2.7.6 'Rainforest' landscape group

Summary

The ‘Rainforest’ landscape group is distinguished primarily by its vegetation structure and composition. The ‘Rainforest’ landscape group is predominately ‘Dry Rainforest’ or ‘Western Vine Thickets’ (both threatened vegetation classes in NSW). ‘Rainforest’ and ‘Rainforest groundwater-dependent ecosystem (GDE)’ landscape classes in the eastern portion of the Namoi assessment extent tend to occupy higher elevations on scree slopes and gullies in Mt Kaputar National Park and other similar mountainous terrain. Further west on the Liverpool Plains, the remnants of the ‘Rainforest’ landscape group are predominantly semi-evergreen thicket or low microphyll vine forest occupying habitats on basalt outcrops and sandstone hills.

A very small proportion of the ‘Rainforest’ landscape group within the assessment extent is located within the zone of potential hydrological change. There is 4 km2 of the ‘Rainforest’ landscape class and 0.3 km2 of the ‘Rainforest GDE’ landscape class within the zone of potential hydrological change in the Namoi subregion.

A qualitative model was developed for this landscape group given the conservation values surrounding the vegetation types common to this group. This model identified groundwater drawdown as being critical to supporting many biophysical components of the model. Given the limited resources and the limited extent of this landscape group, a receptor impact model was not formulated.

Last updated:
6 December 2018
Thumbnail of the Namoi subregion

Product Finalisation date

2018
PRODUCT CONTENTS

ASSESSMENT