Vegetation class map
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Key:
<1%
1-10%
10-50%
>50%
Estimated percentage landcover for vegetation class
Structure
Tall dense eucalypt forest 30 - 60 m tall, with an open subcanopy of tall mesophyllous shrubs. The understorey comprises abundant smaller shrubs and a thick but patchy groundcover of ferns and
herbs.
Trees
The upper canopy comprises Eucalyptus campanulata (New England blackbutt), E. laevopinea (silver-top stringybark), E. microcorys and E. saligna (Sydney blue gum
) while the lower canopy often includes Banksia integrifolia subsp. monticola,
Caldcluvia paniculosa, Callicoma serratifolia (black wattle), Elaeocarpus reticulatus <
/em>(blueberry ash), Psychotria loniceroides (hairy psychotria), Synoum glandulosum
(scentless rosewood). In some areas Eucalyptus brunnea, E. obliqua (
messmate) and Lophostemon confertus (brush box) are abundant in the upper canopy.
Shrubs
Polyscias sambucifolia subsp. A (elderberry panax), Tasmannia insipida (brush pepperbush), Trochocarpa laurina (tree heath).
Scramblers
Eustrephus latifolius (wombat berry), Geitonoplesium cymosum (scrambling lily)
, Hibbertia dentata (twining guinea flower), H. scandens var. scandens (climbing guinea flower), Petermannia cirrosa, Smilax glyciphylla (sweet
sarsaparilla).
Forbs
Dianella caerulea var. producta (blue flax lily), Gonocarpus oreophilus,
Gymnostachys anceps (settlers flax), Adiantum formosum (giant maidenhair),
Blechnum cartilagineum (gristle fern), Blechnum wattsii (hard water fern),
Calochlaena dubia (common ground fern), Cyathea australis (rough treefern),
Doodia aspera (prickly rasp-fern), Sticherus lobatus (spreading shield fern).
Habitat
Above 600 m elevation on moist plateaux and associated slopes of the escarpmenton loams derived
from fine-grained sedimentary rocks and granites. Average annual rainfall varies between 1000 and
2000 mm.
Distribution
Upper eastern slopes of the escarpment and associated plateaux north from Barrington continuing
into south-east Queensland. Examples occur in Washpool, New England, Werrikimbe and Barrington
Tops national parks.
Notes
Moderately species-rich vegetation grading into North Coast Wet Sclerophyll Forests at lower
elevations and Northern Tablelands Wet Sclerophyll Forests with decreasing rainfall.
Sources
NPWS (1999); Clarke et al. (2000)
See all threatened species associated with this vegetation class
See a
list of species, populations and ecological communities
associated with the Northern Escarpment Wet Sclerophyll Forests vegetation class.