Native Vegetation of the Woronora, O'hares and Metroplitan Catchments
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The Native Vegetation of the Woronora, O’Hares and Metropolitan Catchments Central Conservation Programs and Planning Division NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service August 2003 Native Vegetation of the Woronora, O’Hares and Metropolitan Catchments September 2003 Published by: is not guaranteed to be free from error or omission. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service NPWS and its employees disclaim liability for any 59-61 Goulburn Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 act done on the information in the map and any PO Box A290, Sydney South, NSW 1232 consequences of such acts or omissions. Report pollution and environmental This report should be referenced as follows: incidents Environment Line: 131 555 (NSW only) or NPWS (2003) The Native Vegetation of the [email protected] Woronora, O’Hares and Metropolitan Catchments. See also NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sydney. www.environment.nsw.gov.au/pollution Phone: (02) 9995 5000 (switchboard) Phone: 131 555 (environment information and publications requests) Phone: 1300 361 967 (national parks, climate change and energy efficiency information and publications requests) Fax: (02) 9995 5999 TTY: (02) 9211 4723 Email: [email protected] Website: www.environment.nsw.gov.au ISBN 0731367936 NPWS Publishing No. 2003/0143 September 2003 © Copyright National Parks and Wildlife Service on behalf of State of NSW. Photographs are copyright National Parks and Wildlife Service or the individual photographer. With the exception of photographs, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and State of NSW are pleased to allow this material to be reproduced in whole or in part for educational and non-commercial use, provided the meaning is unchanged and its source, publisher and authorship are acknowledged. Specific permission is required for the reproduction of photographs. National Parks and Wildlife Service has compiled The Native Vegetation of the Woronora, O’Hares and Metropolitan Catchments in good faith, exercising all due care and attention. National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) does not accept responsibility for any inaccurate or incomplete information supplied by third parties. No representation is made about the accuracy, completeness or suitability of the information in this publication for any particular purpose. NPWS shall not be liable for any damage which may occur to any person or organisation taking action or not on the basis of this publication. Readers should seek appropriate advice when applying the information to their specific needs. Map data CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION AND MAPPING OBJECTIVES................................................. 1 1.2.1 Approach ....................................................................................................... 2 1.3 STUDY AREA................................................................................................................... 2 1.3.1 Geology and Soils......................................................................................... 2 1.3.2 Elevation........................................................................................................ 5 1.3.3 Rainfall and Temperature.............................................................................. 5 1.3.4 Fire History .................................................................................................... 5 1.3.5 Land Use History........................................................................................... 8 1.4 REGIONAL CONTEXT ....................................................................................................... 8 2 METHODS ............................................................................................................................... 12 2.1 REVIEW OF EXISTING INFORMATION ............................................................................... 12 2.2 SURVEY STRATIFICATION AND SITE SELECTION .............................................................. 13 2.3 FIELD METHODS............................................................................................................ 13 2.4 DATABASE STORAGE ..................................................................................................... 13 2.5 TAXONOMIC REVIEW ..................................................................................................... 13 2.6 STANDARDISING SPECIES ABUNDACE DATA.................................................................... 14 2.7 VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION........................................................................................ 14 2.8 REGIONAL VEGETATION DATA COMPARISON .................................................................. 15 2.9 AERIAL PHOTO INTERPRETATION ................................................................................... 15 2.9.1 Patterns in Vegetation Cover ...................................................................... 17 2.9.2 Patterns in Canopy Species ........................................................................ 17 2.9.3 Understorey Patterns .................................................................................. 17 2.9.4 Disturbance Patterns................................................................................... 18 2.9.5 Interpretation Reliability............................................................................... 18 2.10 DIGITAL DATA CAPTURE ................................................................................................ 20 2.11 VEGETATION COMMUNITY DESCRIPTIONS....................................................................... 20 2.12 MAPPING VEGETATION COMMUNITIES ............................................................................ 21 2.13 CONSERVATION STATUS................................................................................................ 22 2.13.1 Regional Conservation Assessment ........................................................... 22 2.13.2 Disturbance Assessment............................................................................. 22 3 RESULTS................................................................................................................................. 23 3.1 FIELD SURVEY DATA.................................................................................................... 23 3.2 AERIAL PHOTO INTERPRETATION ................................................................................... 23 3.2.1 Spatial Accuracy.......................................................................................... 23 3.2.2 Vegetation Cover......................................................................................... 25 3.2.3 Interpretation Reliability............................................................................... 25 3.3 VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION........................................................................................ 25 3.3.1 Mapping Extant Vegetation Communities ................................................... 29 3.4 CONSERVATION STATUS................................................................................................ 30 3.4.1 Disturbance Assessment............................................................................. 30 4 DISCUSSION........................................................................................................................... 34 4.1 PATTERNS IN VEGETATION COMMUNITIES....................................................................... 34 4.1.1 Shale-Sandstone Transition Forests and Woodlands................................. 34 4.1.2 Elevated Mittagong Sandstone Woodland-Heath ....................................... 34 4.1.3 Scrubs on Sandy Alluvium .......................................................................... 34 4.1.4 Tall Open Forests on Enriched Soils........................................................... 35 4.1.5 Rainforests and Tall Moist Eucalypt Forests............................................... 37 4.1.6 Exposed Sandstone Woodlands and Heath ............................................... 38 4.1.7 Sandstone Gully Forests ............................................................................. 41 The Native Vegetation of the Woronora, O’Hares and Metropolitan Catchment i 4.1.8 Upland Swamp Complex .............................................................................42 4.1.9 Escarpment Cliffs.........................................................................................43 4.1.10 Cumberland Plain Woodlands .....................................................................43 4.2 REGIONAL STATUS OF VEGETATION COMMUNITIES .........................................................43 4.2.1 Rainforests...................................................................................................47 4.2.2 Moist Forests ...............................................................................................48 4.2.3 Tall Open Forests ........................................................................................48 4.2.4 Shale Woodlands.........................................................................................48 4.2.5 Sandstone Forests and Woodlands ............................................................48 4.2.6 Mallees, Heaths