Indicative distribution
The areas shown in pink and/purple are the sub-regions where the species or community is known or predicted to occur. They may not occur thoughout the sub-region but may be restricted to certain areas.
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click here to see geographic restrictions).
The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.
Scientific name: Coolibah-Black Box Woodland in the Darling Riverine Plains, Brigalow Belt South, Cobar Peneplain and Mulga Lands Bioregions
Gazetted date:
14 May 2004
Profile last updated:
20 Dec 2023
Description
A woodland community of flora and fauna is found on the grey, self-mulching clays of periodically waterlogged floodplains, swamp margins, ephemeral wetlands, and stream levees. The structure of the community may vary from tall riparian woodlands to very open 'savanna like' grassy woodlands with a sparse midstorey of shrubs and saplings. Typically these woodlands form mosaics with grasslands and wetlands, and are characterised by Coolibah (Eucalyptus coolabah) and, in some areas, Black Box (E. largiflorens). Other tree species may be present including River Cooba (Acacia stenophylla), Cooba (A. salicina), Belah (Casuarina cristata) and Eurah (Eremophila bignoniiflora).
Distribution
The definition of this community has been recently expanded in a NSW Scientific Determination to include woodlands in Cobar Peneplain and Mulga Lands bioregions, in addition to the northern riverine plains in the Darling Riverine Plains and Brigalow Belt South bioregions. The Commonwealth also defines the community as extending further south.
Habitat and ecology
- Abiotic factors that help define this community are that it typically occurs on grey self-mulching clays of periodically waterlogged floodplains, swamp margins, ephemeral wetlands and stream levees.
- The vegetative community provides characteristic habitat features of value to particular fauna, including a grassy understorey with scattered fallen logs, areas of deep-cracking clay soils, patches of thick regenerating Eucalyptus saplings, and large trees containing a diverse bark and foliage foraging resource and an abundance of small and large hollows. The fertile and relatively mesic environment of these woodlands provides essential resources for the persistence of fauna in the semi-arid region, supports a wide range of declining woodland birds and provides important nesting sites for colonial breeding waterbirds.
- Groundcover vegetation can vary significantly depending on flooding frequency, depth and duration. In dry periods the understorey can be dominated by Black Roly-poly Sclerolaena muricata and other chenopods, whereas in inundated situations the semi-aquatic species of Sedges such as Eleocharis species can dominate along with Buttercups (Ranunculus sp.) and Poison Pratia (Lobelia concolor). Phases dominated by exotic species such as Noogoora Burr (Xanthium occidentale) can also become very dominant as the soil profile dries out after inundation.
Regional distribution and habitat
Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.
Threats
- Land clearing for infrastructure, rural and agricultural development and associated activities.
- Changes in flooding regimes due to altered geomorphology (for example from flood mitigation as drainage works) leading to hydrological changes resulting in less frequent flooding events and affecting recruitment in some locations.
- Invasion by introduced plant species (various weeds including lippia, african boxthorn and especially Hudson's pear) which has the potential to completely degrade the TEC.
- Degradation of TEC by overgrazing and trampling by stock resulting in losses of plant species and structural diversity (simplification of the understorey and groundlayer and suppression of overstorey regeneration), erosion and other soil changes (e.g. loss of cryptogams, increased nutrient status).
- Predation of native animals by feral cats and foxes.
- Habitat degradation by feral goats.
- Loss and degradation of habitat by feral pigs. Predation of waterbird nesting sites in flood times.
- Alteration in groundwater interactions in some areas from over-extraction (e.g. saline groundwater rising closer to surface areas, herbicide contamination).
- Lack of recruitment in some areas, particularly east of Walgett.
- Too frequent fires will kill juvenile and degrade mature tree stocks and alter the characteristic groundcover composition within the TEC.
- Firewood collection
- Vegetation fragmentation mainly in the eastern portions of TEC distribution.
- Drift of herbicides and pesticides
Recovery strategies
A Saving Our Species conservation project is currently being developed for this species and will be available soon. For information on how you can contribute to this species' recovery, see the Activities to assist this species section below.
Activities to assist this species
- Reduce intensity or exclude grazing in grasslands and wetlands to increase competition by native plants over exotics and allow regeneration fauna habitat (e.g. food sources or nest sites).
- Restrict cultivation around suitable ground habitat.
- Facilitate wetland health through appropriate local water regulation (whenever possible, given broadscale water regimes and river flows).
- Retention of grasslands, riparian vegetation and understorey shrubs, including the full cycle of vegetation development.
- Retain hollows (including protection of existing mature trees), plant native hollow producing species, ensure that some trees are always left to grow to maturity, and as a last resort place artificial hollows (e.g. nest boxes) in areas currently lacking hollows.
- Retain fallen logs as fauna habitat. Large logs embedded in the soil create essential microhabitat for some species and hollow logs serve as shelter for other species.
- Fence riparian areas to prevent grazing of vegetation and erosion of stream banks.
- Conservation of woodlands, grasslands and wetlands to prevent further clearing of habitat such as nesting sites and food sources.
- Revegetation of gullies and stream banks where vegetation has been cleared; widen the strip of riparian vegetation.
Information sources
- Benson, J.S., Allen, C.B., Togher, C. and Lemmon, J. (2006) New South Wales Vegetation Classification and Assessment: Part 1 Plant communities of the NSW Western Plains. Cunninghamia 9(3): 383-450
- Good, M.K., Price, J.N., Clarke, P. and Reid, N. (2011) Densely regenerating coolibah (Eucalyptus coolabah) woodlands are more species-rich than surrounding derived grasslands in floodplains of eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 59(5): 468-479
- Keith, D.A., Orscheg, C., Simpson, C.C., Clarke, P.J., Hughes, L., Kennelly, S.J., Major, R.E., Soderquist, T.R., Wilson, A.L. and Bedward, M. (2009) A new approach and case study for estimating extent and rates of habitat loss for ecological communities. Biological Conservation 142(7): 1469-1479
- NSW Scientific Committee (2004) Coolibah - Black Box Woodland of the northern riverine plains in the Darling Riverine Plains and Brigalow Belt South bioregions - Endangered ecological community determination - final.
- NSW Scientific Committee (2009) Coolibah - Black Box Woodland of the northern riverine plains in the Darling Riverine Plains and Brigalow Belt South bioregions - determination to reject delisting of ecological community - final.
- NSW Scientific Committee (2012) Coolibah - Black Box Woodland in the Darling Riverine Plains, Brigalow Belt South, Cobar Peneplain and Mulga Lands Bioregions - Endangered ecological community determination - final.
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