Where fire has been excluded for long periods in Swamp Sclerophyll Forest, it may contain many species typical of the EEC, Littoral Rainforest, and on the NSW North Coast where substrates are volcanically derived it may adjoin with the EEC, Swamp Sclerophyll Forest Lowland Rainforest on Floodplains. Lucas McKinnon Determining the on Coastal Floodplains conservation value of remnants Introduction The degree of disturbance (i.e. the site condition) These guidelines provide background information of any remnant of Swamp Sclerophyll Forest may to assist land managers and approval authorities vary dependant on past land use, management Swamp Sclerophyll Forest in Wollongong LGA, showing the to identify remnants of Swamp Sclerophyll Forest practices and/or natural disturbance and this Lucas McKinnon transition between 3 components of the community, reedland, on Coastal Floodplains (hereafter referred to should be considered at the time of assessment. shrubland and sclerophyll forest. as Swamp Sclerophyll Forest), an Endangered Whilst not exhaustive, the following are a Ecological Community (EEC). For more detailed number of variations of Swamp Sclerophyll Forest information refer to the Swamp Sclerophyll Forest you may encounter: Profile and the NSW Scientific Committee Final It is important to take these factors into account Determination at: 1. Tree canopy intact with limited native when determining the conservation significance threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au vegetation in the understorey due to of remnants. underscrubbing, stock grazing pressure or too What is an Endangered Paperbark Forest on the NSW North Coast, a component frequent fire; For further assistance Ecological Community? of Swamp Sclerophyll Forest 2. Tree canopy intact (+/– reduced cover) with This and other EEC guidelines are available limited native vegetation in the understorey on DECC Threatened Species website: An ecological community is an assemblage dense and the community takes on the structure due to lack of fire or weed infestation (e.g. threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au of species which can include flora, fauna and of scrub. A particular site may only include dense Lantana incursion or Carpet Grass other living organisms that occur together in a The references listed below also provide further some of these vegetation structures such as the (Axonopus spp.) invasion in areas partially particular area. They are generally recognised by information to aid in identifying EECs. reedland or a paperbark forest but should still be cleared for agriculture); the trees, shrubs and groundcover that live • Botanic Gardens Trust identification considered as the community. See ‘Identifying 3. Tree canopy absent due to prior clearing there. An Endangered Ecological Community assistance: rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/plant_info/ is an ecological community listed as facing a Swamp Sclerophyll Forest’ below for further or fire, occurrence of regrowth of native botanical_info/plant_identification assistance. understorey species along with herbaceous very high risk of extinction in NSW under the The Scientific Committee’s final determination and/or woody weeds; or • Botanic Gardens Trust PlantNET: Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. plantNET.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/search/simple.htm of the Swamp Sclerophyll Forest does not 4. Some characteristic tree canopy species not What is Swamp Sclerophyll delineate between higher and lower quality present due to past selective clearing. • Brooker, M. and Kleinig, D. (1990) Field Guide to Eucalypts of South-eastern , Forest? remnants of this community. It specifically notes Even where a remnant is considered to be heavily Vol 2. Inkata, . Swamp Sclerophyll Forest is a community that partial clearing and disturbance, in some degraded and in poor condition, it may still that generally has several layers of vegetation, instances, may have reduced this community’s have conservation value for a number of reasons • Harden, G. (ed) Flora of NSW Vols 1 – 4 canopy to scattered trees and this disturbed type (1990-2002). NSW University Press. including trees, shrubs, groundcovers and including: wetland plants such as reeds and sedges. It is a is still considered part of the EEC. Relatively few • NSW Scientific Committee Determinations: examples of this community would be unaffected 1. As part of a wildlife corridor that has nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/ community of plants that are generally found close to standing water on soils that are either by weedy taxa, including noxious species, such connective importance at local and/or Final+determinations as those listed in a variety of key threatening regional scales; waterlogged or subject to periodic flooding • River-flat Eucalypt Forest on or inundation. It is usually an open to closed processes (e.g. Lantana, introduced perennial 2. Providing important winter feed trees for Coastal Floodplains species profile: forest with a shrubby or reedy/ferny understorey, grasses and exotic vines / creepers). arboreal mammals and birds; threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov. although in some areas the tree layer is low and 3. Providing a ‘stepping stone’ for fauna in an au/tsprofile/profile.aspx?id=10786 otherwise cleared / fragmented landscape; • Robinson, L (2003) Field guide to native plants 4. Providing significant habitat components of revised 3rd edition. Kangaroo Press. such as hollow bearing trees important to the • Thackway, R, and Cresswell, I. (1995)(eds) life cycle of migratory, non-migratory and/or ‘An interim biogeogeographic regionalisation nomadic species; of Australia: a framework for establishing 5. It may contain threatened species of flora in the national system of reserves.’ (Australian Lucas McKinnon its own right; and/or Nature Conservation Agency: Canberra) 6. Maintaining a healthy native seed bank, very important in highly cleared landscapes.

Disclaimer: The Department of Environment and Climate Change has prepared this document as a guide only. The information provided is not intended to be exhaustive. It does not constitute legal advice. Users of this guide should do so at their own risk and should seek their own legal and other expert advice in identifying endangered ecological communities. The Clearing on the edge of Swamp Sclerophyll Forest. This An area of Swamp Sclerophyll Forest cleared for grazing Department of Environment and Climate Change accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions in this guide or for any loss or introduces the community to edge effects such as weed invasion. with scattered paddock trees. damage arising from its use.

Department of Environment and Climate Change 1300 361 967 Communities Ecological for Endangered Guidelines Identification environment.nsw.gov.au [email protected] | December 07 ISSN 1834-9935 DECC 2007/593 Where is Swamp Sclerophyll Forest Mahogany (Eucalyptus resinifera subsp. hemilampra), found? Cabbage Tree Palm (Livistona australis) and Swamp Characteristic Species List Turpentine (Lophostemon suaveolens). The density of Swamp Sclerophyll Forest is characterised by Swamp Sclerophyll Forest is associated with humic clay Scientific Name Common Name (Range) tree species (i.e. the number of any particular species at the species listed below. The species present at Tree Canopy Species (>6m) and sandy loam soils on waterlogged or periodically any one site), is not a critical factor in determining the any site will be influenced by the size of the site, Allocasuarina littoralis Black She-Oak flooded areas. These soils are generally deposited during presence or absence of this community as this will vary recent rainfall or conditions and by its Swamp Oak + events and occur on the flats, drainage lines and depending on site history. disturbance (including fire and logging) history. Bangalay + (S-Gos) river terraces of the Coastal Floodplain. The community Shrubs and Groundlayer plants Note that NOT ALL the species listed below need Woollybutt (S-Syd) is usually found below 20m in elevation although to be present at any one site for it to constitute Eucalyptus resinifera subsp. Red Mahogany (N-J-Bay) sometimes up to 50 m elevation on small floodplains The understorey of this community is characterised by Swamp Sclerophyll Forest. hemilampra or where the larger floodplains adjoin lithic (rocky) a layer of shrubs including tea-trees, paperbarks and Swamp Mahogany +(N-Ulla) substrates or coastal sand plains. It is found in the NSW wattles, and the groundcover may consist of ferns, grass, + = Key indicator species; N = North of; Ficus coronata Sandpaper Fig North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner sedges and reeds. Most commonly a site will have a S = South of; B-Bay = Batemans Bay; Livistona australis Cabbage Tree Palm + bioregions (see map). combination of these plant types. See table for typical Gos = Gosford; Illa = Illawarra; J-Bay = Jervis Lophostemon suaveolens Swamp Turpentine species of the understorey. Bay; Sho = Shoalhaven; Syd = Sydney; ericifolia Swamp Paperbark Melaleuca linariifolia Flax-leaved Paperbark + Ulla = Ulladulla Broad-leaved Paperbark + How can I identify areas For further help with identification see: Melaleuca styphelioides Prickly-leaved Tea Tree of Swamp Sclerophyll plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/search/simple.htm (N-Now) Shrub Species (~1.5-6m) Forest? Swamp Mahogany Woollybutt (Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus Acacia irrorata Green Wattle The following are ‘Key Indicators’ to look for when robusta) longifolia) Acacia longifolia Coastal Wattle + identifying Swamp Sclerophyll Forest: Acmena smithii Lilly Pilly 1. Is the site on the coastal floodplain of the NSW Banksia oblongifolia Fern leaved Banksia (N-Ulla) North Coast, Sydney Basin or South East Corner Banksia spinulosa Hairpin Banksia Breynia oblongifolia Coffee Bush bioregion (see map)? Callistemon salignus Crimson Bottlebrush 2. Is the site associated with humic clay or sandy Dodonaea triquetra Large leaf Hop-bush loams soils (refer to soil maps)? Elaeocarpus reticulatus Blueberry Ash Broad-leaved Potential occurrence of Swamp Sclerophyll Forest 3. Is the site subject to waterlogging and/or below the ferdinandi Cheese Tree + highest flood level (check with Local Government Paperbark Homalanthus populifolius Bleeding Heart or Catchment Management Authority to determine (Melaleuca Leptospermum polygalifolium Tantoon + Description of the highest flood mark)? quinquenervia) subsp. polygalifolium Melaleuca sieberi Sieber’s Paperbark (N-Gos) community 4. Are any of the tree species present at the site listed Morinda jasminoides Sweet Morinda Bangalay as characteristic of Swamp Sclerophyll Forest in the Polyscias sambucifolia Elderberry Ash Characteristic species table (check with local botanist, consult reference (Eucalyptus botryoides) Groundcover Species (~0-1.5m) & Vines/Scramblers A list of trees, shrubs and ground cover species that books or see plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au)? Adiantum aethiopicum Maiden Hair Fern characterise Swamp Sclerophyll Forest have been 5. Are any of the shrub and/or groundlayer species Baumea articulata Jointed Twig Rush identified by the NSW Scientifc Committee (see table). Baumea juncea Bare Twig Rush listed as characteristic in the table present? Illustrations © Botanic Gardens Trust 2007 Blechnum camfieldii Lance Water-fern (N-B-Bay) If you answered yes to the above questions your site is The tree layer Blechnum indicum Swamp Water-fern (N-J-Bay) likely to be Swamp Sclerophyll Forest. Calochlaena dubia False Bracken The most common trees in Swamp Sclerophyll Forest Carex appressa Tall Sedge include Swamp Mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta), Broad- Centella asiatica Indian Pennywort + (N-Illa) leaved paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia) and, south Dianella caerulea Blue Flax Lily + from Sydney, Bangalay (Eucalyptus botryoides) and Lucas McKinnon EECs that may adjoin or Lucas McKinnon Entolasia marginata Bordered Panic Woollybutt (Eucalyptus longifolia). Other trees occur Entolasia stricta Wiry Panic less frequently or may be locally common at some intergrade with Swamp Gahnia clarkei Tall Saw-sedge + sites, including Sweet Willow Bottlebrush (Callistemon Sclerophyll Forest Gahnia sieberiana Red-fruit Saw-sedge + salignus), Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca), Red Glycine clandestina Twining Glycine This community occurs with, would have previously Gonocarpus tetragynus A Raspwort occurred with or closely resembles other coastal Hydrocotyle peduncularis A Pennywort What is the Coastal floodplain vegetation types which are also listed as EECs. Blue Flax-lily Saw sedge (Gahnia spp.) (Dianella caerulea) Hypolepis muelleri Harsh Ground Fern Floodplain? Collectively, these EECs cover all remaining native Imperata cylindrica var. major Blady Grass + vegetation on the coastal floodplains of NSW. These Isachne globosa Swamp Millet Floodplains are level landform patterns on which there EECs are: Lomandra longifolia Ribbon Grass may be active erosion and deposition of sediment by 1. Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest where there is Oplismenus aemulus Basket Grass flooding where the average interval is 100 years or less. increasing estuarine influence; Oplismenus imbecillis Basket Grass Coastal floodplains include coastal river valleys, alluvial Pteridium esculentum Bracken +

2. River-Flat Eucalypt Forest and Sub-tropical Coastal Lucas McKinnon Parsonsia straminea Common Silkpod (N-Sho) flats and drainage lines below the escarpment of the Floodplain Forest (north of Port Stephens) where soils Phragmites australis Common Reed + Great Dividing Range. While most floodplains are become less waterlogged; below 20m in elevation, some may occur on localised Pratia purpurascens Whiteroot river flats up to 250m elevation. However, there may 3. Freshwater Wetlands on Coastal Floodplains where they Stephania japonica var. discolor Snake Vine be local variation associated with river channels, local adjoin more permanent standing water; Themeda australis Kangaroo Grass ; a species depressions, natural levees and river terraces. The latter 4. Coastal Saltmarsh; and Villarsia exaltata Yellow Marsh Flower common to Swamp Sclerophyll Forest Viola banksii A Violet are areas that rarely flood anymore due to the deepening 5. Bangalay Sand Forest closer to coastal sand dunes. and Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest or widening of streams. Viola hederacea Ivy-leaved Violet +