Byron Flora and Fauna Study 1999 - Byron Shire Council

BYRON FLORA AND FAUNA STUDY, 1999
Forest Red Gum was located at Marshalls Ridges on metasediments (Site P3). The upper stratum was
dominated by Forest Red Gum with Grey Ironbark Eucalyptus siderophloia, Brush Box and Small-fruited Grey
Gum also present. The midstratum comprised Forest Red Gum, Grey Ironbark and Brush Ironbark Wattle.
The ground stratum included Kangaroo Grass, Windmill Grass Chloris sp., a kidney weed Dichondra repens,
Mistweed and Crofton Weed.
Grey Ironbark-Pink Bloodwood (gIB)
(Sites PS17, PS25)
The small areas of Grey Ironbark-Pink Bloodwood mapped during the survey are probably a conservative
estimate of the actual extent of this association in Byron Shire. Most of the area mapped was on metasediments
with a small area recorded on sediments.
A site was located in Grey Ironbark forest on metasediments at Old Bangalow Rd (PS17). Brush Box was
also present in the upper stratum. The midstratum comprised Brush Box and Forest Oak. Umbrella Cheese
Tree and Sessile Burrawang were present in the lower stratum and the ground stratum was dominated by
Harsh Ground Fern and a grass tree Xanthorrhoea macronema.
Grey Ironbark was also recorded with Pink Bloodwood on metasediments at Cape Byron (PS25). Brush
Box, Pink Bloodwood and Broad-leaved Lilly Pilly dominated the midstratum. Tuckeroo, Sweet Pittosporum
and Umbrella Tree dominated the lower stratum and the ground stratum included Spiny-headed Mat-rush,
Cabbage Palm and Lantana.
Mixed eucalypt spp. (mE1)
(Site P5)
Mixed eucalypt forest included various combinations of the following species as co-dominants – Forest Red
Gum, White Mahogany, Tallowwood, Pink Bloodwood, Grey Ironbark, Red Mahogany, Small-fruited Grey
Gum and Blackbutt. Most of the area mapped was on sediments with smaller areas mapped on metasediments,
basalt, alluvium and aeolian influenced soils.
Site P5 was located at Yelgun on metasediments. White Mahogany, Blackbutt, Red Mahogany, Pink Bloodwood
and Tallowwood were present in the upper stratum. The midstratum was dominated by Turpentine with Pink
Bloodwood and Paperbark present but not common. Sweet Pittosporum dominated the lower stratum and the
ground stratum included Many-flowered Mat-rush, an unidentified grass tree Xanthorrhoea sp. and Blue Flax Lily.
Pink Bloodwood (pBW)
(Sites H7, PS27, P12, H19, H20, P13)
The area mapped is unlikely to reflect the true extent of this association in Byron Shire. A small area of Pink
Bloodwood was mapped on sediments. Small areas on rhyolite and on metasediments were recorded but
were too small (less than 1ha) to be identified during mapping. Pink Bloodwood commonly occurs as a subdominant
canopy species in most other eucalyptus associations in Byron Shire.
At Old Bangalow Rd on sediments Pink Bloodwood dominated the upper stratum with Brush Box, Flooded
Gum, Tallowwood and Forest Oak also present (Site PS27). The midstratum was dominated by Pink-tipped
Bottlebrush, Brown Kurrajong and Camphor Laurel. Rainforest species in the lower stratum included Rose
Myrtle, Steelwood Sarcopteryx stipata and Guioa. The ground stratum was dominated by Gristle Fern.
Pink Bloodwood was recorded on the summit of the western spur of Mt Chincogan on rhyolitic soils (Site
H7). Pink Bloodwood dominated the upper stratum with Forest Red Gum and Brush Box sub-dominant.
A grass-tree Xanthorrhoea malacophylla, Broad-leaved Palm Lily Cordyline petiolaris and Tree Bitter Pea were
present in the midstratum. The ground stratum was dominated by the introduced Molasses Grass Melinis
minutiflora.
Site H19 at Mullumbimby Creek was located on rhyolitic soils. Pink Bloodwood was dominant with Brush
Box also present. The midstratum was dominated by Brush Box, Sweet Pittosporum and Tree Heath. The
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