Woodland, 4) Eucalyptus albens Woodland, 5) Eucalyptus caleyi – Eucalyptus albens – Callitris glaucophylla Woodland, 6) Callitris glaucophylla – Eucalyptus melanophloia – Eucalyptus albens Woodland, 7) Austrostipa verticillata – Austrostipa scabra Derived Grassland, 8) Eucalyptus melliodora – Eucalyptus dealbata Woodland. A total of 232 vascular plant taxa were found of which 14% were considered exotic in origin. 66 ha of listed threatened communities were mapped along with populations of a currently listed Extinct plant (TSC Act) Dodonaea stenophylla.
To assist with planning and conservation strategies, mapping of wetlands above 700 m elevation across the Namoi Catchment (east of Tamworth) was undertaken. The number of hectares of each type within this high-elevation region, the area currently in conservation reserves and the status of these remnants was assessed. 1 001 wetlands were mapped and allocated to three wetland types (fens, bogs and lagoons) and six disturbance groups (based on agricultural clearing and presence of dams). Total wetlands cover was 4 490 ha, of which fens were the most common, followed by bogs and a single lagoon. The smallest wetland was 0.12 ha in size, the largest 113 ha and the average 5 ha. Only 10% of all wetlands were considered to be in near natural state with only 5.5% of all wetland area protected within conservation reserves.