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Vegetation and Floristics of Ironbark Nature Reserve & Bornhardtia

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Vegetation and Floristics of Ironbark Nature Reserve & Bornhardtia Vegetation and Floristics of Ironbark Nature Reserve & Bornhardtia Voluntary Conservation Area Dr John T. Hunter (aka Thomas D. McGann) August 2002 © J.T.Hunter 2002 75 Kendall Rd, Invergowrie NSW, 2350 Ph. & Fax: (02) 6775 2452 Email: [email protected] A Report to the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service i Vegetation of Ironbark & Bornhardtia Summary The vegetation of Ironbark Nature Reserve and the Bornhardtia Voluntary Conservation Area is described and mapped (scale 1:25 000). Eleven communities are defined based on classification (Kulczynski association) with further sub-assemblages described. These eleven communities were mapped based on ground truthing, air photo interpretation and landform. One community is listed as Endangered on state and federal acts (TSC & EPB&C Acts), three are considered here to be vulnerable and all others are considered to be poorly or inadequately reserved across their range. Most communities are of woodland and open forest structure. The communities show considerable variation and intergrade along common boundaries and in particular on intermediate soil types. Drainage, Easting, Soil Depth, Physiography and protection from the North were the major correlative influences on community distribution, however Northing and Rock Type were also strongly correlated. A total of 477 vascular plant taxa were found from 93 families and 269 genera. At least 39 species are considered of significance, 30 are of regional significance and a further nine are of state or national significance. Two species are listed on the TSC Act, one as Endangered and one as Vulnerable nine are RoTAP listed species or are listed under this criteria in other publications. At present 9% of the flora is exotic in origin (41 taxa). Most management issues are related to appropriate fire regimes, weed and feral animal control with some revegetation needed and control of Reserve usage. Appropriate fire regimes will need to be researched and implemented. It is suggested that a variable and adaptive fire regime is adopted. Monitoring of a subset of the survey plots in subsequent years will enable a review of management practices to allow modification as new information is forthcoming. Introduced plants, pigs, goats, rabbits and stray cattle are sources of disturbance and will need to be controlled. Currently few problems exist in terms of invasive weeds, Blackberry being the most significant. Pigs and goats are a serious threat to some areas. The conservation areas alone are not large enough to ensure continued ecosystem processes or the long-term viability of all species. Dr John T. Hunter (aka Thomas D. McGann) (02) 6775 2452 ii Vegetation of Ironbark & Bornhardtia The study area represents a crossover of the floras of the North Western Slopes and the Northern Tablelands and is a significant remnant highlighted under the major North South-western Regional Corridor. The representation of high quality (old growth) woodlands across many vegetation assemblages is as important a feature of these conservation areas as endangered species and communities. Addition of lands or the incorporation of lands under conservation agreements around these areas is needed to ensure the continuing values and processes within the study area. Dr John T. Hunter (aka Thomas D. McGann) (02) 6775 2452 iii Vegetation of Ironbark & Bornhardtia Contents Summary ................................................................................................................ i 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Objectives ....................................................................................... 1 1.2 Study area ...................................................................................... 2 1.3 Conservation gains & gazettal of reserve & VCA ..................... 2 1.4 Climate ........................................................................................... 6 1.5 Landform ....................................................................................... 6 1.6 Geology of the Ironbark & Bornhardtia ................................... 18 1.7 European history and landuse ................................................... 18 1.8 Aboriginal history ....................................................................... 19 1.9 Fauna ............................................................................................ 19 1.10 Botanical exploration ................................................................ 21 2 Methodology .................................................................................................... 23 2.1 Survey design ............................................................................... 23 2.2 Site and species information ....................................................... 24 2.3 Vouchering ................................................................................... 25 2.4 Data management ....................................................................... 25 2.5 Analysis of regional diversity ..................................................... 26 2.6 Multivariate analysis................................................................... 26 2.7 Coleman curves ........................................................................... 29 2.8 Significant vascular plant taxa within the study area ............. 29 2.9 Range distribution analysis ........................................................ 30 2.10 Mapping ..................................................................................... 30 3 Results .............................................................................................................. 31 3.1 Site stratification ......................................................................... 31 3.2 Floristics ....................................................................................... 32 3.3 Community definition ................................................................. 36 3.4 Canonical correspondence analysis ........................................... 39 3.4.1 Communities ........................................................... 40 3.4.2 Trees ........................................................................ 41 3.4.3 Rare and threatened species .................................... 42 Dr John T. Hunter (aka Thomas D. McGann) (02) 6775 2452 iv Vegetation of Ironbark & Bornhardtia 3.4.4 Introduced species ................................................... 42 3.5 Coleman curves and richness estimation .................................. 47 3.6 Range distribution....................................................................... 52 3.7 Description of plant communities .............................................. 55 3.7.1 Red Stringybark – Red Gum ................................... 55 3.7.2 Caley’s Ironbark – Blackbutt .................................. 64 3.7.3 Orange Gum – Blackbutt ........................................ 72 3.7.4 Tumbledown Gum – Caley’s Ironbark ................... 79 3.7.5 Orange Gum – Red Gum......................................... 87 3.7.6 Quinn’s Gum – Orange Gum .................................. 95 3.7.7 Rough-barked Apple – Red Gum .......................... 102 3.7.8 River Oak – Red Gum – Apple ............................. 110 3.7.9 Fringe Myrtle – Daisy Bush .................................. 117 3.7.10 Homoranthus ....................................................... 124 3.7.11 Tea-tree ............................................................... 132 3.8 Reservation status of communities and comparison with other studies ...................................................................... 137 3.9 Description of taxa of conservation significance .................... 142 3.9.1 Callistemon pungens ............................................. 145 3.9.2 Derwentia arenaria ............................................... 148 3.9.3 Eucalyptus quinniorum ......................................... 150 3.9.4 Goodenia macbarroni ........................................... 154 3.9.5 Homoranthus bornhardtiensis .............................. 157 3.9.6 Pultenaea campbellii ............................................. 160 3.9.7 Thelionema grande ............................................... 163 3.9.8 Zieria odorifera ..................................................... 166 3.9.9 Other species of regional significance .................. 169 3.10 Introduced species ................................................................... 179 3.11 Fire responses of individual taxa ........................................... 181 3.12 Uses and traits of individual taxa .......................................... 204 4 Discussion ..................................................................................................... 219 4.1 Floristics and environmental relationships............................. 219 4.1.1 Richness and diversity ........................................... 219 4.1.2 Community distribution and biogeography ........... 220 Dr John T. Hunter (aka Thomas D. McGann) (02) 6775 2452 v Vegetation of Ironbark & Bornhardtia 4.1.3 Species distributions .............................................. 222 4.2 Fire.............................................................................................. 223 4.2.1 Callitris dominated woodlands ............................. 226 4.2.2 Fire and areas of impeded drainage ...................... 227 4.2.3 Fire and granite outcrops
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