VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN for Bidjigal Reserve - Land

Vegetation Management Plan - Bidjigal Reserve3 PLAN PREPARATION & METHODOLOGY3.1 Literature Review and Compilation of Existing DataPrevious ecological studies conducted in the Baulkham Hills Shire and general references for theRegion were searched for descriptions of similar habitats, and for recordings of flora and faunaspecies, populations or communities of conservation significance known to occur in the area.With reference to previous ecological studies conducted in the Region, the main documentsreferenced for the VMP were:• Western Sydney Urban Bushland Biodiversity Survey (NSW NPWS 1997);• Bushland of Bidjigal Reserve and adjoining Reserves (Baulkham Hills Shire Council 2004);• Plan of Management for Natural Areas: a strategy for the Bushland of Baulkham Hills Shire.Baulkham Hills Shire Council 2008;• Native vegetation of southeast NSW: a revised classification and map for the coast andeastern tablelands. Version 1.0 (‘SCIVI’) (Tozer et al. 2006).In addition, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act Online Database (DEWHA2008; search area five [5] km radius around the Study Area), the NPWS Atlas of New South WalesWildlife Database (DECC 2008a; search area 10 km x 10 km centred on the Study Area), and BioNetDatabase (BioNet 2008; search area 10 km x 10 km centred on the Study Area) were accessed toidentify previous recordings of flora and fauna species of conservation significance within theLocality and Region.A range of other reports and databases were reviewed and drawn upon as required (see Section 9References). Particular attention was paid to records of species listed under the Schedules of theCommonwealth Environment Protection & Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (‘EPBC Act’) and theNSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (‘TSC Act’) previously recorded in the Region.Plant identifications were made according to nomenclature in Harden (2007). Stands of vegetationwere described by their structural and floristic characteristics according to Specht (1981) and Tozeret al. (2006). Threatened ecological communities were classified and named according to NSWScientific Committee’s Preliminary and Final Determinations (various dates). Collected floraspecimens will be lodged with the Janet Cosh Herbarium, University of Wollongong.Field guides and standard texts used during the fauna fieldwork were:• Cogger (1992) – reptiles and amphibians;• Slater et al (2005) – birds;• Strahan (1995) – mammals;• Churchill (1998) – insectivorous bats;• Triggs (2004) – identification of scats, tracks and markings; and• Bayley and Brouwer (2004) – habitat type and structure.UBM Ecological Consultants Pty Ltd 25