EVC 6 Sand Heathland.pdf

Gippsland Vegetation Types: Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVC’s)
EVC description derived from Davies et.al (2001) Ecological Vegetation Class Mapping at 1:25 000 in Gippsland.
EVC 6 Sand Heathland
A heath occurring on deep infertile sands often with emergent low, scattered multi-stemmed eucalypts and
Banksias. The understorey consists of a low, dense heathy shrub layer. Herbs and grasses are notably absent or
infrequent in the ground layer with Restionaceous species being conspicuous.
Sand Heathland east of Cape Liptrap, South Gippsland. Photo: John Davies 1997.
Elevation (metres above sea level)

Vegetation: structure/floristics:
Sand Heathland is typically low in stature often with emergent scattered tall shrubs of Saw Banksia Banksia
serrata and stunted mallee-like eucalypts such as Coast Manna Gum Eucalyptus viminalis subsp. pryoriana,
Shining Peppermint E. willisii and Yertchuk Eucalyptus consideniana (Providence Ponds Flora and Fauna
Reserve) usually dominating the landscape. The heathy understorey is dominated by the shrubs, Heath Tea-tree
Leptospermum myrsinoides, Prickly Tea-tree L. continentale, Green She-oak Allocasuarina paradoxa, Bushy
Needlewood Hakea decurrens (Waratah Bay and Wilsons Promontory) and Silver Banksia Banksia marginata. It
also includes Common Heath Epacris impressa, Variable Bossiaea Bossiaea heterophylla, Showy Bossiaea B.
cinerea, Smooth Parrot-pea Dillwynia glaberrima, Showy Parrot-pea D. sericea, Spike Wattle Acacia oxycedrus
(notably absent from some areas), Prickly Broom-heath Monotoca scoparia, Broom Spurge Amperea xiphoclada
var. xiphoclada, Sweet Wattle Acacia suaveolens, Common Beard-heath Leucopogon virgatus, Horny Cone-bush
Isopogon ceratophyllus, Common Correa Correa reflexa and Common Wedge-pea Gompholobium huegelii.
Austral Grass-tree Xanthorrhoea australis, Wattle Mat-rush Lomandra filiformis and Thick Twist-rush Caustis
pentandra are often present.
Herbs and grasses are notably absent or poorly represented. The ground cover is typically dominated by Tassel
Rope-rush Hypolaena fastigiata and often includes Sand-hill Sword-sedge Lepidosperma concavum, Dwarf Wirelily
Laxmannia orientalis, Tall Sundew Drosera peltata subsp. auriculata, Hairy Pink-bells Tetratheca pilosa,
Prickly Guinea-flower H. acicularis, Milkmaids Burchardia umbellata and Honey-pots Acrotriche serrulata.
In East Gippsland, Sand Heathland occurs only at Quire Road near Buchan. In contrast to most of its range where
this EVC occurs near coastal vegetation on Quaternary aeolian sands, Quire Road is about 40km from the coast on
siliceous sands derived from Tertiary outwash alluviums.
In East Gippsland at Quire Road this EVC occurs as a low, open woodland of Shining Peppermint Eucalyptus
willisii, with an understorey dominated by Austral Bracken Pteridium esculentum and Heath Tea-tree
Leptospermum myrsinoides. A low shrubby ground layer of Common Aotus Aotus ericoides, Silver Banksia
Banksia marginata and Prickly Broom-heath Monotoca scoparia are some of the plant species that occupy the
gaps between the Austral Bracken.

Comments:
Low height (often less than 5 m) of this EVC reflects the poor fertility and drought susceptibility of the sandy soil.
Austral Bracken Pteridium esculentum is notably infrequent in Sand Heathland compared to the closely related
group, Heathy Woodland.
Gippsland species list including species frequency and fidelity.
Fidelity:
Rating of faithfulness of a species to an EVC or Floristic Community.
Highest fidelity rating indicated by an “F” ie species only recorded in
respective group.
% Frequency: Percentage occurrence of a species/taxa in an EVC or Floristic
Community – NB. Species highlighted in red are the most frequent and
important.
* = weeds ie: non native.
Rarity categories from NRE’s Flora Information System (FIS).
PROM. EVC 6: SAND HEATHLAND
Species % Frequency Fidelity
Drosera macrantha 42.86 F
Tricoryne elatior 2.86 F
Allocasuarina paradoxa 100.00 195.58
Calytrix tetragona 31.43 184.49
Tetratheca bauerifolia 68.57 57.49
Prasophyllum elatum 8.57 50.34
Lepidosperma semiteres 8.57 50.31
Hibbertia fasciculata var. prostrata 28.57 27.95
Isolepis marginata 11.43 22.36
Drosera peltata ssp. auriculata 85.71 14.37
Hibbertia virgata 8.57 12.58
Rhytidosporum procumbens 25.71 11.61
Pimelea humilis 34.29 11.18
Opercularia varia 40.00 11.18
Laxmannia orientalis 37.14 10.90
Xanthosia dissecta 20.00 10.67
Leucopogon virgatus 68.57 10.59
Xanthosia tridentata 74.29 9.48
Caesia parviflora 14.29 9.32
Platysace heterophylla 34.29 8.39
Hypolaena fastigiata 100.00 7.93
Gompholobium huegelii 31.43 7.38
Hibbertia procumbens 20.00 7.34
Acacia suaveolens 45.71 6.71
Bossiaea prostrata 5.71 6.70
Viola sieberiana s.l. 5.71 6.70
Hibbertia acicularis 51.43 6.56
Xanthosia pusilla 62.86 6.36
Dillwynia glaberrima 71.43 6.26
Acianthus spp. 2.86 5.60
Astroloma humifusum 20.00 5.59
Monotoca scoparia 8.57 5.59
Leptospermum myrsinoides 91.43 5.42
Gonocarpus tetragynus 74.29 5.07
Lepidosperma longitudinale 8.57 5.03
Isopogon ceratophyllus 48.57 4.83
Platylobium obtusangulum 71.43 4.71
Patersonia glabrata 31.43 4.61
Chrysocephalum apiculatum s.l. 11.43 4.47
Lepidosperma concavum 77.14 4.44

Species % Frequency Fidelity
Dillwynia sericea 17.14 4.19
Lomandra filiformis 28.57 3.99
Amperea xiphoclada var. xiphoclada 48.57 3.80
Hakea decurrens 42.86 3.76
Hakea ulicina 11.43 3.73
Burchardia umbellata 34.29 3.59
Leucopogon ericoides 2.86 3.36
Comesperma calymega 2.86 3.36
Tetrarrhena distichophylla 11.43 3.35
Persoonia juniperina 11.43 3.35
Acrotriche serrulata 48.57 3.35
Patersonia fragilis 20.00 3.01
Lepidosperma filiforme 28.57 2.66
Pimelea linifolia 8.57 2.52
Argentipallium obtusifolium 2.86 2.40
Mitrasacme pilosa 5.71 2.39
Cassytha glabella 62.86 2.38
Epacris impressa 54.29 2.38
Banksia marginata 45.71 1.92
Lomandra longifolia 51.43 1.91
Xanthorrhoea minor ssp. lutea 5.71 1.60
Bossiaea cinerea 5.71 1.52
Monotoca elliptica s.l. 8.57 1.40
Banksia serrata 8.57 1.32
Correa reflexa 20.00 1.32
Leptocarpus tenax 20.00 1.22
Xanthorrhoea australis 20.00 1.08
Lindsaea linearis 14.29 1.05
Leptospermum continentale 40.00 1.03
Helichrysum scorpioides 5.71 1.02
Spyridium parvifolium 8.57 0.99
Kunzea ambigua 5.71 0.91
Schoenus brevifolius 11.43 0.81
Schoenus lepidosperma 5.71 0.80
Leptospermum laevigatum 20.00 0.69
Billardiera scandens var. scandens 5.71 0.59
Epacris lanuginosa 2.86 0.49
Sprengelia incarnata 5.71 0.43
Banksia spinulosa var. cunninghamii 2.86 0.36
Apodasmia brownii 2.86 0.33
Hibbertia sericea s.l. 5.71 0.26
Melaleuca squarrosa 5.71 0.23