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Angophora inopina is a vulnerable tree species occurring principally in Wyong and Lake Macquarie local government areas on the Central Coast, with disjunct populations as far north as Bulahdelah on the North Coast of NSW. The largest and most intact stands occur within the Wyee-Morisset areas although even here significant fragmentation is evident. North of Toronto, there are small and scattered residual populations as far as Barnsley near West Wallsend in Lake Macquarie. A total area of occupied habitat of approximately 1500 ha is estimated.
Cluster analysis of floristic information showed that Angophora inopina occurs within three broad habitat types within the Central Coast bioregion, centred mainly on the Gorokan, Doyalson and Wyong soil landscapes. Hybrid forms of the species also occur on the Cockle Creek landscape in northern Lake Macquarie. Most stands are evident within open woodland/ forest vegetation where Eucalyptus haemastoma, Corymbia gummifera, and Eucalyptus capitellata dominate with Angophora inopina. Other populations occur in wet heath, and swamp woodland environments where sedge species are characteristic.
Conservation of Angophora inopina will be most effectively and efficiently achieved if ecological processes that operate across the landscape are maintained. Processes such as fragmentation, altered fire regimes or invasion of habitat by exotic species must be managed in the long-term. These are all significant threats to this species, and will best be effectively managed in the larger remnants in a landscape approach. Such threats are generally associated with urban and agricultural expansion in the area, and these are therefore the most pressing issues to be managed.
Werakata National Park (32° 50 S, 151° 25 E), near Cessnock in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, conserves 2145 ha of mostly open forest vegetation, which was formerly widespread in the lower Hunter Valley. Six vegetation communities are delineated; Lower Hunter Spotted Gum – Ironbark Forest occupies most of the Park. All communities present are considered to be poorly conserved in the region and Werakata plays a critical role in the protection of these vegetation types. Two vegetation communities, Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland and Hunter Lowlands Redgum Forest, are listed as Endangered Ecological Communities under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, while others may warrant future listing. Considerable variation in the floristic composition of the Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland is apparent in the area and the implications are discussed. Populations of four vulnerable plant taxa — Callistemon linearifolius, Eucalyptus parramattensis subsp. decadens, Eucalyptus glaucina, Grevillea parviflora subsp. parviflora, and two rare plant taxa — Grevillea montana, Macrozamia flexuosa, together with several other regionally significant species occur within Werakata.
Recommendations are made on the conservation of plant taxa and vegetation communities in the Cessnock area, and on general reserve management. It is suggested that further areas be added to the reserve to consolidate and expand upon that which is already contained, particularly in regard to threatened species, and endangered and poorly conserved ecological communities.