This document has been scanned from hard-copy archives for research and study purposes. Please note not all information may be current. We have tried, in preparing this copy, to make the content accessible to the widest possible audience but in some cases we recognise that the automatic text recognition maybe inadequate and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. FLORA SURVEY TENTERFIELD MANAGEMENT AREA NORTHERN REGION NEW SOUTH WALES By Doug Binns S TAT E FORESTS RESEARCH DIVISION FLORA SURVEY TENTERFIELD MANAGEMENT AREA NORTHERN REGION, NEW SOUTH WALES TENTERFIELD EIS SUPPORTING DOCUMENT NO. 3 by DOUGBINNS RESEARCH DIVISION STATE FORESTS OF NEW SOUTH WALES SYDNEY 1995 Forest Resources Series No. 30 April,1995 The Author: Doug Binns, Research Officer, Forestry Ecology Section, Research Division, State Forests of New South Wales. Published by: Research Division, State Forests of New South Wales, 27 Oratava Avenue, West Pennant Hills, 2125 P.O. Box 100, Beecroft. 2119 Australia. Copyright © 1995 by State Forests of New South Wales DDC 333.7814099443 ISSN 1033 1220 ISBN 0731022092 . CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 METHODS 2 1. PLOTLOCATION 2 2. FLORISTIC AND VEGETATION STRUCTURAL DATA 4 3. HABITATDATA 4 4. LIMITATIONS 5 5. TAXONOMYAND NOMENCLATURE 5 6. DATA ANALYSIS 6 RESULTS 8 1. FLORISTICS 8 2. OVERSTOREY COA1!vfUNITY CLASSIFICATION 8 3. NON-EUCALYPT t'UNDERSTOREY'') FLORISTIC COJvfMUNITIES 13 4. FLORISTIC CLASSIFICATION 13 5. DESCRIPTIONS OF VEGETATION TYPES 16 6. LOGGING IMPACT 26 7. FIREIMPACT 29 DISCUSSION 30 1. SIGNIFICANTPLANTSPECIES 30 2. CONSERVATION STATUS OFPLANT COJvfMUNITIES 36 3. IMPACT OFLOGGING 37 4. IMPACT OFFIRE 38 5. IMPACT OF GRAZING 39 6. WEEDS 39 RECOJvfMENDATIONS 40 1. INTRODUCTION 40 2. SIGNIFICANT SPECIES 40 3. RESERVATIONOF COJvfMUNITIES 43 4. SUMMARY OFRESERVE PROPOSALS 47 5. FIRE AND GRAZING MANAGEMENT 48 6. WEEDS 48 STATE FORESTS OF NEW SOUTH WALES FLORA SURVEY, TENTERFIELD MANAGEMENT AREA, FOREST RESOURCES SERIES NO. 30 NORTHERN REGION, NEW SOUTH WALES ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 49 REFERENCES 49 TABLES Table 1. Comparison and conservation status offorest vegetation communities 10 Table 2. Summary ofdistribution ofplots among understorey and floristic 14 communities Table 3. Summary ofdistribution ofplots among overstorey and floristic 15 communities FIGURES Figure 1. Locations offlora survey plots, Tentemeld Management Area 3 Figure 2. Dendrogram from floristic classification ofbasal area ofcanopy species 9 Figure 3. Dendrogram from floristic classification ofpercentage cover ofall species 13 Figure 4. Scatterplot ofhybrid MDS co-ordinates for open forest, 27 logging history superimposed Figure 5. CCA ordination ofopen forest plots 28 Figure 6. Location ofproposed reserves for flora conservation 46 APPENDICES APPENDIX1 OCCURRENCE OF VASCULAR PLANTSPECIES BYBROAD 51 FLORISTIC GROUP AND LOGGING CATEGORY APPENDIX2 BRIEFDESCRIPTIONS OFFLORISTIC COMMUNITIES 71 APPENDIX3 SUMMARY OFMAJOR SITE FEATURES 84 APPENDIX4 IWO-WAY TABLE OFSPECIES BYPLOTS, OFDATA USED FOR 86 ORDINATIONANALYSIS FWRA SURVEY, TENTERFIELD MANAGEMENT AREA, STATE FORESTS OF NEW SOUTH WALES 11 NORTHERN REGION, NEW SOUTH WALES FOREST RESOURCES SERIES NO. 30 INTRODUCTION This report presents the results ofa survey ofvascular plant species undertaken in the State Forests of Tenterfield Management Area (hereafter abbreviated as TMA), on the northern tableland and escarpment north and east ofTenterfield, New South Wales. This area, its physical characteristics and management history are described by the Forestry Commission ofNew South Wales (1983). The general aim ofthis study is to describe the vegetation ofthe area in the context ofmanagement for commercial forestry purposes. More specifically, the objectives are: i) to describe the terrestrial vascular flora of the area, particularly the vegetation types and distribution, habitat and abundance ofplant species; ii) to relate vegetation types to Forest Type map units used for forest management purposes; iii) to identify vascular plant species ofparticular botanical or conservation significance; iv) to identify vegetation types or communities of botanical or conservation significance and suggest representative areas for reservation where considered necessary; v) to compare the flora of areas of various forest management histories and consider likely impacts ofproposed forestry operations on flora. The field work was carried out by D. Binns and T. Brassil, mostly during January and March 1992, with two days in Donnybrook State Forest in April 1991. Only vascular plant species were recorded. STATE FORESTS OF NEW SOUTH WALES FLORA SURVEY, TENTERFIELD MANAGEMENT AREA, FOREST RESOURCES SERIES NO. 30 NORTHERN REGION, NEW SOUTH WALES MET/fODS 1 PLOTLOCATION Floristic data were derived from non-permanent plots established within the study area. A series of transects had been established in the area for fauna survey, concurrent with the present survey. These transects were located to sample logged and unlogged areas, covering the range of broad forest types present in the area. A total offorty such transects were established, sixteen in logged areas. 'A single plot along each transect was used for flora survey. Additional flora survey plots were established to sample habitats not already covered and to provide additional samples in extensive forest types. These additional plots were stratified by Forest Type (Forestry Commission ofNew South Wales 1989) where forest type maps existed (Forestry Commission of New South Wales unpubl. maps). Plots were allocated to each type depending approximately on the extent of the type, with a single plot in types occurring in only one or a few patches and a greater number in more extensive types. The advantages ofusing mapped forest types as the basis for sampling are as follows: i) They are broadly related to overstorey composition. ii) They act as a surrogate which integrates a range ofphysical environmental attributes, providing greater efficency ofsampling. iii) They are part ofa standard management system, which facilitates translation ofsurvey results to management options. IV) The use offorest type maps with a combination ofsurvey results and broad area observations facilitates assessment ofconservation adequacy and location ofadditional reserves. Unfortunately, much ofthe area was not covered by forest type maps at the time ofsurvey. Thus, plots were also located to sample the range of geological substrates, altitudes and topographic positions. Particular attention was also given to sampling or at least inspecting unusual or restricted habitats (e.g. rock outcrops, swamps, deep ravines) and Forest Types ofrestricted extent in the survey area. Plots in more extensive habitats were randomly selected but constrained to be in areas which could be sampled en route to those in restricted or unusual habitat types. This strategy was designed to ensure efficient sampling ofthe full range ofhabitats while reducing unproductive travelling time as far as possible. Plot locations were initially marked on 1:25 000 scale topographic maps and the positions then transferred to the field, to ensure a high degree of objectivity. In the field, plots were positioned as far as possible within a relatively homogeneous patch ofvegetation. The standard size was a 50 m x 20 m (0.1 ha) rectangle, although some habitats required a variation in size or shape to ensure homogeneity within one plot e.g. longer or narrower plots were used for riparian vegetation, and smaller plots for vegetation of restricted extent. A total of 89 plots, including those on fauna survey transects, was surveyed during the present survey. Approximate locations are shown in Figure 1. FLORA SURVEY, TENTERFIELD MANAGEMENT AREA, STATE FORESTS OF NEW SOUTH WALES 2 NORTHERN REGION, NEW SOUTH WALES FOREST RESOURCES SERIES NO. 30 /l CI"'f\l? To BrisbAne " 0°1° •• '}- e. ',' " , ..... " 80012 Book()()6(00f8r. Stel.~or_I W11 llSTQN • STANTHORPE ~ '~?ENI Jenle:_Slele\., ( Queensland i Foresl ( '1 ..J I I OOA~ ('". ) OON4 '•. ~OON2 , Don""OON5 •• _OON3 ,/ Sta.e rur ... ". DON6 J. ~q;. •••• .. :" ..... L •• 0° •• 0° '0' '. .' . " . " ~ ", " Scale 1600 000 Il95 I IJEEPWAIER 0 5 10 15 20 25 km Figure 1. Location offlora survey plots (e), Tenterfield Management Area. STATE FORESTS OF NEW SOlITH WALES FLORA SURVEY, TENTERFIELD MANAGEMENT AREA, FOREST RESOURCES SERIES 0 30 'ORTHEIUI1 REGIO , NEW SOUTH WALES 3 2. FLORISTIC AND VEGETATION STRUCTURAL DATA All vascular plant species which could be distinguished within a plot were recorded and identified as far as possible to species level. Plot searches were comprehensive, but subject to a maximum search time oftwo hours. Vertical heights ofvegetation strata were subjectively defined and recorded for each plot. Stratum limits of 0-1 m, 1-6 m, 6-20 m, 20-35 m and >35 m were used as a guide for the coding of structural data, even though actual heights were recorded. Cover codes, based on projected canopy cover, were estimated for each species within each vertical stratum. Where a species occurred in more than one stratum, an overall cover code for the plot as a whole was also recorded. Codes are as follows: Cover Code Projected Canopy Cover 1 < 5%, few individuals 2 < 5%, any number ofindividuals 3 6-25% 4 26-50% 5 51-75% 6 >75% For all trees with stem diameter at breast height (1.3 m) greater than 10 cm, the number of stems of each species was recorded by 10 cm diameter classes, up to 50 cm. Diameter was recorded for all stems over 50 cm. These data were used to calculate