MU 45 NEWNES PLATEAU TEA TREE – BANKSIA – MALLEE HEATH CORRESPONDING CLASSIFICATIONS Regional: HL124 Blue Mountains Heath State: Sydney Montane Heath
Number of Sites: 3 Average number of identified native species per plot: 37.0 DESCRIPTION Shallow soils on exposed crests of the Newnes Plateau support a tall mallee-heath- woodland community. It is not associated with the distinctive rock outcrops on the edge of the plateau and carries a different assemblage of plants. Very open upper- strata of stunted eucalypts such as scribbly gum (E. sclerophylla), brittle gum (E. mannifera) and snow gum (E. pauciflora) combine with mallees (E. stricta and E. multicaulis). The heath layer is dense and diverse dominated by Myrtaceae (Leptospermum in particular) and Proteaceae (Banksia spinulosa, Isopogon anemnofolius and Hakea dactyloides). The groundcover is also dominated by a variety of herbs, with few grasses including speargrasses (Austrostipa) and a range of the graminoid sedges like Lepidosperma and Schoenus as well as Lomandra. The community is closely related to the exposed Newnes Plateau woodlands described by Map Unit 28. It occurs on shallow to skeletal loamy sand or earthy sand soils over Triassic era Narrabeen sediments. The community is restricted to the highest elevations on the Newnes Plateau from 1000 to 1175 metres above sea level, and receives from 1000 to 1100 millimetres of precipitation per annum. This mapping unit is a component of Blue Mountains Heath of Tindall et al. (2004) and of Sydney Montane Heath in Keith (2004). It is well conserved in the Blue Mountains reserve system.
STRUCTURAL SUMMARY Stratum Count AvLowHt AvHt maxHt AvCover SDcover minCover maxCover E 1 2 5 5 1 1 1 T 2 1.25 3 4 32.50 24.75 15 50 M1 1 1 2 2 15 15 15 M2 1 0.50 1 1 40 40 40 L1 2 0.50 0.5 39 12.73 30 48 Structural data was not available for all sites.
FLORISTIC SUMMARY
Emergents Banksia ericifolia, Eucalyptus mannifera, Eucalyptus stricta, Leptospermum trinervium Low Trees and Shrubs Acacia terminalis, Allocasuarina nana, Banksia spinulosa, Boronia microphylla, Calytrix tetragona, Hakea dactyloides (includes H. laevipes), Isopogon anemonifolius, Leptospermum arachnoides, Leptospermum
The Vegetation of the Western Blue Mountains 139 parvifolium, Leucopogon microphyllus, Monotoca scoparia, Petrophile pulchella, Platysace lanceolata, Pultenaea canescens Ground Covers Austrostipa pubescens, Dampiera stricta, Gonocarpus tetragynus, Goodenia bellidifolia, Helichrysum scorpioides, Lepidosperma viscidum, Lepyrodia scariosa, Lindsaea linearis, Lomandra glauca, Lomandra longifolia, Mirbelia platyloboides, Phyllota squarrosa, Platysace linearifolia, Rhytidosporum procumbens, Schoenus villosus, Stylidium lineare Vines & Climbers Billardiera scandens, Cassytha racemosa KEY IDENTIFYING FEATURES
Easily recognisable features to assist in identifying this map unit are: • Heath unit with less Allocasuarina nana, and more Leptospermum and Proteaceae. • Typically less rocky than other heath units, with smaller areas of bare and exposed rock.
EXAMPLE LOCATIONS Found mainly in the higher parts of the Newnes Plateau between the southern end of the pine plantations and Clarence Station, but scattered locations elsewhere.
CONDITION ASSESSMENT Disturbance Class Area (ha) Proportion Extant (%) A Low 9.71 6.75 B Medium 91.76 63.82 C High 42.31 29.43 Total 143.78 100
THREATENED PLANT SPECIES
None identified, but possible species include Leionema sympetalum and Pultenaea glabra
140 The Vegetation of the Western Blue Mountains DIAGNOSTIC SPECIES Species Name Group Score Group Freq Non Group Non Group Freq Fidelity (%) Score (%) Class Allocasuarina nana 2 66.67 3 3.90 positive Austrostipa pubescens 2 100.00 2 3.98 positive Banksia spinulosa 2 100.00 2 6.69 positive Boronia microphylla 2 100.00 2 5.02 positive Dampiera stricta 2 100.00 2 8.29 positive Epacris microphylla 2 66.67 2 4.22 positive Eucalyptus mannifera 2 66.67 3 8.45 positive Eucalyptus stricta 4 66.67 2 2.79 positive Haemodorum tenuifolium 1 33.33 0 0.00 positive Hakea dactyloides 3 100.00 2 10.93 positive Isopogon anemonifolius 2 100.00 2 7.41 positive Leptospermum trinervium 2 100.00 2 8.37 positive Lepyrodia scariosa 2 66.67 2 2.95 positive Lindsaea linearis 2 66.67 1 3.42 positive Mirbelia platylobioides 3 66.67 1 1.83 positive Orthoceras strictum 1 33.33 0 0.00 positive Persoonia laurina 2 66.67 1 5.74 positive Petrophile pulchella 2 66.67 2 5.90 positive Phyllota squarrosa 2 100.00 2 4.30 positive Platysace linearifolia 2 100.00 2 8.21 positive Rhytidosporum procumbens 2 66.67 1 4.78 positive Schoenus villosus 2 66.67 2 1.59 positive Lomandra filiformis 0 0.00 2 36.28 negative Lomandra longifolia 0 0.00 2 39.63 negative Poa sieberiana 0 0.00 2 40.03 negative
The Vegetation of the Western Blue Mountains 141