Photographer: Leah Mackinnon WEEPING MYALL WOODLAND

INTRODUCTION All part of a Community Weeping Myall Woodland is listed as a threatened ecological Ecological communities are groups of , animals and other community under the Australian Government’s Environment organisms that naturally occur together. The structure and Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). In NSW composition are determined by environmental factors such as the community is listed under the Threatened Conservation climate, landscape position, soil, aspect and altitude. Act 1995 (TSC Act) as Myall Woodland in the Darling Riverine Plains, Brigalow Belt South, Cobar Peneplain, Murray-Darling Depression, While a particular ecological community will vary in structure and Riverina and NSW South Western Slopes bioregions. composition across its range, there are common elements that clearly identify one ecological community as distinct from another. Activities which affect the condition or extent of Weeping Myall Woodland may require consent or approval. Ecological communities also exist in different condition ‘states’, each with defining characteristics. States range from high quality to Where does the community occur? degraded with several in between. Weeping Myall Woodland is found on grey, black and brown alluvial clay soils on plains and the edge of floodplains. It occurs across much Management affects the state of a community and depending on of inland , west of the Great Dividng Range. the type of management action, can cause a community to make a ‘transition’ to a better or worse state. Weeping Myall Woodland Weeping Myall Woodland is a threatened ecological community. This open woodland occurs on clay soils on plains and is characterised by an overstorey dominated by Weeping myall ( pendula) and a grassy understorey of perennial tussock grasses, chenopods and scattered . Unfortunately large areas of this woodland have been cleared and remaining patches are listed as endangered. The ecological community is home to many species of fauna including threatened species such as the .

Managing and enhancing biodiversity on your land helps build a resilient landscape that balances production and conservation Description

Identification Weeping Myall Woodland has widely spaced trees with the canopy dominated by Weeping myall () up to 12 metres tall. The ground layer is dominated by perennial tussock grasses and chenopods. Scattered shrubs may also be present. There may be other trees and large shrubs present such as: Boonery ( oleifolius), Belah ( cristata), Bimble box (Eucalyptus populnea), Budda ( mitchellii) and Cooba (Acacia salicina). Grey mistletoe ( quandang) is a common and important part of the community. Ground layer composition will vary according to seasonal rainfall and grazing management. The understorey is usually grassy but in some areas may be mainly shrubby. To fit the EPBC Act definition for this community a patch must: • be greater than 0.5 hectare • have a tree canopy that is dominated (at least 50% of trees present) by living, dead or defoliated Weeping myall trees • have greater than 5% canopy cover of live Myall trees or 25 dead trees • have either: - more than two layers of regeneration of Weeping myall present; or - the tallest layer of living, dead or defoliated Weeping myall trees is at least 4 m tall and of the vegetative cover present, 50% is comprised of native species. What is not Weeping Myall Woodland? Weeping Myall Woodland does not occur in floodplains that are frequently inundated.

Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke Profile drawing of Weeping Myall Woodland community Plants of Weeping Myall Woodlands

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DOMINANT CANOPY SPECIES GROUNDCOVER SPECIES

Acacia pendula Weeping myall Aristida leptopoda White speargrass Belah Aristida ramosa Wiregrass Atriplex elymoides Hoop Mitchell grass ASSOCIATED CANOPY SPECIES Astrebla lappacea Curly Mitchell grass Atriplex leptocarpa Slender-fruited saltbush Western rosewood Atriplex muelleri Mueller’s saltbush Grey mistletoe Atriplex semibaccata Berry saltbush Atalaya hemiglauca Whitewood Austrodanthonia bipartita Wallaby grass Eucalyptus coolabah Coolibah Austrodanthonia setacea Small-flower wallaby grass Black box Austrostipa aristiglumis Plains grass Eucalyptus populnea subsp. bimbil Poplar box Austrostipa blackii Boerhavia dominii Tarvine MID-STOREY SPECIES Chamaesyce drummondii Caustic weed Chloris truncata Windmill grass Miljee Dichanthium sericeum blue grass Acacia salicina Cooba Enteropogon acicularis Twirly windmill grass Apophyllum anomalum Warrior bush Eragrostis setifolia Neverfail Capparis mitchellii Wild orange Goodenia glauca Pale goodenia Ruby saltbush Maireana aphylla Cottonbush Eremophila bignoniflora Eurah Maireana decalvans Black cottonbush Budda Paspalidium constrictum Box grass Maireana aphylla Cotton bush Ptilotus exaltatus Ptilotus Muehlenbeckia florulenta Lignum Solanum esuriale Quena montanum Western boobialla Sporobolus caroli Fairy grass Pimelea neo-anglica Poison pimelea Themeda avenacea Tall oatgrass Pittosporum angustifolium Butterbush Walwhalleya proluta Rigid panic Rhagodia spinescens Thorny saltbush Santalum lanceolatum Sandalwood Sclerolaena muricata Black rolypoly Vachellia farnesiana Mimosa

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Photo Key: 1 Weeping myall – Leah Mackinnon 2 Grey mistletoe – Leah Mackinnon 3 Sandalwood – Leah Mackinnon 3 4 Budda – Greg Steenbeeke 5 Belah, cone – Kelly Coleman 5 Animals of Weeping Myall Woodlands

BIRDS:

Parrots Plum-headed finch ▲ Red-winged parrot ▲ Zebra finch Budgerigar Superb fairy-wren Blue bonnet Variegated fairy-wren Pale-headed rosella White-winged fairy-wren ▲ Eastern rosella Splendid fairy-wren ▲ Superb parrot ● Southern whiteface ▲ Mulga parrot ▲ Aerial Feeding birds Eastern ringneck ▲ Red-rumped parrot Dusky woodswallow ▲ White-breasted woodswallow ▲ Cockatoos White-browed woodswallow ▲ Cockatiel Masked woodswallow ▲ Sulphur-crested cockatoo Little woodswallow ▲ Little corella White backed swallow Major Mitchell’s cockatoo ● Welcome swallow Red-tailed black-cockatoo ● Fairy martin Galah Tree martin Ground feeding and low nesting birds Fork-tailed swift ■ Emu White-throated needletail ■ Bush stone-curlew ● Restless flycatcher Australian bustard ● Grey fantail Pheasant coucal ▲ Willie wagtail Banded lapwing ▲ Dollarbird Masked lapwing Rainbow bee-eater ■ Singing bushlark Medium to large bush birds Richard’s pipit Black-faced cuckoo-shrike 1 Australian reed-warbler ■ Ground cuckoo-shrike ▲ Tawny grassbird ▲ White-bellied cuckoo-shrike ▲ Little grassbird ▲ Laughing kookaburra Brown songlark Sacred kingfisher Rufous songlark Red-backed kingfisher ▲ Golden-headed cisticola ▲ Pied butcherbird Crimson chat ▲ Grey butcher bird White-fronted chat ▲ Australian raven King quail Little raven Stubble quail Torresian crow Brown quail Little crow ▲ Painted button-quail ▲ Australian magpie Red-chested button-quail ▲ Magpie-lark Little button-quail ▲ Olive-backed oriole ▲ Ground feeding birds Grey shrike-thrush 2 White-winged chough Fan-tailed cuckoo Apostlebird Horsfield’s bronze-cuckoo Spotted bowerbird ▲ Pallid cuckoo ▲ Grey-crowned babbler ● Black-eared cuckoo ▲ White-browed babbler ▲ White-winged triller Diamond dove ▲ Brown treecreeper Bar-shouldered dove Spiny-cheeked honeyeater Peaceful dove Noisy miner 4 Crested pigeon Yellow-throated miner Common bronzewing Little friarbird Diamond firetail ● Noisy friarbird Double-barred finch Black honeyeater ▲

KEY: ● Species, population or community listed as vulnerable or endangered under the EPBC and/or TSC Act ■ Species listed as migratory under the EPBC Act ▲ Species identified as present or returning to vegetation communities in good condition BIRDS: MAMMALS

Blue-faced honeyeater Parrots Terrestrial (land dwelling) Painted honeyeater ● Red-winged parrot ▲ Paucident planigale ▲ Brown honeyeater Budgerigar Narrow-nosed planigale ▲ White-plumed honeyeater Blue bonnet Fat-tailed dunnart ▲ Singing honeyeater Pale-headed rosella Stripe-faced dunnart ● Brown-headed honeyeater Eastern rosella Common dunnart Black chinned honeyeater (east subsp.) ● Superb parrot ● Water-rat (streams) White-naped honeyeater Mulga parrot ▲ Red kangaroo ▲ Striped honeyeater Eastern ringneck ▲ Eastern grey kangaroo Eastern yellow robin Red-rumped parrot Swamp wallaby Hooded robin ● Short-beaked echidna Cockatoos Jacky winter ● Cockatiel Scarlet robin Arboreal (tree dwelling) Sulphur-crested cockatoo Red-capped robin Brush-tail possum ● Little corella Flame robin Sugar glider Golden whistler ▲ Major Mitchell’s cockatoo ● Rufous whistler Red-tailed black-cockatoo ● Bats ▲ Galah Eastern shrike-tit Microbats Crested bellbird ▲ Gould’s wattled bat Ground feeding and low nesting birds 5 Chocolate wattled bat Emu Small bush birds Little pied bat ● Bush stone-curlew ● Inland thornbill Lesser long-eared bat Australian bustard ● Yellow-rumped thornbill Inland broad-nosed bat Pheasant coucal ▲ Yellow thornbill Little broad-nosed bat Banded lapwing ▲ Buff-rumped thornbill Little forest bat Masked lapwing ▲ Chestnut-rumped thornbill Southern freetail bat Singing bushlark Spotted pardalote Inland freetail bat Richard’s pipit 1 Striated pardalote White-striped freetail-bat Australian reed-warbler ■ Western gerygone Yellow-bellied sheathtail-bat ● Tawny grassbird ▲ White-throated gerygone Little grassbird ▲ Weebill Megabats 6 Brown songlark Silvereye Little red flying fox Rufous songlark Mistletoe bird Introduced Golden-headed cisticola ▲ Varied sittella ● European cattle Crimson chat ▲ 3 Goat White-fronted chat ▲ Birds of prey King quail Collared sparrowhawk Dingo Stubble quail Brown goshawk Domestic dog 7 Brown quail Wedge-tailed eagle Fox Deer Painted button-quail ▲ Swamp harrier ● ▲ Horse Red-chested button-quail ▲ Spotted harrier ● ▲ Cat Little button-quail ▲ Black-shouldered kite Whistling kite Brown hare 2 Rabbit Ground feeding birds Letter-winged kite ▲ White-winged chough Black kite House mouse Black rat Apostlebird Little eagle ● Pig Spotted bowerbird ▲ Square-tailed kite ● Grey-crowned babbler ● Brown falcon White-browed babbler ▲ Nankeen kestrel Diamond dove ▲ Australian hobby Bar-shouldered dove 4 Peregrine falcon Peaceful dove Black falcon ▲ Crested pigeon Grey falcon ● Common bronzewing Diamond firetail ● Nocturnal birds Double-barred finch Grass owl ● Barn owl Southern boobook Barking owl ● PHOTO KEY: Tawny frogmouth 1 Red rumped parrot – Iestyn Taylor Australian owlet-nightjar 2 Bush stone curlew – Phil Spark Spotted nightjar ▲ 3 Painted honeyeater – Phil Spark 4 Diamond firetail – Iestyn Taylor 5 Planigale – Phil Spark 6 Common dunnart – Phil Spark 7 Little pied bat – Phil Spark REPTILES

Dragons Wood mulch-slider Burn’s dragon Eastern robust slider Eastern bearded dragon Common dwarf skink Long-tailed earless dragon ▲ South-eastern morethia skink Common bluetongue Turtles Shingleback lizard Broad-shelled snake-necked turtle ▲ Goannas Eastern snake-necked turtle Murray short-necked turtle Sand monitor 8 Lace monitor Snakes Murray/darling carpet python ▲ AMPHIBIANS 9 Green Tree snake ▲ Management Yellow-faced whip snake Ephemeral dams, ponds, wetlands The aim of management of Weeping Myall Woodland is to maintain or increase the extent of the community and to maintain or improve De Vis’s banded snake Frogs & froglets Red-naped snake its condition. New Holland frog ▲ Grey snake ▲ Water holding frog • It is recommended that you do not clear Weeping Myall Woodland, Pale-headed snake ● Rough frog even under permissible exemptions from the Native Vegetation Mulga snake Striped burrowing frog Conservation Act. Spotted black snake Green tree frog • Provide long-term protection for Weeping Myall Woodland Red-bellied black snake Broad-palmed frog through Agreements with Local Land Services or Conservation Eastern brown snake Desert tree frog Agreements with the Office of Environment and Heritage or the Easter shovel-nosed snake ▲ Eastern signbearing froglet Nature Conservation Trust. Variable black-naped snake Common eastern froglet Curl snake • Prevent herbicide and fertiliser drift from reaching stands. Sloane’s froglet ● Eastern bandy-bandy ▲ • Control Bag shelter moth outbreaks in significant stands. Bullfrog • Although more effort is required, it is recommended that when Northern banjo frog N W Blind snakes lopping Weeping myall trees for fodder, cut a few branches from Ornate burrowing frog Prong-snouted blind snake each tree rather than pushing the whole tree over. Salmon-striped frog Robust blind snake • Remove stock after grazing to allow regeneration to occur. Brown-snouted blind snake Painted burrowing frog Eastern dwarf tree frog • Increase the size and connectivity of existing patches through Geckos Peron’s tree frog revegetation. Re-establish Weeping myall trees, chenopods and native grasses. Southern spiny-tailed gecko Long-thumbed frog Box-patterned gecko ▲ Spotted marsh frog • Collect seeds of Weeping myall when they are available and store Tessellated gecko ▲ them under cool, dry conditions until you need them. Toads & toadlets Eastern spiny-tailed gecko ▲ • Control grazing in Weeping Myall Woodland patches so that the Dubious dtella Holy cross toad 10 grasses and chenopods are not destroyed and plants are able to Varied dtella Wrinkled toadlet regenerate and grow to maturity. Fencing patches allows grazing Prickly gecko to be managed. Control pest animals. Marbled velvet gecko • Control weeds within and around patches. Spray weeds but be careful of spray drift on desirable plants. Avoid cultivating or Legless lizards disturbing the soil within patches to prevent weed invasion. Patternless delma • Retain all fallen timber and litter within patches as these Excitable delma are important habitat for some wildlife, particularly reptiles Burton’s snake-lizard and amphibians. Western scaly-foot 11 • Do not remove mistletoe from Weeping myall trees and other Skinks and eucalypts as these provide important food resources for birds and mammals. Five-clawed worm-skink ● Shiny-palmed shinning-skink • Retain standing dead trees as these provide important habitat Unspotted yellow-sided ctenotus (Qld for many fauna species. border) Robust ctenotus Tree-crevice skink 12

KEY: PHOTO KEY: ● Species, population or community listed as vulnerable or endangered under the EPBC and/or TSC Act 8 Grey snake – Phil Spark ■ Species listed as migratory under the EPBC Act 9 Pale headed snake – Phil Spark ▲ Species identified as present or returning to vegetation communities in good condition 10 Burn’s dragon – Phil Spark 11 Eastern spiny-tailed gecko – Phil Spark 12 Sloane’s froglet – Phil Spark Threats and Management

Wood mulch-slider Eastern robust slider Common dwarf skink South-eastern morethia skink Common bluetongue Shingleback lizard Goannas Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke Sand monitor Lace monitor

AMPHIBIANS Threats Management Ephemeral dams, ponds, wetlands Weeping Myall Woodland communities are threatened with The aim of management of Weeping Myall Woodland is to maintain extinction or continued decline from historical and current sources. or increase the extent of the community and to maintain or improve Frogs & froglets It is estimated that its area has declined by between 60% and 95% its condition. New Holland frog ▲ since European settlement. Water holding frog • It is recommended that you do not clear Weeping Myall Woodland, Rough frog Clearing – the removal of live and dead trees, as well as young even under permissible exemptions from the Native Vegetation Striped burrowing frog regrowth, continues to be a major threat. Weeping Myall Woodland Conservation Act. Green tree frog occurs on fertile soils and is often in direct competition with • Provide long-term protection for Weeping Myall Woodland Broad-palmed frog cropping land. ‘Tidying-up’ reduces the extent and condition of through Agreements with Local Land Services or Conservation Desert tree frog Weeping Myall Woodland patches. Agreements with the Office of Environment and Heritage or the Eastern signbearing froglet Fodder lopping – Weeping myall trees are used for fodder during Nature Conservation Trust. Common eastern froglet drought. Trees are often pushed over to allow stock to gain access to • Prevent herbicide and fertiliser drift from reaching stands. Sloane’s froglet ● the foliage. • Control Bag shelter moth outbreaks in significant stands. Bullfrog • Although more effort is required, it is recommended that when Northern banjo frog N W Lack of recruitment – Weeping myall trees produce seed irregularly lopping Weeping myall trees for fodder, cut a few branches from Ornate burrowing frog and seeds are often eaten by predators before they can germinate. each tree rather than pushing the whole tree over. Salmon-striped frog Often seedlings are eaten by grazing animals or are unable to Painted burrowing frog compete with vigorous grassy weeds. • Remove stock after grazing to allow regeneration to occur. Eastern dwarf tree frog • Increase the size and connectivity of existing patches through Grazing – uncontrolled grazing of Weeping Myall Woodland can Peron’s tree frog revegetation. Re-establish Weeping myall trees, chenopods and prevent seedling regeneration of trees and can permanently Long-thumbed frog native grasses. remove many of the chenopod and grass species that make up Spotted marsh frog • Collect seeds of Weeping myall when they are available and store the community. This degrades the condition and extent of the them under cool, dry conditions until you need them. community. Pest animals such as pigs also cause damage. Toads & toadlets • Control grazing in Weeping Myall Woodland patches so that the Holy cross toad Bag shelter moth (Ochrogaster lunifera) – larvae can defoliate trees grasses and chenopods are not destroyed and plants are able to Wrinkled toadlet to the point where they are unable to recover and the tree dies. regenerate and grow to maturity. Fencing patches allows grazing Bag shelter moth also affects seed set and viability. The moths to be managed. Control pest animals. are attracted to trees that have been fertilised (usually through • Control weeds within and around patches. Spray weeds but be application to adjacent crops or pastures). careful of spray drift on desirable plants. Avoid cultivating or disturbing the soil within patches to prevent weed invasion. Weeds – grassy weeds such as Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) and Coolatai grass (Hyparrhenia hirta) compete with native grasses and • Retain all fallen timber and leaf litter within patches as these chenopods which are important elements of this community. Weed are important habitat for some wildlife, particularly reptiles competition can cause the death of adult and juvenile plants and and amphibians. prevent seedlings from germinating. Disturbance will favour the • Do not remove mistletoe from Weeping myall trees and other establishment of weeds. acacias and eucalypts as these provide important food resources for birds and mammals. Climate change – is likely to have an effect on distribution and • Retain standing dead trees as these provide important habitat composition of Weeping Myall Woodland and increase the impact of for many fauna species. other threats, particularly weeds. 12 ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION: HOW HEALTHY WOODLANDS WORK FOR YOU Healthy Weeping Myall Woodlands provide a wide range of benefits that are often called ‘ecosystem services’. These include traditional services like grazing for livestock, but also other services such as: • financial benefits • soil formation and cycling • nutrient cycling • water capture, filtration and delivery to water bodies • pollination • pest management (e.g. reducing pest pressure on crops) • regional climate buffering • shade and shelter (e.g. for livestock) • breakdown and absorption of wastes • a sense of place • scenery

FURTHER INFORMATION Look for “Weeping Myall” on the EPBC Species Profiles and Threats database (SPRAT) at www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/index.html Weeping Myall Woodlands Policy Statement 3.17 www.environment.gov.au/resource/weeping-myall-woodlands

Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke

www.lls.nsw.gov.au 1300 795 299 8:30 am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday

Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke