BOX GUM GRASSY WOODLAND

Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke

INTRODUCTION All part of a Community Unfortunately large areas of this community have been Ecological communities are groups of , and other cleared across our catchment and remaining fragments are listed as organisms that naturally occur together. The structure and critically endangered. The woodland and its waterways provide an composition are determined by environmental factors such as essential home to many of our catchments’ most threatened species. climate, landscape position, soil, aspect and altitude. Box Gum Grassy Woodland is listed as a threatened ecological While a particular ecological community will vary in structure and community under both the Australian Government’s Environment composition across its range, there are common elements that Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and the clearly identify one ecological community as distinct from another. NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act). Activities which affect the condition or extent of Box Gum Grassy Woodland Ecological communities also exist in different condition ‘states’, may require consent or approval. each with defining characteristics. States range from high quality to degraded with several in between. Where does the community occur? Box-Gum Woodland is found Management affects the state of a community and depending on on the tablelands and western the type of management action, can cause a community to make a slopes of NSW. The community ‘transition’ to a better or worse state. occurs within the NSW North Box Gum Grassy Woodland Coast, New England Tableland, Box Gum Grassy Woodland is the name given to the threatened Nandewar, Brigalow Belt South, ecological community White Box - Yellow Box - Blakely’s Red Gum Sydney Basin, South Eastern Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grasslands. This woodland Highlands and South Western occurs on fertile soils and is characterised by a dominant Slopes Bioregions. overstorey (White Box, Yellow Box and Blakely’s Red Gum) and a grassy understorey.

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

Identification Box Gum Grassy Woodland has a canopy of widely spaced trees dominated by eucalypts (usually , E. melliodora and/or E. blakelyi) with a ground layer dominated by tussock grasses and a high diversity of herbs. Sparse shrubs may also be present. In the Nandewar bioregion, the community may be dominated by E. moluccana or E. microcarpa. This community can occur in one of three states: 1. With an overstorey of trees but no substantial native understorey, 2. With a native understorey, but no trees, or 3. With both trees and a substantially native understorey. For the purposes of the EPBC Act, the presence of a substantially native understorey (with or without trees) is required for a community to be defined as Box Gum Grassy Woodland. Where the understorey does not consist of predominantly native plants, it is considered to be degraded and no longer a viable part of the ecological community. A patch with predominantly native understorey will have mostly native perennial grasses, with at least 12 non-grass, native species such as lilies, orchids and other wildflowers. At least one understorey species must be an important indicator of condition (for example Kangaroo grass). Patches with trees must be greater than 2 hectares, but without trees a patch can be greater than 0.1 hectare. Derived Grasslands Derived grasslands would have originally had a canopy of the dominant Box Gum Grassy Woodland tree species and a species-rich understorey of native grasses, herbs and forbs. In some cases most or all of the trees have been removed, but the intact grassy understorey still remains. These areas are still valued as habitat. As a rule of thumb, if you have an area dominated by perennial native grasses with scattered wildflowers, with or without a canopy of the listed trees, it could be Box Gum Grassy Woodland. Seek further advice from Local Land Services before making significant impacts. What is not Box Gum Grassy Woodland? • Forest or woodland that has a predominantly shrubby understorey (greater than 30%). • Forest or woodland with the canopy dominated by different eucalypt species (such as E. viminalis). • A woodland with native trees, but predominantly exotic species in the understorey.

Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke Profile drawing of Box Gum Grassy Woodlands community Plants of Box Gum Grassy Woodlands

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DOMINANT CANOPY SPECIES GROUNDCOVER SPECIES

Absent from derived (previously cleared) grasslands Aristida spp. Wiregrass Arthropodium spp. Vanilla lily floribunda Rough-barked apple Asperula conferta Common woodruff Eucalyptus albens White box Austrodanthonia spp. Wallaby grass Blakely’s red gum Austrostipa spp. Spear grasses Eucalyptus melliodora Yellow box Bothriochloa spp. Red grasses Eucalyptus microcarpa Inland grey box Bulbine spp. Bulbine lily Eucalyptus moluccana Grey box Carex inversa Knob sedge ASSOCIATED CANOPY SPECIES Convolvulus erubescens Blushing bindweed Cymbopogon refractus Barbed wire grass Vary according to landscape position, rainfall and soil type Desmodium spp. Trefoil Dianella revoluta Blue flax lily Kurrajong Dichanthium sericeum Queensland blue grass Callitris glaucophylla White cypress pine Dichondra repens Kidney weed Eucalyptus bridgesiana Apple box Digitaria brownii Cotton panic grass Eucalyptus caliginosa Broad-leaved stringybark Echinopogon ovatus Forest hedgehog grass Eucalyptus chloroclada Dirty gum Eremophila debilis Amulla Fuzzy box Evolvulus alsinoides Dwarf morning-glory Eucalyptus macrorrhyncha Red stringybark Glycine spp. Glycine, native clover Eucalyptus melanophloia Silver-leaved ironbark Goodenia spp. Goodenia Pilliga box Lespedeza juncea Chinese lespedeza Eucalyptus viminalis Manna gum Melichrus urceolatus Urn heath Microlaena stipoides Microlaena, weeping grass MID-STOREY SPECIES Microseris lanceolata Yam daisy Paspalidium constrictum Knottybutt grass Usually patchy Poa sieberiana Snow grass buxifolia Box-leaf wattle Themeda australis Kangaroo grass Acacia decora Western silver wattle Thesium australe* Austral toadflax Acacia implexa Hickory wattle *Listed as threatened under State and/or Commonwealth legislation Acacia leucoclada subsp. leucoclada Northern silver wattle Alstonia constricta Quinine bush Bursaria spinosa Blackthorn Cassinia spp. Clematis microphylla Small-leaved clematis 4 Exocarpos cupressiformis Native cherry Geijera parviflora Wilga Lissanthe strigosa Peach heath Lomandra spp. Mat-rush Myoporum montanum Western boobialla Notelaea microcarpa Native olive Olearia elliptica Sticky daisybush Rubus parvifolius Native raspberry

PHOTO KEY: 1 Rough-barked apple – Greg Steenbeeke 2 Blue flax lily – Greg Steenbeeke 3 Yam daisy – Greg Steenbeeke 4 Urn heath – Greg Steenbeeke 5 Kangaroo grass – Greg Steenbeeke 5 3 Animals of Box Gum Grassy Woodlands

BIRDS

Parrots Aerial feeding birds Brown-headed honeyeater ▲ Red-winged parrot Dusky woodswallow ▲ Black chinned honeyeater ● Australian king-parrot White-breasted woodswallow ▲ White-naped honeyeater ▲ ● White-browed woodswallow ▲ Scarlet honeyeater ▲ Pale-headed rosella Masked woodswallow ▲ Striped honeyeater ▲ Eastern rosella Black-faced woodswallow ▲ Regent honeyeater ● Crimson rosella Little woodswallow ▲ Eastern yellow robin ▲ ● White-backed swallow Hooded robin ● Australian (Mallee) ringneck ▲ Welcome swallow Jacky winter Red-rumped parrot Fairy martin Scarlet robin ● ▲ Scaly-breasted lorikeet Tree martin ▲ Red-capped robin ▲ Rainbow lorikeet Fork-tailed swift ■ ● ▲ Musk lorikeet White-throated needletail ■ Rose robin ▲ 1 Little lorikeet ● Satin flycatcher■ Golden whistler ▲ Swift parrot ● Restless flycatcher Rufous whistler Blue bonnet Leaden flycatcher ▲ Eastern shrike-tit ▲ Grey fantail Cicadabird ▲ Cockatoos Willie wagtail White-winged triller ▲ Cockatiel Dollarbird Small bush birds Sulphur-crested cockatoo Rainbow bee-eater ■ Little corella Inland thornbill Galah Medium to large bush birds Yellow-rumped thornbill Black-faced cuckoo shrike Striated thornbill Ground feeding and low nesting birds White-bellied cuckoo shrike Yellow thornbill Emu ▲ Laughing kookaburra Buff-rumped thornbill Bush stone-curlew ● Sacred kingfisher Spotted pardalote Australian brush-turkey ● Azure kingfisher ▲ Striated pardalote Pheasant coucal ▲ Red-backed kingfisher ▲ Silvereye Spotted quail thrush ▲ Pied butcherbird Southern whiteface Golden-headed cisticola ▲ Grey butcherbird Western gerygone 2 King quail Australian raven White-throated gerygone Stubble quail Torresian crow Speckled warbler ● Brown quail Australian magpie White-browed scrubwren Painted button-quail ▲ Pied currawong Weebill 3 Red-chested button-quail ▲ Magpie-lark Mistletoebird Little button-quail ▲ Olive-backed oriole ▲ Varied sittella ● ▲ Banded lapwing ▲ Grey shrike-thrush Birds of Prey Masked lapwing Fan-tailed cuckoo Australian reed-warbler ■ Brush cuckoo Collared sparrowhawk ▲ Tawny grassbird ▲ Horsfield’s bronze-cuckoo ▲ Brown goshawk Little grassbird ▲ Shining bronze-cuckoo ▲ Wedge-tailed eagle Brown songlark Pallid cuckoo Pacific baza ▲ ● ▲ Rufous songlark Black-eared cuckoo ▲ Spotted harrier Singing bushlark Common koel Black-shouldered kite ■ Richard’s (Australian) Pipit Channel-billed cuckoo ▲ White-bellied sea-eagle Red-browed treecreeper Whistling kite Ground Feeding Birds Brown treecreeper (eastern subspecies) ● Black kite Grey-crowned babbler ● ● ▲ White throated treecreeper ▲ Little eagle White-browed babbler ▲ ● Eastern spinebill ▲ Square-tailed kite White-winged chough Spiny-cheeked honeyeater Brown falcon Apostlebird Red wattlebird Nankeen kestrel ▲ Diamond dove Noisy miner Australian hobby Bar-shouldered dove Peregrine falcon ▲ Little friarbird ▲ 4 Peaceful dove Noisy friarbird Black falcon ▲ ▲ Wonga pigeon Blue-faced honeyeater Crested pigeon Painted honeyeater ● Nocturnal birds ▲ Common bronzewing Brown honeyeater Barn owl Red-browed finch Yellow-faced honeyeater Southern boobook ● Diamond firetail Fuscous honeyeater Barking owl ● Double-barred finch White-eared honeyeater ▲ Tawny frogmouth Plum-headed finch ▲ Yellow-tufted honeyeater ▲ Australian owlet-nightjar Zebra finch White-plumed honeyeater White-throated nightjar ▲ ▲ Chestnut-breasted mannikin Singing honeyeater Superb fairy-wren Lewin’s honeyeater ▲ Variegated fairy-wren MAMMALS

Parrots Aerial feeding birds Brown-headed honeyeater ▲ Terrestrial (land dwelling) Red-winged parrot Dusky woodswallow ▲ Black chinned honeyeater ● Yellow-footed antechinus ▲ Australian king-parrot White-breasted woodswallow ▲ White-naped honeyeater ▲ Common dunnart ▲ Turquoise parrot ● White-browed woodswallow ▲ Scarlet honeyeater ▲ Water-rat (streams) Pale-headed rosella Masked woodswallow ▲ Striped honeyeater ▲ Eastern grey kangaroo Eastern rosella Black-faced woodswallow ▲ Regent honeyeater ● Common wallaroo Crimson rosella Little woodswallow ▲ Eastern yellow robin ▲ Red-necked wallaby ▲ Superb parrot ● White-backed swallow Hooded robin ● Swamp wallaby Australian (Mallee) ringneck ▲ Welcome swallow Jacky winter Spotted-tailed quoll ● Red-rumped parrot Fairy martin Scarlet robin ● ▲ Platypus ▲ Scaly-breasted lorikeet Tree martin ▲ Red-capped robin ▲ Short beaked echidna Rainbow lorikeet Fork-tailed swift ■ Flame robin ● ▲ Common wombat ▲ ▲ Musk lorikeet White-throated needletail ■ Rose robin Arboreal (tree dwelling) 1 ● ■ Golden whistler ▲ Little lorikeet Satin flycatcher Koala ● ● Rufous whistler Swift parrot Restless flycatcher Feathertail glider ▲ ▲ Eastern shrike-tit ▲ Blue bonnet Leaden flycatcher Sugar glider ▲ Cicadabird ▲ Grey fantail Squirrel glider ● Cockatoos White-winged triller ▲ Willie wagtail Common brushtail possum ▲ Cockatiel Dollarbird Small bush birds Common ringtail possum ▲ Sulphur-crested cockatoo Rainbow bee-eater ■ Little corella Inland thornbill Bats 5 Galah Medium to large bush birds Yellow-rumped thornbill Microbats Striated thornbill Black-faced cuckoo shrike Large-eared pied bat ● Ground feeding and low nesting birds White-bellied cuckoo shrike Yellow thornbill Gould’s wattled bat Emu ▲ Laughing kookaburra Buff-rumped thornbill Chocolate wattled bat Bush stone-curlew ● Spotted pardalote Sacred kingfisher Little pied bat ● Australian brush-turkey ● ▲ Striated pardalote Azure kingfisher Eastern false pipistrelle ● Pheasant coucal ▲ ▲ Silvereye Red-backed kingfisher Eastern bent wing bat ● Spotted quail thrush ▲ Pied butcherbird Southern whiteface Eastern horseshoe-bat Golden-headed cisticola ▲ Grey butcherbird Western gerygone Lesser long-eared bat 2 6 King quail Australian raven White-throated gerygone Gould’s long-eared bat Stubble quail Speckled warbler ● Torresian crow Greater long-eared bat ● Brown quail White-browed scrubwren Australian magpie Greater broad-nosed bat ● Painted button-quail ▲ Pied currawong Weebill Inland broad-nosed bat 3 Red-chested button-quail ▲ Magpie-lark Mistletoebird Little broad-nosed bat 7 Little button-quail ▲ ● ▲ Olive-backed oriole ▲ Varied sittella Large forest bat Banded lapwing ▲ Grey shrike-thrush Southern forest bat Masked lapwing Birds of Prey Fan-tailed cuckoo Eastern cave bat ● Australian reed-warbler ■ Collared sparrowhawk Brush cuckoo Little forest bat Tawny grassbird ▲ Brown goshawk ▲ Horsfield’s bronze-cuckoo ▲ Hairy-nosed freetail bat ● Little grassbird ▲ Wedge-tailed eagle Shining bronze-cuckoo ▲ Southern freetail bat Brown songlark Pacific baza ▲ Pallid cuckoo Inland freetail bat Rufous songlark Spotted harrier ● ▲ Black-eared cuckoo ▲ White-striped freetail-bat Black-shouldered kite Singing bushlark Common koel ● ■ Yellow-bellied sheathtail-bat Richard’s (Australian) Pipit Channel-billed cuckoo ▲ White-bellied sea-eagle Red-browed treecreeper Whistling kite Megabats Ground Feeding Birds Brown treecreeper (eastern subspecies) ● Black kite Grey-headed flying fox● Grey-crowned babbler ● ● ▲ White throated treecreeper ▲ Little eagle Little red flying fox White-browed babbler ▲ ● Eastern spinebill ▲ Square-tailed kite Introduced White-winged chough Spiny-cheeked honeyeater Brown falcon Apostlebird Red wattlebird Nankeen kestrel European cattle ▲ Diamond dove Noisy miner Australian hobby Goat Bar-shouldered dove Peregrine falcon ▲ Dingo Little friarbird ▲ 4 Peaceful dove Noisy friarbird Black falcon ▲ Domestic dog ▲ Wonga pigeon Blue-faced honeyeater Fox Crested pigeon Nocturnal birds Deer Painted honeyeater ● PHOTO KEY: Common bronzewing ▲ Horse Brown honeyeater Barn owl 1 Diamond firetail – Iestyn Taylor Red-browed finch Cat Yellow-faced honeyeater Southern boobook 2 Regent Honeyeater – N. Lazarus Diamond firetail● ● Brown hare Fuscous honeyeater Barking owl 3 Brown treecreeper – Iestyn Taylor Double-barred finch Rabbit White-eared honeyeater ▲ Tawny frogmouth 4 Hooded robin – Iestyn Taylor Plum-headed finch ▲ House mouse Yellow-tufted honeyeater ▲ Australian owlet-nightjar 5 Koala – Myrna Spencer Zebra finch ▲ Black rat White-plumed honeyeater White-throated nightjar 6 Squirrel glider – Phil Spark Chestnut-breasted mannikin ▲ Pig Singing honeyeater 7 Greater broadnosed bat – Phil Spark Superb fairy-wren Lewin’s honeyeater ▲ Variegated fairy-wren

Dragons Red-throated cool-skink Jacky lashtail Southern rainbow-skink Nobbi lashtail Tussock rainbow-skink Eastern two-line dragon ▲ Cream-striped shining-skink Burn’s dragon Robust ctenotus Eastern water dragon Copper-tailed ctenotus Eastern bearded dragon Cunningham’s spiny tailed skink ▲ Long-tailed earless dragon ▲ Eastern ranges rock-skink ▲ Tree-crevice skink Turtles 9 Eastern water-skink Eastern snake-necked turtle 8 Bar-sided forest-skink ▲ Bell’s turtle ● Dark-flecked garden sun skink Murray short-necked turtle (major streams) Pale-flecked garden sun skink South-eastern slider Snakes Eastern robust slider Eastern small-blotched python ▲ Tree-base litter-skink Murray-Darling carpet python ▲ Common dwarf skink Green tree snake ▲ South-eastern morethia skink Southern death adder ▲ Yellow-bellied three-toed skink Yellow-faced whip snake Common bluetongue Red-naped snake Pale-headed snake ● Goannas Mainland tiger snake Sand monitor Spotted black snake Black-tailed monitor ▲ Red-bellied black snake Lace monitor Eastern brown snake Eastern shovel nosed snake ▲ AMPHIBIANS Variable black-naped snake Eastern bandy-bandy ▲ Ephemeral dams, ponds and wetlands

Blind Snakes Frogs & froglets Prong-snouted blind snake ▲ Short-footed frog ▲ Blackish blind snake ▲ 10 Rough frog Proximus blind snake ▲ Striped burrowing frog Brown-snouted blind snake ▲ Booroolong frog ● 11 Green tree frog Keferstein’s tree frog ▲ Eastern stone Eastern dwarf tree frog Eastern spiny-tailed gecko ▲ Broad-palmed frog Dubious dtella Lesueur’s frog Varied dtella Peron’s tree frog Prickly gecko Desert tree frog Lesueur’s velvet gecko Verreaux’s tree frog Zigzag velvet gecko ● Tusked frog ● Robust velvet gecko Eastern sign-bearing froglet Southern spotted velvet gecko ▲ Common eastern froglet Thick-tailed gecko ▲ Bullfrog Border thick-tailed gecko ● Long thumbed frog Ornate burrowing frog Legless Spotted marsh frog Patternless ▲ Northern banjo frog ▲ Leaden delma ▲ Painted burrowing frog ▲ ▲ 12 Burton’s snake- ▲ Toads & toadlets Bibron’s toadlet ▲ Skinks Smooth toadlet Two-clawed worm-skink Wrinkled toadlet Five-clawed worm-skink ●

KEY: PHOTO KEY: ● Species, population or community listed as vulnerable or endangered under the EPBC and/or TSC Act 8 Border thick tailed gecko – Phil Spark ■ Species listed as migratory under the EPBC Act 9 Zigzag velvet gecko – Alex Dudley ▲ Species identified as present or returning to vegetation communities in good condition 10 Common bluetounge – Alex Dudley 11 Booroolong frog – Phil Spark 12 Spotted Marsh Frog – Phil Spark Management

Photographer: Wendy Hawes

Threats Threats and Management Clearing – of both the overstorey and understorey is a major threat Maintain or improve the extent and condition of Box Gum Grassy to both the extent and the condition of this community. When the Woodland communities on your property. woodland understorey is removed, through cultivation for crops or pasture development, the community suffers greatly to the point • It is recommended that you do not clear Box Gum Grassy that it cannot be regenerated. Woodland patches, even under permissible exemptions from the Native Vegetation Conservation Act. Grazing – domestic and feral animals can remove many ground • Provide long-term protection for patches through landholder cover species. management agreements with Local Land Services or conservation Weeds – Coolatai grass (Hyparrhenia hirta), African love grass agreements with the Office of Environment and Heritage or the (Eragrostis curvula) and Johnson grass (Sorghum halapense) can Nature Conservation Trust. enter undisturbed patches and completely replace the ground layer • Increase the area of this community through revegetation and plants. Disturbance through grazing, burning or soil disturbance also assisted natural regeneration. favours the introduction of weeds. • Adopt selective and rotational grazing practices and avoid grazing Nutrient enrichment – the application of fertiliser can favour the when ground layer plants are flowering and setting seed (usually growth of exotic weeds. spring to mid­summer). • Do not cultivate in or near patches of this community and avoid Altered fire regimes – species may change composition and opening new tracks, table drains or trenches through stands in eliminate fire-sensitive or fire-dependent species. good condition. Other threats – salinity, mining, housing development, the effects • Do not apply fertiliser high in nitrogen and phosphorous to this of fragmentation and climate change can threaten the survival of community, particularly on sites in good condition. Box Gum Grassy Woodlands. Hotter and drier climatic conditions as • Manage weeds in and around existing patches of woodland. Avoid a result of global warming are likely to directly affect the flora and creating soil disturbances that favour weeds. Do not burn sites if fauna of Box Gum Grassy Woodlands as well as altering fire regimes, Coolatai grass is present. changing the distribution of weeds and pests and increasing • If native tussocks are very large or dense, use mowing or grazing pressure from grazing animals. to reduce biomass and create inter-tussock spaces for seed regeneration of other species. • Increase species diversity by introducing seedlings of other species from adjacent or similar patches. ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION: HOW HEALTHY WOODLANDS WORK FOR YOU Healthy Box Gum Grassy 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 (such as reducing pest pressure on crops) • regional climate buffering • shade and shelter (such as for livestock) • breakdown and absorption of wastes • a sense of place • scenery

FURTHER INFORMATION Rawlings, K., Freudenberger, D. and Carr, D. 2010. A Guide to Managing Box Gum Grassy Woodlands. Commonwealth of Australia. Grassy Box Woodlands Conservation Management Network www.gbwcmn.net.au/home NSW Threatened Species www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspecies/ Australian Government Threatened Species and Ecological Communities www.environment.gov.au/topics/threatened-species-ecological-communities Commonwealth Conservation Advice on White Box – Yellow Box – Blakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grasslands. www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/communities/pubs/box-gum.pdf

Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke

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

Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke