Cunninghamia Date of Publication: 27 May 2014 A journal of ecology for eastern

ISSN 0727- 9620 (print) • ISSN 2200 - 405X (Online)

Vegetation of Little Bora Nature Conservation Trust Agreement, North Western Slopes,

John T. Hunter

School of Behavioural Cognitive and Social Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350. Email: [email protected]

Abstract: The vegetation of the Little Bora Nature Conservation Trust Agreement property (560 ha in area), 8 km south east of Bingara (lat 29° 55’S long 150° 37’) in the Gwydir Shire and within the Nandewar Bioregion is described. Eight vegetation communities are defined based on flexible UPGMA analysis of cover-abundance scores of all taxa. These communities are mapped based on ground truthing, ADS40 imagery interpretation, topography and substrate. Communities described are: 1) bracteata – melanophloia – Eucalyptus camaldulensis Woodland, 2) Callitris glaucophylla – Eucalyptus melanophloia – Woodland, 3) Callitris glaucophylla – Eucalyptus melanophloia – populneus Woodland, 4) Eucalyptus albens Woodland, 5) Eucalyptus caleyi – Eucalyptus albens – Callitris glaucophylla Woodland, 6) Callitris glaucophylla – Eucalyptus melanophloia – Eucalyptus albens Woodland, 7) Austrostipa verticillata – Austrostipa scabra Derived Grassland, 8) – Eucalyptus dealbata Woodland. A total of 232 vascular plant taxa were found of which 14% were considered exotic in origin. 66 ha of listed threatened communities were mapped along with populations of a currently listed Extinct plant (TSC Act) Dodonaea stenophylla. Key words: vegetation, mapping, condition, conservation, Little Bora, floristics, woodland, north western slopes, Bingara Cunninghamia (2014) 14: 1–16 doi 10.7751/cunninghamia.2014.14.001

Introduction The Bingara Community Conservation Reserves which include Derra Derra, Mehi, Molroy, Munro, Murchison, Little Bora Nature Conservation Trust property is located Noonga, Salmon and Sepoy occur within the vicinity of within the Nandewar Bioregion on the North Western Slopes Little Bora (Fig. 1). These reserves were primarily State of New South Wales. The property lies approximately 8 Forests and Crown Lands although some sections (Noonga) km south east of Bingara (lat 29° 55’S long 150° 37’) in were privately owned. Another Nature Conservation Trust Gwydir Shire local government area . The property contains Agreement property, Euroka occurs nearby (Fig. 1). These 560 ha of private lands and was purchased by the current reserves, including Euroka, have recently had their flora and owner from the Nature Conservation Trust in August 2007, vegetation surveyed and vegetation mapping produced and the first property to be sold on to a private landholder by this share many similar landscapes and vegetation types (Benson revolving fund. Its history has been dominated by logging et al. 1996; Hunter 2009abl; Hunter 2010ab; Hunter 2011b; with a local mill being once established on the property and Hunter 2012abcd; Hunter 2013b). in later years by grazing of cattle (G. Chorley, pers. comm. 2012).

Cunninghamia: a journal of plant ecology for eastern Australia © 2014 Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/science/Scientific_publications/cunninghamia 2 Cunninghamia 14: 2014 Hunter, Vegetation of Little Bora Nature Conservation Trust Agreement, North Western Slopes, NSW

The study area is a rugged landscape primarily of Methods metasedimentary geology. Altitudes range from 310