Byron Flora and Fauna Study 1999 - Byron Shire Council

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BYRON FLORA AND FAUNA STUDY, 1999 Sporobolus virginicus in the Marshalls Creek, Brunswick Heads area. Most of these areas are too small to have been mapped during the current study. Perennial native grasses are disadvantaged by grazing with introduced livestock which trample the native tussocks (e.g. Kangaroo Grass) and allow invasion by annual exotic grasses. Site BB29 Tall Saw Sedge sedgeland was located on aeolian sands at Taylors Lake. The upper stratum was dominated by Tall Saw Sedge with Paperbark emergent. Swamp Lemon-scented Teatree was subdominant. The mid, lower and ground strata included Swamp Lemon-scented Teatree, Hairy Bush-pea Pultenaea villosa, Downy Devil’s Twine and Leucopogon lanceolatus. At Broken Head near the Ballina Shire boundary, Baumea articulata-Lepironia articulata sedgeland with emergent Paperbark and Swamp Oak (BB37) was recorded on coastal sands. Five-leaved Morning Glory, Groundsel Baccharis halimifolia, Swamp Water Fern, Swamp Rice-grass Leersia hexandra, and Climbing Maidenhair Fern were also present. Site BB46 in Quarry Lane wetlands on coastal sand comprised a mix of Sedgeland-Fernland/Grassland with the following species present – Common Reed Phragmites australis, Whisky Grass, Swamp Water Fern, Harsh Ground Fern, Blady Grass, Feather Plant, Setaria, Tall Saw Sedge and Tobacco Bush Solanum mauritianum. 4.7.11 Mangrove forest Grey Mangrove/River Mangrove (M) Grey Mangrove Avicennia marina var australasica /River Mangrove Aegiceras corniculatum (Sites BH14, BH15) This association was recorded mainly on estuarine soils with smaller areas mapped on aeolian and alluvial soils. Saltmarsh communities were often intermixed with Mangrove forest (e.g. along the Brunswick River, Photo 10). At Site BH14 on alluvial sands Grey Mangrove dominated the upper and mid strata and Black Mangrove Bruguiera gymnorrhiza was the only species present in the lower stratum. No species were recorded in the ground stratum. Site BH15 on alluvial sands was dominated by Grey Mangrove in the upper stratum. The midstratum included Grey Mangrove, River Mangrove and Black Mangrove as co-dominants. The sparse lower stratum was dominated by Grey Mangrove, River Mangrove and Black Mangrove. No species were present in the ground stratum. Grey Mangrove-River Mangrove-Swamp Oak (MSO) (Site BH16) This association was recorded mainly on estuarine, alluvial and aeolian influenced soils. Site BH16 was located at New Brighton on estuarine-alluvial soils. Swamp Oak and Grey Mangrove dominated the upper stratum. Brush Ironbark Wattle was also present. Pink-tipped Bottlebrush, Black Mangrove, Grey Mangrove, Common Silkpod, Austral Sarsaparilla, Red Ash, Milky Mangrove Excoecaria agallocha, and Whip Vine were present in the midstratum. The lower stratum included Winter Senna, Lantana and Fiveleaved Morning Glory. Molasses Grass dominated the sparse ground stratum. 4.7.12 Unassessed This category included urban areas, and patches which were covered with cloud or topographic shadow on aerial photos. 4.8 CONSERVATION STATUS OF THE VEGETATION The conservation status of vegetation associations/mapping units identified in the study area was determined from available literature, and considered reservation adequacy and representation across the range of the vegetation, and the present areal extent of the vegetation in relation to estimates of its past (pre-1750) 55
A GREENPRINT FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE extent (Table 4.7). Hager and Benson (1994) provide an assessment of the conservation status of forest communities of north-eastern NSW and Griffith (1993) has identified coastal communities in northern New South Wales which are either unreserved or else not well reserved across their geographic range. Some communities were identified as being of limited extent in existing reserves. During the NSW CRA/RFA process, ecological modelling undertaken by NSW NPWS established relationships between forest ecosystems and their abiotic environments for areas where fine-scale mapping was available. Each forest ecosystem was modelled across unmapped areas to estimate its past extent in Upper North East (UNE) NSW (NSW NPWS 1999). Not all forest ecosystems were modelled successfully. For instance, pre-1750 extent of rainforest has not been modelled as it is “generally not possible to derive robust models for types with such wide environmental characteristics” (NSW NPWS 1999). All assessments are limited by incomplete understanding of former and present areal extent of individual plant communities. Assessments of reservation adequacy require updating to reflect recent land tenure changes (Section 1.3). Vegetation mapping is sometimes not available for reserves. In addition, the associations, communities or other mapping units vary in their definitions and are frequently different from those adopted for this study. Vegetation classification schemes also differ between studies. In particular, Floyd’s (1990a) assessments of conservation status of rainforest suballiances, which are based on floristic association, cannot readily be applied to the rainforest mapping units used in this study (based on substrate). Rainforest communities are therefore dealt with separately. Floyd (1990a) assessed the overall conservation status of subtropical and warm temperate rainforest suballiances in NSW as ranging from excellent to adequate. However, most of the conserved areas of rainforest are found in the less accessible, mountainous areas of north east NSW. Rainforests on the immediate coastal strip are also considered to be well-conserved regionally, though only small areas are present locally (mostly reserved). Floyd (1990a) identifies three suballiances within coastal (littoral) rainforest. The conservation status of each has been assessed as follows: Suballiance 16 (Syzygium luehmannii-Acmena hemilampra) – adequate (Floyd 1990a, Hager & Benson 1994). Suballiance 17 (Cupaniopsis anacardioides) – excellent (Floyd 1990a), adequate (Hager & Benson 1994). Suballiance 18 (Lophostemon confertus) – adequate (Floyd 1990a, Hager & Benson 1994). Only small remnants of rainforest remain on the coastal ranges and plains of north east NSW and were examined in this study according to substrate. In the Byron Shire, only three Big Scrub remnants are reserved - Hayters Hill NR (lowland krasnozem), Andrew Johnston Big Scrub NR (lowland krasnozem and alluvial) and Booyong Flora and Fauna Reserve (alluvial). Small areas of alluvial rainforest are reserved in Brunswick Heads NR and Andrew Johnston Big Scrub NR. Most of the remnant alluvial rainforest exists as unreserved riparian strips along the Brunswick River. Rainforest on rhyolitic soil (warm temperate rainforest) is reserved in Nightcap NP and Mt Jerusalem NP, but small very important areas remain unreserved on private lands around Goonengerry and along Wilsons Creek in the Federal area. Rainforest on metasediments is reserved at Inner Pocket NR and as small areas in Billinudgel NR and Brunswick Heads NR. Important remnant areas remain unreserved on Mt Chincogan, at Tunnel Rd, Billinudgel and scattered throughout the Shire. The conservation status assessment summarised in Table 4.7 must be interpreted cautiously but indicates that many of the vegetation types found in Byron Shire are significantly reduced in area and are poorly conserved. 4.9 PLOT-BASED VEGETATION SURVEYS Survey data from 175 sites throughout the Shire were entered into the field survey database. Location and basic site characteristics data are summarized for the sites in Appendix 4. The locations of the sites are shown on Map 3. 56
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Byron Flora and Fauna Study 1999 - Byron Shire Council

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