Eucalypt forest and woodland assemblages are the dominant vegetation communities in the Sydney Basin bioregion occupying more than 50% of the area (Figure 48), with 26% of the bioregion modified (including for intensive and agricultural uses) and 6% covered by heath. The following description of the terrestrial species and communities of the Sydney Basin IBRA bioregion is based on NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2003). Species diversity is very high, related to an assortment of topography, geology and climate combinations.
Young coastal dunes support tea-tree (Leptospermum laevigatum), wattle (Acacia longifolia) and banksias (Banksia aemula, Banksia serrata, Banksia integrifolia), often with grass tree (Xanthorroea sp.) and Lomandra longifolia. Older dunes support vegetation communities dominated by old man banksia (Banksia serrata), smooth-barked apple (Angophora costata), red bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera) and blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) with a diverse shrub layer. The oldest dunes support a mature coastal forest community. Coastal forest occupying shale-derived soils is characterised by Sydney blue gum (Eucalyptus saligna), blackbutt, turpentine, grey ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculata), spotted gum, black ash and bangalay (Eucalyptus botryoides), and often have an open understorey, with macrozamia (Macrozamia communis) and cabbage tree palm. Estuaries are characterised by swamp oak (Casuarina glauca), common reed (Phragmites australis), saltmarsh and mangroves.
Rainforests are characterised by coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum), native tamarind (Diploglottus australis), white cherry (Schizomeria ovata), cheese tree (Glochidion ferdinandi), lilly pilly (Acmena smithii), blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) and Port Jackson fig (Ficus rubiginosa), with tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica and Cyathea australis) common in the understorey. Adjacent tall forests are dominated by peppermints (Eucalyptus piperita and Eucalyptus radiata) and messmate (Eucalyptus obliqua), other eucalypt species (Eucalyptus fastigata, Eucalyptus muellerana, Eucalyptus quadrangulata, Eucalyptus deanei), turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera), bangalow palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana), cabbage tree palm (Livistonia australis), forest oak (Allocasuarina torulosa) and water gum (Tristania laurina). Species composition and the structural form of the vegetation communities occupying extensive sandstone plateaux vary with altitude and rainfall. Common trees include red bloodwood, yellow bloodwood (Corymbia eximia), rough-barked apple (Angophora floribunda), smooth-barked apple, hard-leaved scribbly gum (Eucalyptus sclerophylla), grey gum (Eucalyptus punctata), black ash (Eucalyptus sieberi), Sydney peppermint, blue-leaved stringybark (Eucalyptus agglomerata), turpentine, brown stringybark (Eucalyptus capitellata) and northern grey ironbark (Eucalyptus siderophloia). Drier, lowland environments such as the Cumberland Plain support forests and woodlands dominated by forest red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) and other eucalpyts (Eucalyptus maculata, Eucalyptus haemastoma, Eucalyptus moluccana, Eucalyptus melliodora, Eucalyptus conica, Eucalyptus crebra, Eucalyptus fibrosa), rough-barked apple, yellow bloodwood and extensive stands of swamp oak.
Riparian vegetation is dominated by river oak (Casuarina cunninghamiana) with water gum occupying the wetter, more protected environments. Swamp vegetation ranges from monocultures of common reed to complex prickly-leaved tea-tree (Melaleuca stypheloides) and paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia) associations, with swamp mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta), swamp oak, sedges, rushes and Juncus sp. Hanging swamps can be found on sandstone and dunes, with the dominant species being Gahnia aspera and Banksia robur. A raised sphagnum bog (Sphagnum sp.) is located at Wingecarribee.
Wollemi National Park is the largest reserve in the Sydney Basin IBRA bioregion, and protects many threatened species including locally endemic species such as Apatophyllum constablei, Acacia asparagoides, Eucalyptus bensonii and Rupicola decumbens, and the recently discovered Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis). Mellong Swamp in the Wollemi National Park has a unique plant community that provides important habitat for reptiles and invertebrates. Other important vegetation communities include yellow box - ironbark woodlands in the northern escarpments of the bioregion. These are thought to provide important habitat for species such as the regent honeyeater (Xanthomyza phrygia).
Figure 48 Dominant vegetation communities in the Sydney Basin bioregion
Data: Department of the Environment (Dataset 1)
A search of the BioNet Atlas of NSW Wildlife (NSW Environment and Heritage, 2014) found that the IBRA subregions listed in Table 21 contained 50 endangered or vulnerable plant communities (Table 22), 26 endangered populations (Table 23), 154 endangered or vulnerable animals (Table 24), nine endangered or vulnerable fungi (Table 25) and 222 endangered or vulnerable plants (Table 26), all listed under the NSW Conservation Act 1995 (the TSC Act). Threatened and endangered animals included 9 amphibians, 93 birds, one gastropod, three insects, 40 mammals and eight reptiles. A further 452 plants and 692 animals had ‘protected status’. Threatened species include the brush-tailed rock wallaby (Petrogale penicillata), koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis), brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa), tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), broadheaded snake (Hoplocephalus bungaroides), glossy black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami), turquoise parrot (Neophema pulchella) and powerful owl (Ninox strenua). Under the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), 133 flora (Table 25, Table 26) and 117 fauna species are listed (Table 24). Twenty-one endangered ecological communities (Table 22) and two endangered populations (Table 23) were also listed under the EPBC Act. General threats to the terrestrial communities and species in the bioregion include broad-scale vegetation clearing, loss of remnants, stock grazing, weed invasion and urbanisation.
Table 22 Endangered ecological communities within the Sydney Basin bioregion
Endangered ecological communities (EEC) as listed under either the TSC Acta that are known or predicted to lie within the Greater Sydney, Central Tablelands, Hunter and South East LLSsc and one or more of the IBRAd subregions listed in Table 21. Where an EEC is also listed under the EPBC Actb as a Threatened Ecological Community under another name, this has also been indicated.
aNSW’sThreatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act)
bthe Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
clocal land services areas (NSW Government, 2014)
dInterim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA), (Environment Australia, 2000)
etypology and punctuation are given as they are used in the legislation.
Data: NSW Environment and Heritage (2014)
Table 23 Endangered populations within the Sydney Basin bioregion
Endangered populations as listed under the TSC Acta orEPBC Actb that are known or predicted to lie within the Sydney Basin bioregion.
aNSW’s Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act)
bthe Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
ctypology and punctuation are given as they are used in the legislation.
Data: NSW Environment and Heritage (2014)
Table 24 Threatened animal species within the Sydney Basin bioregion
Threatened animal species listed under either the TSC Acta or the EPBC Actb known to live within the Sydney Basin bioregion. ‘Migratory’ refers to species listed under the China, Japan or Korea Australia Migratory Bird Agreement. Typology and punctuation are given as they are used in the legislation.
aNSW’s Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act)
bthe Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
Data: NSW Environment and Heritage (2014)
Table 25 Threatened fungi species within the Sydney Basin bioregion
Threatened fungi species listed under the TSC Acta that are known or predicted to lie within the Sydney Basin bioregion – none were listed under the EPBC Actb. Typology and punctuation are given as they are used in the legislation.
aNSW’s Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act)
bthe Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
Data: NSW Environment and Heritage (2014)
Table 26 Threatened plant species known to occur within the Sydney Basin bioregion
Threatened plant species listed under either the TSC Acta or the EPBC Actb known to live within the Sydney Basin bioregion. Typology and punctuation are given as they are used in the legislation.
aNSW’s Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (the TSC Act)
bthe Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act)
cmany plant species are not known by common names
