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Insects visiting flowering trees of Syzygium floribundum, Syzygium smithii and Tristaniopsis laurina (Myrtaceae) were recorded in lowland subtropical rainforest communities in the Manning Valley, mid-north coast of New South Wales. These species are visited by a taxonomically broad assemblage of insects, many of which are known to frequent other rainforest- and open forest-flowering plant species. Consequently there is likely to be a regional pool of potential pollinators found throughout the range of each plant.
The geographic distribution, community distribution, taxonomy, and growth form of the flora listed as threatened under Schedules 1 and 2 of the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 were examined. The North Coast and Central Coast Botanical Divisions have the highest number of threatened plant species, with both these divisions having significantly more threatened plant species than expected. A large disparity between the east and the west of the state was found, with the eastern divisions generally containing larger numbers and higher proportions of threatened plant species than the western divisions. Rainforest, sclerophyll forest and sclerophyll woodland communities were all found to contain large numbers of threatened plant species, with woodland containing more threatened plant species than expected. Some large families and genera contain significantly more threatened plant species than expected (e.g. Myrtaceae, Proteaceae, Grevillea and Zieria), while others contain significantly fewer (e.g. Asteraceae, Poaceae and Cyperaceae). The analysis of habit showed that fewer than expected threatened plant species were herbs. Possible explanations for the apparent distribution of threatened flora are discussed.
Lysimachia mauritiana Lam. (family Primulaceae), a small short-lived herb native to India, Indian and Pacific Ocean islands, and coastal east Asia, is described as a new naturalised record from the eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was first recorded in 1981 near Coogee, and grows in exposed rock crevices and seepages on the seacoast, very similar to its natural habitat overseas. Lysimachia mauritiana is known to have been cultivated in the area in 1961 in a home garden, which is the likely source of this introduction; it appears to be spreading locally as a weed.
Wallum and related vegetation on the NSW North Coast : description and phytosociological analysis
(2003)
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.
Australian subtropical rainforests and plant populations have become increasingly fragmented since European settlement. Managing relict populations and remnants within the landscape matrix is dependent upon our understanding of plant reproductive biology. The incidence of autogamous self-compatibility and dioecy was investigated in subtropical rainforests, near Taree, in the Manning Valley (northern New South Wales). The proportion of dioecious species in rainforests of the region is high (~17%), but varies among sites. The potential for hermaphroditic species to self-pollinate was examined by bagging inflorescences in the field. Of the > 30 species (in 14 families) studied, nine species exhibited high levels of selfcompatibility. These were predominantly pioneer and edge species, but other pioneer species were self-incompatible. Different behaviour occurred within families. Twenty species (in 13 families) regenerated from basal coppice or root suckers following bushfire. The significance of knowledge of reproductive biology for management is discussed.
Rare species have long exerted a particular fascination for many botanists. The reasons for this are discussed, as are the justifications for the scientific study of rare and threatened species. A high proportion of the threatened species currently on the Schedules of threatened species in New South Wales were first collected by the earliest botanical explorers. Possible reasons for their success in finding rare species are speculated upon.
Legislative requirements for the identification of threatened species have arisen under the Biodiversity Convention, and the particular regime established by the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 is described. Features of the plants currently included on the New South Wales Schedules are discussed and the question as to whether they are affected by a variety of recording biases is examined. The consequences of listing for the long term conservation of threatened species are explored.