Byron Flora and Fauna Study 1999 - Byron Shire Council

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.
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