Description
Southern Highlands Shale Woodland is a variable community in terms of both structure and composition. The community may exist as tall open forest, grassy woodland or scrub; though it originally existed as woodland. The dominant canopy species vary across the distribution of the community. Common species throughout much of the community’s range are Mountain Grey Gum Eucalyptus cypellocarpa, Sydney Peppermint E. piperita, Swamp Gum E. ovata, Narrow-leafed Peppermint E. radiata and White Stringybark E. globoidea. Brittle Gum E. mannifera, Snow Gum E. pauciflora, Cabbage Gum E. amplifolia and Rough-barked Apple Angophora floribunda are less common. Camden Woollybutt E. macarthurii occurs throughout, but appears to be most common in the south-west of the distribution of the community, around Bundanoon. The shrub layer is usually open, though there may be denser patches of shrubs in some areas. As with the canopy layer, the shrub layer of this community varies (eg. typical species in the north-eastern parts of the distribution of the community include Oxylobium ilicifolium, Melalueca thymifolia and Olearia microphylla, while in south-western areas these species are rare or absent and Daviesia ulicifolia may be locally common). The groundlayer is usually diverse and dominated by native grasses such as Themeda australis, Austrostipa rudis, Microlaena stipoides and Austrodanthonia species. Common herb species include Gonocarpus tetragynus, Veronica plebeia, Hypericum gramineum, Poranthera microphylla and Viola hederacea.
Location and habitat
DistributionSouthern Highlands Shale Woodland is confined to a small area in the Southern Highlands. It occurs roughly within an area bounded by the Illawarra Escarpment in the east, Burrawang and Bundanoon in the south, Canyonleigh in the west and Berrima and Colo Vale in the north. Occurs in the Wingecarribee local government area, but may occur elsewhere in the Sydney Basin Bioregion. Habitat and ecology
Restricted to clay soils derived from Wianamatta Shale.
Occurs at elevations of between 600 to 800 m.
Generally found on gently rolling hills, though sometimes on steeper slopes in some areas.
Found in areas where rainfall ranges from 1400 mm in the east to 900 mm in the west.
Occurs mostly in scattered patches of less than 5 hectares in area, remnants are extensively fragmented; about 2000 hectares, or less than 5% of the original extent now remains.
Disturbed remnants are considered to form part of the community, including where the vegetation would respond to assisted natural regeneration.
Fauna species that may occur in remnants include Giant Burrowing Frog, (Heleioporus australiacus), Rosenberg's Goanna (Varanus rosenbergi), Glossy Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami), Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua), Regent Honeyeater (Xanthomyza phrygia) and Yellow-bellied Glider (Petaurus australis).
Regional informationThis species is found in the following catchment management authority regions. Click on a region name to see more details about the distribution, vegetation types and habitat preference of the species in that region.
Hawkesbury/Nepean
Southern Rivers
Threats
Continued clearing, degradation and fragmentation of remnants for agricultural activities (including pine plantations), and infrastructure and residential development.
Degradation of condition, with aging trees, lack of regeneration and weed invasion.
Continuous heavy grazing and trampling of remnants by grazing stock, resulting in ringbarking and losses of plant species (simplification of the understorey and groundlayer and suppression of overstorey), erosion and other soil changes (including increased nutrient status).
Harvesting of firewood (either living or standing dead, including material on the ground).
Invasion of remnants by non-native plant species, including noxious weeds, pasture species and environmental weeds.
Disturbance and clearance of remnants during road maintenance and upgrades.
Recovery strategies
Priority actions are the specific, practical things that must be done to recover a threatened species, population or ecological community. The Department of Environment and Conservation has identified 5 priority actions to help recover the Southern Highlands Shale Woodlands in the Sydney Basin Bioregion in New South Wales.
What needs to be done to recover this species?
Do not harvest firewood from remnants (this includes living or standing dead trees and fallen material).
Erect on-site markers to alert maintenance staff to the presence of a high quality remnant.
Encourage regeneration by fencing remnants, controlling stock grazing and undertaking supplementary planting, if necessary.
Undertake weed control (taking care to remove only target species).
Protect all sites from further clearing and disturbance.
Mark remnants onto maps (of the farm, shire, region, etc) and use to plan activities (e.g. remnant protection, rehabilitation or road, rail and infrastructure maintenance work).