River-flat Eucalyptforest withanopenunderstorey andfewshrubs. rushes and herbs. understorey may be replaced by salt-tolerant flooding with brackish water may occur, the flats adjacent to tidal areas, where occasional of soft leaved herbs and grasses. On river robusta on CoastalFloodplain River-flat EucalyptForest ( (including a mixed or single species eucalypt tree layer floodplain EECs by its dominance of either floodplains. It is distinguished from other in the central to upper parts of coastal forest occurring on river flats and terraces River-flat Eucalypt Forest is a tall mixed open Forest? What isRiver-flatEucalypt affecting these areas are managed and reduced. as being at risk of extinction unless threats Threatened Species Conservation Act an ecological community listed under the together in a particular area. An EEC is shrubs and groundcover that occur An ecological community is a group of trees, Ecological Community? What isanEndangered at: threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au Scientific CommitteeFinal Determination flat EucalyptForest profileandtheNSW detailed information,refertotheRiver- Ecological Community(EEC).For more River-flat EucalyptForest), anEndangered Floodplains (hereafterreferredtoas of River-flat EucalyptForest onCoastal approval authoritiestoidentifyremnants information toassistlandholdersand These guidelinesprovidebackground Introduction Casuarina ) trees, and a prominent groundcover ) or Swamp Mahogany ( ), with few She-oak 1995 Eucalyptus widening ofstreams. rarely floodanymoredueto deepening or and riverterraces.Thelatter areareasthat channels, localdepressions,naturallevees be localvariationassociatedwithriver generally quiteflat.However, theremay the surroundinglandscape,floodplainsare flats upto250melevation.Comparedwith elevation, somemayoccuronlocalisedriver While mostfloodplainsarebelow20min the escarpmentofGreatDividingRange. valleys, alluvialflatsanddrainagelinesbelow Coastal floodplainsincludecoastalriver interval is100yearsorless. deposition byfloodingwheretheaverage on whichtheremaybeactiveerosionand Floodplains arelevellandformpatterns Floodplain? What istheCoastal Potential occurrence of River-flat Eucalypt Forest

L. McKinnon bioregions as mapped below. Basin and South East Corner in the NSW North Coast, Sydney It occurs south from Port Stephens little or no saline (salt) influence. lack deep humic layers and have where soils are generally rich in silt, where flooding is periodic and river terraces of coastal floodplains on the flats, drainage lines and River-flat Eucalypt Forest occurs Eucalypt Forestfound? Where isRiver-flat

Identification Guidelines for Endangered Ecological Communities Description of the 1 2 2

community M. Fagg The tree layer A. Burrows A. Burrows The tree layer of River-Flat Eucalypt Forest varies considerably across its range, but the most widespread and dominant trees include Forest Hardenbergia violacea Melaleuca stypheloides Viola hederacea Red Gum (), Cabbage Gum (E. amplifolia), Rough Barked Apple ( floribunda) and Broad leaved Apple (A. On the Hawkesbury Nepean floodplain, the subvelutina). Common species south of Sydney are threatened species Camden White Gum (E. Blue Box (E. baueriana), Bangalay (E. botryoides) benthamii) may occur as part of the community. and River Peppermint (E. elata). Swamp Gum (E. ovata) occurs on the far south coast while Sydney The shrub layer Blue Gum (E. saligna) and Flooded Gum (E. grandis) may occur north of Sydney. Small trees that may occur include, Melaleuca decora, Prickly-leaved Tea tree (M. styphelioides), Grey Myrtle () and White Cedar (Melia azedarach). Shrubs that may occur include Sweet Bursaria (Bursaria spinulosa), White Sally Wattle

L. McKinnon (Acacia floribunda), Coffee Bush (Breynia oblongifolia), Everlasting (Ozothamnus diosmifolius) and Forest Nightshade (Solanum prinophyllum). The ground layer Groundcover plants include the herbs Kidney Weed (Dichondra repens), Wood Sorrel (Oxalis perennans), Berry Saltbush (Einadia hastata) and Whiteroot (Pratia purpurascens), scramblers such as Slender Trefoil (Desmodium gunnii), Twining Glycine (Glycine clandestine) and Trailing Speedwell (Veronica plebeia), and Grasses such as Weeping Grass (Microlaena River-flat Eucalypt Forest high in the Hunter catchment area stipoides), Hedgehog Grasses (Echinopogon spp.), Bordered Panic (Entolasia marginata) and Basket Grass (Oplismenus aemulus). How can I identify The composition and structure of the groundlayer an area of River-flat is influenced by past management practices such Eucalypt Forest? as grazing, fire, drainage, soil salinity and other disturbances. As a result it may have a substantial The following are ‘key Indicators’ to aid in component of weed species. identifying River-flat Eucalypt Forest: • Is the site south of Port Stephens in the NSW Characteristic species North Coast, Sydney Basin or South East A list of trees, shrubs and ground cover species that Corner bioregion (refer to map)? characterise a patch of River-flat Eucalypt Forest have • Is the site on the coastal floodplain (see “What been identified by the NSW Scientifc Committee is the Coastal Floodplain” above)? (see table). Not all the plants listed need to occur • Is the site on silty, clay or sandy loam soil with a at any one site for it to be considered River-flat lack of deep humic layers and have little or no Eucalypt Forest Depending on a number of factors saline (salt) influence? including location, time since last disturbance, water regime and past management, the plants found at a • Is the site located on a river flat or terrace in an site will never correspond exactly with the entire list upper part of the Coastal Floodplain (check for of characteristic species, and will include others not active or dormant drainage lines in the area)? listed in the table. • Does the site consist of an open forest with a mixture of Eucalypt or Angophora trees, particularly Forest Red Gum, Cabbage Gum or What does this mean for Broad-leaved Apple (see table)? my property? • Are there any characteristic shrub and/or As a listed Endangered Ecological Community under groundlayer species present (see table)? the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, River- • Are there relatively low numbers of She-oaks, flat Eucalypt Forest has significant conservation value Paperbarks or Swamp Mahogany trees? and some activities may require consent or approval. If you answer yes to the above questions it is likely to Please contact the Department of Environment and be River-flat Eucalypt Forest. Climate Change for further information. Photos courtesy of 1anbg.gov.au and 2northsydney.nsw.gov.au Species List River-flat Eucalypt Forest is characterised by the species listed in table below. The species present at any site will be influenced by the size of the site, recent rainfall or drought conditions and by its disturbance (including fire and logging) history. Note that NOT ALL the species listed below need to be present at any one site for it to constitute River-flat Eucalypt Forest. Scientific Name Common Name Scientific Name Common Name Tree Canopy Species (>6m) Einadia hastata Berry Saltbush + Rough Barked Apple Einidia trigonos Fishweed + Broad-leaved Apple + Euchiton sphaericus Cudweed (N-Sho) Eustrephus latifolius Wambat Berry Backhousia myrtifolia Grey Myrtle Galium propinquum Maori Bedstraw + Casuarina cunninghamiana River Oak Geranium solanderi Native Geranium subsp. cunninghamiana Hydrocotyle peduncularis Native Pennywort Swamp Oak Hypolepis muelleri Harsh Ground Fern Cabbage Gum + Opercularia diphylla Stinkweed Eucalyptus baueriana Blue Box (S-Haw) Oxalis perannans Native Sorrel + Camden White Gum (R) Persicaria decipiens Slender Knotweed Bangalay (S-Hun) Poranthera microphylla Small Poranthera Eucalyptus elata River Peppermint (S-Haw) Pratia purpurascens Whiteroot + Eucalyptus grandis Flooded Gum (N-Hun) Pteridium esculentum Bracken Woolybutt (S-Hun) Sigesbeckia orientalis subsp. Indian Weed Eucalyptus moluccana Grey Box (N-Sho) orientalis Eucalyptus ovata Swamp Gum (S-Syd) Solanum prinophyllum Forest Nightshade + Sydney Blue Gum (N-Syd) Vernonia cinerea (N-Nar) Eucalyptus tereticornis Forest Red Gum + Veronica plebeian Trailing Speedwell + Ribbon Gum (S-Syd) Viola hederacea Ivy Leaved Violet Livistona australis Cabbage Tree Palms Wahlenbergia gracilis Bluebell + Melia azedarach White Cedar (N-Ulla) Rushes / Grasses Small Trees & Shrubs (~1.5-6m) Austrostipa ramosissima Stout Bamboo Grass Parramatta Wattle Cymbopogon refractus Barbed Wire Grass Acmena smithii Lily Pilly Dichelachne micrantha Shorthair Plume Grass Acacia floribunda White Sally Wattle Digitaria parviflora Small-leaved Finger Grasss Breynia oblongifolia Coffee Bush Echinopogon caespitosus var. Bushy Hedgehog Grass + Bursaria spinosa Sweet Bursaria / Boxthorn + caespitosus Cayratia clematidea Native Grape (N-Sho) Echinopogon ovatus Forest Hedgehog Grass + Melaleuca decora (N-Sho) A Paperbark Entolasia marginata Bordered Panic Melicytus detatus (formerly Tree Violet Entolasia stricta Wiry Panic Hymenanthera dentata) Eragrostis leptostachya Paddock Love-grass Ozothamnus diosmifolius Ball Everlasting Imperata cylindrica var. major Blady Grass (formerly Helichrysum Lomandra filiformis Wattle Mat Rush diosmifolius) Lomandra longifolia Ribbon Grass Melaleuca linariifolia Flax-leaved Paperbark Lomandra multiflora subsp. Many-flowered Mat Rush (N-Ulla) multiflora Melaleuca styphelioides Prickly-leaved Tea Tree Microlaena stipoides Weeping Grass + (N-Sho) Oplismenus aemulus Basket Grass + Tristaniopsis laurina Water Gum Paspalidium distans Spreading Panic Grass Phyllanthus gunnii Scrubby Spurge Themeda australis Kangaroo Grass Plectranthus parviflorus Cockspur Flower Vines Trema aspera Native Peach aristata Old Mans Beard Groundcover (~0-1.5m), Vines & Scramblers Headache Vine Herbs / Ferns Geitonoplesium cymosum Scrambling Lily Adiantum aethiopicum Maiden Hair Fern Glycine clandestine Twining Glycine + Centella asiatica Indian Pennywort (N-Illa) Glycine microphylla Small-leaved Glycine Cheilanthes sieberi subsp. Mulga Fern Glycine tabacina Slender Sweet Root sieberi Hardenbergia violacea Purple Coral Pea + Commelina cyanea Commelina (N-Nar) Pandorea pandorana Wonga Wonga Vine Desmodium gunnii Slender Trefoil + Rubus parvifolius Native Rasberry Dichondra repens Kidney Weed + Stephania japonica var. Snake Vine Doodia aspera Prickly Rasp Fern discolor

Key indicator species marked +; N = North of; S = South of; Haw = Hawkesbury; Hun = Hunter; Illa = Illawarra; Nar = Narooma; Sho = Shoalhaven; Syd = Sydney; Ulla = Ulladulla; (R) = Restricted to lower Nepean River. For further help with identification see plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/search/simple.htm It is important to note that even where a EECs that may adjoin remnant is considered to be heavily degraded or intergrade with and in poor condition, it may still meet the Angophora River-flat Eucalypt criteria of being an EEC and have conservation floribunda Forest value for a number of reasons including: 1. Being part of a wildlife corridor that has This community would have previously connective importance at local and/or regional occurred with or closely resemble other scales; Coastal Floodplain vegetation types which are now also listed as EECs. Collectively, these 2. providing important winter feed trees for arboreal mammals and birds; Angophora EECs cover all remaining native vegetation subvelutina on the coastal floodplains of NSW. These 3. providing a ‘stepping stone’ for fauna in an EECs are: otherwise cleared landscape; 1. Sub-tropical Coastal Floodplain Forest 4. providing significant habitat components north of Port Stephens. They may be such as hollow bearing trees important to the distinguished by the presence of Lophostemon life cycle of migratory, non-migratory and/or suaveolens and intermedia; nomadic species; 2. Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest where 5. containing threatened flora; and/or there is increasing estuarine influence; 6. maintaining a healthy native seed bank, Eucalyptus which is very important in a highly cleared baueriana 3. Swamp Sclerophyll Forest where soils become more waterlogged; landscape. 4. Freshwater Wetlands where they adjoin It is important to take these factors into more permanent standing water; and account when determining the conservation 5. Bangalay Sand Forest closer to coastal significance of remnants. sand plains. For further assistance Eucalyptus Determining the This and other EEC guidelines are available elata conservation value of on DECC Threatened Species website remnants threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/ The references listed below also provide further The degree of disturbance (i.e. the site information on EECs. condition) of any remnant of River-flat Eucalypt Forest may vary dependant on • NSW Scientific Committee Determinations: past land use, management practices and/or nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/ natural disturbance and this should be Final+determinations Eucalyptus considered at the time of assessment. Whilst amplifolia • Botanic Gardens Trust identification not exhaustive, the following are a number assistance: rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/information_ of variations of River-flat Eucalypt Forest: about_plants/botanical_info/plant_ 1. Canopy trees present with limited identification native vegetation in the understorey due • Botanic Gardens Trust PlantNET: plantnet. to under-scrubbing, stock grazing pressure, rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/search/simple.htm too-frequent fire or invasion by weeds; • Brooker, M. and Kleinig, D. (1990) Field 2. Canopy generally absent due to prior Guide to Eucalypts of South-eastern Eucalyptus clearing or fire with occurrence of regrowth , Vol 2. Inkata, Melbourne. tereticornis of native trees and shrubs and possibly • Harden, G. (ed) Flora of NSW Vols 1 – 4 weeds; (1990-2002). NSW University Press. 3. Some characteristic canopy tree species • Harden, G., McDonald, W. and Williams, not present due to past selective clearing; J. (2006) Rainforest Trees and Shrubs – A 4. As a fragmented remnant of Eucalypts Field Guide to their identification. Gwen due to clearing of adjoining vegetation; or Harden Publishing, Nambucca Heads. 5. As a remnant no longer subject to • Thackway, R, and Cresswell, I. (1995)(eds) Melaleuca flooding due flood mitigation or drainage ‘An interim biogeogeographic regionalisation decora works. of Australia: a framework for establishing the national system of reserves.’ (Australian Nature Conservation Agency: Canberra).

Melaleuca styphelioides Department of Environment and Climate Change 1300 361 967 environment.nsw.gov.au Drawings courtesy of [email protected] | August 07 plantNET.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au ISBN 978 1 74122 664 5 DECC 2007/553