1 COOKS RIVER/CASTLEREAGH IRONBARK FOREST IN THE SYDNEY BASIN 2 BIOREGION: DRAFT DESCRIPTION 3 4 1. DESCRIPTION OF THE ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY 5 The Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion is a dry 6 sclerophyll open-forest to low woodland which occurs predominantly in the Cumberland 7 Subregion between Castlereagh and Holsworthy, as well as around the headwaters of the Cooks 8 River. 9 10 1.1 Name of the ecological community 11 The name of the ecological community is Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark Forest in the 12 Sydney Basin Bioregion. This reflects its structure and location and is the same name as it is 13 listed under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 in New South Wales. Information 14 regarding the NSW ecological community can be found at: 15 http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/CooksRiverCastlereaghIronbarkForestSyd 16 neyEndComListing.htm 17 18 1.2 Location and physical environment 19 Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark Forest in the Sydney Basin ecological community is 20 endemic to NSW, within the Cumberland subregion of the Sydney Basin Bioregion as defined 21 by version 7 of the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA v 7). 22 The majority of the community is found on the Cumberland Subregion north and west of 23 Botany Bay towards Richmond. The largest patches occur in the Castlereagh and Holsworthy 24 areas. Smaller remnants occur in the Kemps Creek area and in the eastern section of the 25 Cumberland Subregion (e.g. upper Cooks River Valley). 26 Geology 27 The community occurs on clay-rich soils derived from predominantly Tertiary alluvium and on 28 Wianamatta Shale derived soils found next to Tertiary alluvium (NSW NPWS 2002; Tozer, 29 2003; NSW Scientific Committee, 2011). Tertiary Alluvium deposits produce less fertile 30 gravelly clay loam soils than the surrounding shales (Tozer et al., 2010). To a lesser extent, the 31 ecological community also occurs on Holocene Alluvium (NSW NPWS, 2002). The ecological 32 community grades into other communities where clay soils are very poorly drained, and where 33 the clay soils transition to more sandy or shale influenced soils (Tozer et al., 2010). 34 Climate 35 Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark Forest occurs below 100 m above sea level with mean 36 annual rainfall of 800-1000 mm (Tozer et al., 2010). The average January maximum 37 temperature for the relevant areas of the Cumberland Plain1 is 29.3°C and the average July 38 minimum temperature for those areas is 4.5°C. 39 40 1.3 Vegetation 41 Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark Forest is an open-forest to low woodland, dominated by 42 Eucalyptus fibrosa (Broad-leaved Ironbark) and Melaleuca decora (Paperbark) (NSW NPWS 43 2002; Tozer; 2003; Tozer et al., 2010; NSW Scientific Committee, 2011). E. longifolia 1 Mean average maximum (January) and minimum (July) temperatures from Bankstown, Holsworthy, Badgerys Creek AWS, Badgerys Creek McMasters, Penrith Lakes and Richmond RAAF. 1 (Woolybutt) is also often present (NSW NPWS, 2002; Tozer, 2003; NSW Scientific 2 Committee, 2011). The shrub stratum is relatively dense, and is dominated by M. nodosa 3 (Prickly-leaved Paperbark) and Lissanthe strigosa (Peach Heath), and to a lesser extent M. 4 decora (NSW NPWS, 2002). It also includes a range of ‘pea’ flower shrubs, including 5 Dillwynia tenuifolia, Pultenaea villosa (Hairy Bush-pea) and Daviesia ulicifolia (Gorse Bitter 6 Pea) (Tozer, 2003; NSW Scientific Committee, 2011). The ground layer is relatively sparse 7 and commonly includes Entolasia stricta (Wiry Panic), Lepidosperma laterale, Opercularia 8 diphylla, Dianella revoluta subsp. revoluta (Blue Flax-Lily), Themeda australis (Kangaroo 9 Grass), Microlaena stipoides var. stipoides (Weeping Grass) and Pratia purpurascens 10 (Whiteroot) (NSW NPWS, 2002; Tozer, 2003). 11 Table 1: Characteristic plant species (NSW Scientific Committee, 2011; Royal Botanic 12 Gardens and Domain Trust, 2014). This is a list of characteristic plant species rather than 13 comprehensive list of all plants present in the ecological community. A particular patch may 14 not include all species on the list or may include other species not listed. Plant form Species name Common name Acacia binervia Coast myall, Coastal myall, Coastal Tree or shrub wattle, Kai'arrewan (D'harawal) Erect or spreading tree/ shrub Acacia falcata Tree to 15 m high Angophora bakeri Narrow-leaved Apple Tree to 30 m high Angophora floribunda Apple, Rough-barked Apple Tussocky perennial, Aristida ramosa inflorescence to 1.2m high Purple Wiregrass Erect tufted or rhizomatous Aristida vagans perennial, inflorescence to 0.8 m high Threeawn Speargrass Mat-forming shrub with Astroloma humifusum branches ascending to 15 cm high with a spread of up to 1m Native Cranberry Rytidosperma Erect, densely caespitose setaceum Syn. perennials to c. 70 cm tall Austrodanthonia setacea Smallflower Wallaby Grass Rytidosperma tenuius Erect, caespitose perennial to Syn. Austrodanthonia 1.2 m high tenuior Caespitose perennial, basal Austrostipa pubescens foliage tussocky, inflorescence to 1.5m high Downy wattle Caespitose perennial, basal Austrostipa rudis foliage tussocky, inflorescence to 1.2m high Twining perennial herb or Billardiera scandens slender vine to 3m high in groundcover and midstorey Hairy Apple Berry Shrub, 0.08–0.6 m high Boronia polygalifolia Dwarf Boronia Shrub or small to medium Bursaria spinosa tree, typically to 3m, rarely to Blackthorn, Boxthorn, Sweet Bursaria, 10 m high Kurwan (D'harawal) Perennial, erect or prostrate Calotis cuneifolia herb to 60 cm high Purple Burr-daisy 2 Plant form Species name Common name Shrub to 2 m high Cassinia arcuata Sifton Bush, Chinese Shrub Glabrous twiner with stems Cassytha glabella forma c. 0.5 mm thick glabella Ground covering, creeping Cheilanthes sieberi fern with erect fronds to 30cm subsp. sieberi Poison rock fern, mulga fern Perennial herb, basal foliage Dianella revoluta in a clump, inflorescence to 1 m high Blueberry Lily, Blue Flax-Lily Tufted perennial grass, Dichelachne micrantha inflorescence to 1.2 m high Shorthair Plumegrass Spreading to erect shrub 0.3– Dillwynia parvifolia 1 m high Erect shrub 0.5–2.5 m high Dillwynia sieberi Erect shrub to 1m Dillwynia tenuifolia Perennial plant, persistent Einadia nutans rootstock with prostrate or twining herbaceous or softly- woody stems Climbing Saltbush Perennial plant, persistent Einadia trigonos rootstock with prostrate or twining herbaceous or softly- woody stems Fishweed Straggling or somewhat Entolasia stricta shrubby, wiry, rhizomatous perennial grass usually to 0.8 m high Wiry Panic Tufted perennial grass, basal Eragrostis brownii foliage with inflorescence to c. 0.6 m high Brown's Lovegrass Tree to 20 m high Eucalyptus capitellata Brown Stringybark Tree to 35 m high Eucalyptus fibrosa Red Ironbark Tree to 35 m high Eucalyptus longifolia Woollybutt Tree to 25 m high Eucalyptus moluccana Grey Box, Terriyergro (D'harawal) Tree to 45 m high Eucalyptus resinifera Red mahogany Leafless shrub or small tree to Exocarpos 8 m high cupressiformis Cherry Ballart, Native Cherry Twiner, perennial with stems Glycine clandestina non-stoloniferous Slender Glycine Erect or ascending perennial Gonocarpus tetragynus herb 15–30 cm high Erect herbs to 60 cm high Goodenia bellidifolia Groundcover or decumbent Goodenia hederacea herb to 10cm high subsp. hederacea Ivy Goodenia, Forest Goodenia Short-lived herb to 50 cm Goodenia paniculata high Branched Goodenia Spreading bushy shrub 1–3 Hakea sericea m high Needlebush Decumbent to spreading Hibbertia empetrifolia 3 Plant form Species name Common name shrub to 30 cm high and 60- 100cm across Decumbent or prostrate shrub Hibbertia serpyllifolia with branches to 30 cm long Hairy Guinea flower Shrub to 3.5 m high Kunzea ambigua Tick bush Erect branching herb to c. 40 Laxmannia gracilis cm high Slender wire lily Tufted perennial with erect, Lepidosperma laterale leaf-like culms to 1m Shrub or small tree, 2–5 m Leptospermum Flaky-barked Tea-tree, Slender high trinervium Tea-tree Erect, densely branched Leucopogon juniperinus shrub to 1 m high Prickly Beard-heath Shrub, 15–70 cm high Lissanthe strigosa Peach Heath Tufted, sometimes robust, Lomandra longifolia perennial herb. Spiny-headed mat-rush, honey reed Tufted perennial herb, Lomandra multiflora slender to robust subsp. multiflora Many-flowered Mat-rush Tall shrub or tree to 10 m Melaleuca decora high Shrub usually 1–4 m high Melaleuca nodosa Prickly-leaved Paperbark Slender, often tufted Microlaena stipoides perennial grass with rambling stems and inflorescences to 0.7 m high Weeping grass Slender to rarely robust Microtis parviflora tuberous terrestrial herb, usually 15–50 cm high Slender Onion Orchid Notelaea longifolia Large Mock-olive, Large-leaved Shrub or tree to c. 9 m high Olive Small weak or procumbent Opercularia diphylla herb Rigid erect, tuberous Orthoceras strictum ephemeral herb, 20–60 cm high Bird's-mouth Orchid Much-branched, erect shrub Ozothamnus Rice flower, white dogwood, pill to 5 m high diosmifolius flower, sago bush Tufted to tussocky perennial Panicum simile grass with inflorescences to 0.7 m high Two-colour Panic Tufted perennial grass with Paspalidium distans inflorescences to 0.7 m high Erect to spreading shrub up to Persoonia nutans 2m tall but usually less. Nodding geebung Erect shrub to 3 m high Podolobium ilicifolium Prickly Shaggy Pea Erect to spreading herb or Pomax umbellata subshrub to 40 cm high Decumbent to ± erect, Poranthera microphylla slender, annual herb, 8–15 cm 4 Plant form Species name Common name high Glabrous, decumbent herb Pratia purpurascens Whiteroot Prostrate to erect shrub Pultenaea villosa Hairy Bush-pea Dwarf shrub or woody herb, Rhytidosporum rarely more than 20cm tall procumbens Perennial herb, Stackhousia viminea inflorescences to 70 cm high Slender Stackhousia Tall tree Syncarpia glomulifera Turpentine Terrestrial, tuberous, Thelymitra pauciflora ephemeral herb with a solitary leaf Slender Sun Orchid Densely caespitose, leafy Themeda australis Kangaroo grass, Durawi perennials (D'harawal) Annual to perennial 0.2–1 m Vernonia cinerea var.