Vegetation class map
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Key:
<1%
1-10%
10-50%
>50%
Estimated percentage landcover for vegetation class
Structure
Tall eucalypt forest 30-40m, with an open subcanopy of non-rainforest trees up to 15 m tall,
scattered understorey shrubs and a dense groundcover of grasses and herbs.
Trees
The canopy is dominated by a combination of Eucalyptus brunnea, E. cameronii (
diehard stringybark), E. campanulata (New England blackbutt), E. obliqua (
messmate), E. saligna (Sydney blue gum), with E. dorrigoensis (Dorrigo white gum) and E. nobilis (ribbon gum) localised in open gullies. An open subcanopy may
be formed by Acacia irrorata (green wattle), Allocasuarina littoralis (black
sheoak), A. torulosa (forest oak) and Banksia integrifolia subsp.
monticola.
Shrubs
Goodia lotifolia (golden-tip), Hibbertia aspera (rough guinea flower),
Indigofera australis (hill indigo), Leucopogon lanceolatus, Persoonia linearis narrow-leaved geebung), P. media, Polyscias sambucifolius, Rubus parvifolius (native raspberry). Less commonly present, Lomatia fraseri (silky lomatia) and
Trochocarpa laurina (tree heath) have scattered occurrence.
Scramblers
Hibbertia scandens (climbing guinea flower).
Forbs
Dianella caerulea (blue flax lily), Dichondra repens (kidney weed),
Drymophila moorei (orange berry), Poranthera microphylla, Pratia purpurascens white root), Viola betonicifolia (mountain violet), V. hederacea (ivy-leaved
violet), Pteridium esculentum (bracken), Deyeuxia parviseta var. parviseta,
Entolasia stricta (wiry panic), Lomandra longifolia (spiny-headed mat-rush),
Microlaena stipoides var. stipoides (weeping grass), Poa labillardieri,
Poa sieberiana var. sieberiana (snowgrass).
Habitat
Elevated plateaux and upper escarpment slopes above 800 m. These areas receive approximately
950-1100 mm rainfall annually, less than the adjacent escarpment edge and slopes. Soils are
relatively fertile loams derived mainly from fine-grained metasediments.
Distribution
Escarpments and associated plateaux north from Barrington district, extending a short way into
south-east Queensland, with outliers extending west along the Liverpool Range. Examples occur on
the Carrai Plateau, and the western parts of New England, Guy Fawkes River and Washpool national
parks.
Notes
Relatively species-rich assemblages, primarily due to their diverse ground flora. Grades into
Northern Escarpment Wet Sclerophyll Forests with increasing moisture status and Northern
Tableland Grassy Woodlands with decreasing moisture status. Relatively unaffected by land
clearing, the main conservation challenges are management of the impacts of fires and livestock
grazing on understorey structure and diversity.
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 Tableland Wet Sclerophyll Forests vegetation class.