Vegetation class map
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Key:
<1%
1-10%
10-50%
>50%
Estimated percentage landcover for vegetation class
Structure
Closed forest. Tree canopy even, up to 30 m tall, generally lacking emergents, and generally comprising 4-15 species with similar leaf sizes. Occasional lianas and epiphytes, open shrub/sapling stratum and variable fern/herb groundcover amongst copious leaf litter. Mosses, liverworts and lichens may be conspicuous on tree trunks or the forest floor.
Trees
The canopy is dominated by Acmena smithii (lilly pilly), Ceratopetalum apetalum (coachwood) and Doryphora sassafras (sassafras). Other trees, such as Endiandra sieberi (hard corkwood), Pittosporum undulatum (sweet pittosporum), Quintinia sieberi (possumwood) are scattered throughout. North from Barrington Tops Caldcluvia paniculosa (soft corkwood) and Orites excelsa (prickly ash), are common.
Shrubs
Orites excelsa, Cordyline stricta, Tasmannia insipida, Citriobatus Callicoma serratifolia (black wattle), Citriobatus pauciflorus (orange thorn), Cordyline stricta (narrow-leaved palm lily), Rapanea howittiana (brush muttonwood), Tasmannia insipida (brush pepperbush).
Scramblers
Cephalaralia cephalobotrys (climbing panax), Hibbertia scandens var. glabra, Marsdenia rostrata (common milk vine), Morinda jasminoides, Pandorea pandorana (wonga wonga vine), Parsonsia purpurascens (black silkpod), Petermannia cirrosa, Ripogonum discolor (prickly supplejack), Smilax australis (sarsaparilla).
Forbs
Dianella caerulea var. producta (blue flax lily), Asplenium australasicum (birds nest fern), Blechnum cartilagineum (gristle fern), Calochlaena dubia (common ground fern), Cyathea australis (rough treefern), Histiopteris incisa (bats wing fern), Lastreopsis decomposita (trim shield fern), Microsorum pustulatum subsp. pustulatum, Lomandra spicata.
Habitat
Sheltered gullies and slopes in hilly to steep terrain of the coast and escarpment on moderately fertile soils in high rainfall areas, extending above 1000 m, elevation, on granites, rhyolites, syenites or sedimentary substrates that yield acid soils with moderate levels of nutrients.
Distribution
Escarpment & associated foothills from Queensland border to Batemans Bay. Extensive stands at Washpool, Dorrigo, Werrikimbee and the Illawarra escarpment, and abundant small patches in the Blue Mountains. Largely confined to New South Wales.
Notes
Tree diversity declines with increasing latitude and altitude. A transition from Northern to Moderately species-rich vegetation with 3-6 dominant trees, becoming more depauperate with increasing latitude and grading into Southern Warm Temperate Rainforests between the Shoalhaven River Illawarra and Batemens Bay. Grades into Cool Temperate Rainforests at elevations > c. 800 m.
Sources
Floyd (1990); Clarke et al. (2000); NPWS (2002)
See all threatened species associated with this vegetation class
See a
list of species, populations and ecological communities
associated with the Northern Warm Temperate Rainforests vegetation class.