Byron Flora and Fauna Study 1999 - Byron Shire Council

A GREENPRINT FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
4 Some types of native vegetation have been more heavily impacted than others. Vegetation growing
on prime agricultural land, and land favoured for settlement and coastal development, has been
targeted for development to a greater extent than vegetation on soils of low fertility, on steep slopes
and in the less accessible hinterland. As a result, vegetation types such as lowland rainforest are
now scarce in the Shire and in the Northern Rivers region when compared to their previous
distribution.
4 The remaining native vegetation is distributed unevenly, with the hinterland and the less fertile
coastal areas containing the most extensive cover and the coastal plains and ridges being
predominantly cleared.
4 The coastal plain is severely denuded of tree cover, and the remaining native vegetation is present
as small fragments.
4 The most abundant vegetation association involves the introduced tree, Camphor Laurel Cinnamomum
camphora, which occupies more than one quarter of the vegetated area of the Shire. Blackbutt
Eucalyptus pilularis and rainforest are the next most abundant, while only tiny amounts of other
vegetation types such as Pink Bloodwood Corymbia intermedia, Scribbly Gum Eucalyptus signata-Red
Bloodwood Corymbia gummifera and Black She-oak Allocasuarina littoralis occur.
4 Camphor Laurel dominated forests now cover 4,696 ha. Of these 1,532 ha are forest with Camphor
Laurel comprising more than 81% of the canopy cover. Camphor Laurel was mainly recorded on
basalt derived soils.
4 Big Scrub rainforest remnants are located in small fragments on the Shire’s basalt plateau.
4 Rainforest provides habitat for a high number of Threatened plant species.
4 A number of the vegetation associations are of high conservation significance. Most exist as small
percentages of their estimated pre-1750 areas in north-east NSW. Many are poorly reserved,
e.g. Forest Red Gum Eucalyptus tereticornis, Scribbly Gum, Swamp Oak Casuarina glauca and Black
She-oak.
4 Most of the Shire’s eucalypt-dominated forest has little or no old growth component, reflecting a
history of logging, clearing or inappropriate fire regimes. Old growth eucalypt is important habitat
for Threatened fauna species.
4 Only 510 ha (1% of the study area) has a high proportion of old (senescing) eucalypt trees and
these areas are located only in the forested hinterland of the Shire. No areas with a high proportion
of old eucalypts were found on the coastal plains. A further 772 ha (1.5% of study area) has an
intermediate proportion of old trees and these areas are also found in the forested hinterland.
However, importantly, small coastal areas of eucalypt old growth are found at North Ocean Shores,
near the Brunswick River west of Mullumbimby, Tyagarah, Skinners Shoot, south of Suffolk Park
and south of the Broken Head Beach Road. A further 2,547 ha has a low proportion of old (senescing)
eucalypt trees.
FLORA
4 Important timber and bush food species are native to the Shire, as well as many other species with
actual and potential economic value.
4 38 plant species recognised as Threatened (listed as Endangered or Vulnerable under the TSC Act,
1995) have been recorded in the Shire.
4 With two exceptions, all the Shire’s Threatened plant species are considered to be inadequately
reserved in formal conservation reserves. Adequate reservation for many of the Shire’s Threatened
species is often not possible, due to the extensive clearing of their habitat on the coastal lowlands.
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