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During recent surveys within north-eastern New South Wales new records of range extensions for some significant plant taxa were recorded. The implications for the conservation status of each taxon in terms of their ROTAP status (Briggs & Leigh 1996) are discussed. It is important that management decisions concerning rare taxa are made using the most up-to-date information possible, hence the need to report new distributions and suggest changes in conservation status. Vouchers of all taxa discussed have been lodged at the NCW Beadle Herbarium at the Division of Botany, University of New England and/or at the Herbarium of the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden, Coffs Harbour. In the following notes National Park is abbreviated to NP and Nature Reserve to NR.
The resprouting response of plant species to fire is a key life history trait that has profound effects on post-fire population dynamics and community composition. This study documents the post-fire response (resprouting and maturation times) of woody species in six contrasting formations in the New England Tableland Bioregion of eastern Australia. Rainforest had the highest proportion of resprouting woody taxa and rocky outcrops had the lowest. Surprisingly, no significant difference in the median maturation length was found among habitats, but the communities varied in the range of maturation times. Within these communities, seedlings of species killed by fire, mature faster than seedlings of species that resprout. The slowest maturing species were those that have canopy held seed banks and were killed by fire, and these were used as indicator species to examine fire immaturity risk. Finally, we examine whether current fire management immaturity thresholds appear to be appropriate for these communities and find they need to be amended.
New populations of three threatened mallee species, Eucalyptus castrensis K.D.Hill, Eucalyptus fracta K.D.Hill and Eucalyptus pumila Cambage (all Myrtaceae), have recently been found in the Singleton Military Area in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales (32°45’S, 151°15’E). Each population is significant as they increase the known distribution and total numbers of three highly restricted species. Details of the habitat and size of each additional population are given and conservation notes provided.
Survey of rare mallee Eucalyptus dissita in Gibraltar Range National Park, NSW Northern Tablelands
(2021)
Remote sensing of pattern, texture and colour using high resolution ADS40 aerial photograph imagery identified 30 known and potential polygons of the listed Vulnerable mallee eucalypt Eucalyptus dissita (Myrtaceae) in Gibraltar Range National Park in the NSW New England Tablelands Bioregion. Targeted field surveys confirmed Eucalyptus dissita in 14 mapped polygons, covering a mapped extent of 7.6 hectares, with an estimated population of 2400–4600 mallee/ tree stems, including two new populations in remote locations along tributaries of Dandahra Creek and proposed as newly named management sites (Dragonfly Swamp and Valley of the Mallees) under the NSW Saving our Species Program. Populations of Eucalyptus dissita were burnt in a November 2014 hazard reduction burn, and again in the extensive December 2019 wildfire. After the 2014 fire, basal resprouting was observed and minimal mortality of pre-fire plants recorded, but no seedling recruitment observed. In May 2019, 4.5 years post-fire, five of 20 tagged individuals at Surveyors Creek were forming floral buds but are likely to require another year to seed production. All of these individuals were burnt again in the December 2019 fire. Full floristic data analysis using hierarchical agglomerative clustering revealed that Eucalyptus dissita forms a quantitatively distinct vegetation assemblage that groups with the vegetation of swamps and rocky riparian areas, adjoining granite hills.
