RYDE FLORA and FAUNA STUDY 2007 - City of Ryde - NSW ...

2.3.1 Terrys Creek Catchment Reserves
Biosphere Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Ryde Flora and Fauna Survey 2007 10
The Terrys Creek Reserves (Figure 2a, b) occupy the eastern side of the Terry Creek
Catchment, beginning at the southern end with Forrester Park, Forsyth Park and
Pembroke Park at Marsfield, leading northwards to Lucknow Park, Somerset Reserve
and Ivanhoe Reserve. This chain of parks runs almost unbroken for 1.5 kilometres
along the southern side of Terrys Creek. The breadth of the reserves varies greatly;
parts of Forsyth Park are less than 50 metres wide whereas Pembroke Park is over 400
metres wide in several areas. The areas immediately alongside the creek are heavily
weed infested but away from the creek the incidence of native plants greatly
increases. Terrys Creek is prone to low-level inundation after heavy rain and some
bank scouring has resulted.
At Pembroke Park and Lucknow Park, sandstone escarpments become evident and
Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland predominates. Elsewhere, there is evidence of shale
influences resulting in Western Sandstone Gully Forest and Shale-Sandstone
Transition Forest becoming evident.
The chain of reserves is broken by Epping Road. However, going further north, the
bushland along Terrys Creek is able to pass underneath the M2 Motorway and retain
continuous canopy there.
2.3.2 Upper Buffalo Creek Catchment Reserves
The Buffalo Creek reserves are tightly constrained to the immediate watercourse of
Buffalo Creek at Ryde (Figure 3). These reserves line the upper catchment of Buffalo
Creek and are hemmed in between roads and houses as a result they are highly
impacted and have extensive weed infestations in places. In addition, the water quality
in Buffalo Creek is poor. Exotic plants line the creek and water weeds are prolific.
Despite the problems with land conformation and space, the reserves have generally
retained a continuous tree canopy. Most are degraded forms of Western Sandstone
Gully Forest but Pidding Park also contains Turpentine-Ironbark Forest on its upper
slopes.
2.3.3 Field of Mars Reserve
The Field of Mars Reserve is the largest bushland reserve in Ryde LGA being 51 ha
in area. The reserve occupies two valleys and an intervening ridge; the valleys bear
the watercourses of Strangers Creek and Buffalo Creek which converge and exit the
reserve at Pittwater Road (Figure 4). The reserve is predominately bushland but areas
in the south-eastern part of the reserve were used as a tip, and then filled in and have
been kept cleared for passive recreation. A field study center owned by the NSW
Department of Education and amenities blocks have been constructed in this area.
The north-western portion of the reserve is incised by the Field of Mars Cemetery and
there is a council compound area off Wellington Road that has recently been