DARLING RIVERINE PLAINS BIOREGION Background Report

16/08/02 Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion Background Report
Phragmites australis in small patches amongst the Muehlenbeckia florulenta;
Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus coolabah, Eucalyptus largiflorens and Acacia
stenophylla association fringing the Narran River and wetland channels with
Muehlenbeckia florulenta, Myoporum sp., Alstonia constricta, Acacia brachystachya
(umbrella mulga) Paspalidium jubiflorum; and
aquatic plants such as Azolla filiculoides following the inundation of wetland areas
(NPWS 2000a).
The sandy lakeshore and dune areas are generally treeless as a result of past grazing. Areas
with minimal erosion support a scattered cover of Chloris truncata (windmill grass),
Eragrostis eriopoda, Eragrostis dielsii (mallee lovegrass) and chenopods such as Sclerolaena
spp.
3.4 CONSERVATION STATUS OF VEGETATION COMMUNITIES IN THE
DRP
Three plant communities found in the bioregion have been listed as Endangered Ecological
Communities in New South Wales under Schedule 1 of the Threatened Species Conservation
Act (TSC Act) 1995 (New South Wales NPWS 2001a). These are: the Corymbia tessellaris
(carbeen) open forest community; the Acacia loderi shrublands; and, the artesian springs
ecological community. Two additional communities occurring in the DRP listed as
endangered under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC)
Act, 1999 are: Acacia harpophylla (brigalow) (dominant and co-dominant) (this also has a
preliminary determination under the TSC Act); and, the community of native species
dependant on natural discharges of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin.
Benson (1989) considers Acacia pendula woodland with an Atriplex nummularia understorey
to be a very poorly conserved and endangered by clearing but it has not been listed under the
TSC Act nor the EPBC Act.
Several communities in the Narran Lakes area are considered to be endangered, poorly
conserved or of conservation interest (Benson 1989; Ramsar 2000). These are:
Muehlenbeckia florulenta shrublands, with one of the largest and healthiest expanses of
this community in New South Wales occurring at Narran Lakes;
Eucalyptus melanophloia, Brachychiton populneus subsp. trilobus (kurrajong), Geijera
parviflora and Grevillea striata (beefwood) woodland on sandy ridge country;
Triodia mitchelli (spinifex) and Acacia murrayana (sandplain wattle), which are restricted
to deep sandy soils;
Atriplex nummularia shrubland;
Eucalyptus populnea subsp. bimbil woodland;
Grevillea striata and Acacia aneura shrubland;
Eremophila maculata (native fuchsia) shrubland;
Acacia cambagei;
Phragmites australis sedgeland;
Eucalyptus camaldulensis woodlands and open forests;
Eucalyptus melanophloia woodland; and
Acacia excelsa (ironwood) and Callitris glaucophylla shrubland.
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