Free Download - HCCREMS

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CHaPTeR 2 Vegetation of the study area
The Vegetation of the Central Hunter Valley, New South Wales (Peake 2006)
The Vegetation of the Central Hunter Valley study was carried out on behalf of the HCRCMA.
The project conducted vegetation surveys, classification and mapping and recognised 36 units
(including plantations) across that area. As with the LHCCREMS classification, this scheme has
achieved wide usage over the area that it covers, and an analysis of relationships between this
scheme and the regional classification was seen as an important element of the current study.
The Natural Vegetation of the Gosford Local Government area (Bell 2004c)
A study of the vegetation of the Gosford LGA was carried out on behalf of the Gosford
City Council. Surveys, classification and mapping were conducted. A total of 46 vegetation
communities and subcommunities were identified through cluster analyses, with a further 12
subsequently delineated. This work has gained a degree of acceptance and usage in the Gosford
LGA and consideration was given to its classification in the current work.
The Natural Vegetation of the Wyong Local Government area (Bell 2002)
As with the Gosford vegetation study described above, this project was carried out on behalf
of the Wyong Shire Council and covers its local government area. This study delineated 42
vegetation communities based on cluster analyses of floristic data. This work was important to
understanding vegetation community relationships in the Wyong area revealed by the present
study.
Vegetation of Regional Significance on the New South Wales Central Coast (McCauley et
al. 2006)
This project was undertaken under stage 1 of the current vegetation classification and mapping
project. Vegetation surveys, classification and mapping were carried out for the three Central
Coast council areas of Lake Macquarie, Gosford and Wyong. A total of 58 vegetation communities
were delineated. This classification work was taken into consideration during interpretation of
the current work.
The Vegetation of the Western Blue Mountains (DeCC 2006)
This project was carried out by the Information and Assessment Section, Metropolitan Branch,
Environment Protection and Regulation Division of the Department of Environment and
Conservation (now the Department of Environment and Climate Change). Fifty-eight vegetation
communities were delineated and described for the western Blue Mountains area. As significant
amounts of that area are included within the present study and a number of unique vegetation
communities occur there, this work was important to the present study.
Other subregional scale studies
Vegetation mapping and classification carried out on various other parts of the study area
were taken into account when working on the present classification scheme. These include
the National Vegetation Mapping Program (NVMP) managed by the Department of Natural
Resources, which has mapped several areas at a scale of 1:100 000, including areas in the northwest
of the current study area. The Royal Botanic Gardens has undertaken similar classification
and mapping projects, for example, the 1:100 000 vegetation map series covering the Merriwa,
Howes Valley and Gosford–Lake Macquarie mapsheets (Benson 1986; Benson & Howell nd;
McRae & Cooper 1985). The local government areas of Greater Taree and Great Lakes have