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: Moist Shale Woodland in the Sydney Basin Bioregion
Gazetted date:
19 Apr 2002
Profile last updated:
04 Mar 2024
Description
Similar to Cumberland Plain Woodland. It differs in having a shrub understorey that contains plants from moist habitats. Dominant canopy trees include Forest Red Gum Eucalyptus tereticornis, Grey Box E. moluccana, Narrow-leaved Ironbark E. crebra and Spotted Gum Corymbia maculata. Small trees, such as Hickory Wattle Acacia implexa and Sydney Green Wattle A. parramattensis subsp. parramattensis are also common. The shrub layer includes Breynia oblongifolia, Hairy Clerodendrum Clerodendrum tomentosum and Indian Weed Siegesbeckia orientalis subsp. orientalis. Contains many more species and other references should be consulted to identify these. This community is listed as Critically Endangered under the "Western Sydney Dry Rainforest and Moist Woodland on Shale" in the EPBC Act.
Distribution
Moist Shale Woodland usually occurs on soils derived from Wianamatta Shale on high country in the southern half of the Cumberland Plain, and occurs mainly in Wollondilly local government area. Also occurs in smaller amounts further north in the Camden, Campbelltown, Fairfield, Liverpool and Penrith local government areas. There are 604 ha remaining intact. A small remnant can be seen in Western Sydney Regional Park.
Habitat and ecology
- Mainly occurs in the hilly country with higher elevations where there is increased rainfall.
- Occurs on clay soils derived from Wianamatta shale and is intermediate between Cumberland Plain Woodland on drier sites and Western Sydney Dry Rainforest on wetter sites.
- Understorey shrubs in moist habitats are sensitive to fire and would be lost from the community with frequent fire.
- The shrubs and trees of Moist
Shale Woodland provide excellent
habitat for birds and insects, and provide ideal nesting
hollows for mammals and birds.
Regional distribution and habitat
Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.
Threats
- Clearing for both rural, industrial and urban development.
- Increased fragmentation of community and under scrubbing clearing of the mid and ground storey by private landholders.
- Inappropriate fire regimes to maintain the TEC in appropriate threshold (floristic diversity, structure, composition).
- Mixed weed invasion: Privet (Ligustrum sp.), Lantana (Lantana camara), Cat's Claw Creeper (Dolichandra unguis-cati), Asparagus Fern (Asparagus aethiopicus), invasive scramblers and vines.
- Erosion and landslip from clearing and reduced vegetation on steep slopes.
- Inappropriate access and illegal disturbance by recreational users, including track formation and rubbish dumping with remnant patches of the community.
- Grazing by livestock which prevents regrowth from coming back and erosion impacts along creeklines.
- Inappropriate water run-off entering the site, which leads to increased nutrients and sedimentation.
- Disturbance by feral animals: deer, pigs, goats, rabbits etc.
- Dieback of Eucalyptus canopy due to fragmentation, Psyllids and compounding stresses of multiple mistletoe plants within the canopy.
- Inappropriate land use and a limited potential to manage steep slopes appropriately in remnants on private land .
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
- Promote public involvement in restoration activities.
- Sites should be burned in a mosaic pattern, with no more than 30% of the community present in the management area burnt within any 15 year period. Where a management area exceeds 10 hectares, no more than 10% of the community within any management area should be burnt in one planned event. Any area to be subject to a planned burn should be assessed by suitably qualified persons to ensure species present in the area will not be adversely affected by the planned burning event.
- Protect habitat by minimising further clearing of the community. This requires recognition of the values of all remnants.
- Promote regeneration by avoiding prolonged or heavy grazing.
- Protect habitat by controlling run-off entering the site if it would change water, nutrient or sediment levels or cause erosion.
- Weed control.
- Undertake restoration including bush regeneration and revegetation.
Information sources
- Benson, D. and Howell, J. (2002) Cumberland Plain Woodland Ecology then and now: interpretations and implications from the work of Robert Brown and others. Cunninghamia 7(4):631-650
- Benson, D.H. and Howell, J. (2000) Sydney’s Bushland — More than Meets the Eye. (Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney)
- Cuneo, P. and Leishman, M.R. (2006) African Olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata) as an environmental weed in eastern Australia: a review. Cunninghamia 9(4):545-557
- NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2002) Native Vegetation of the Cumberland Plain - Final Edition. (NSW NPWS, Sydney)
- Tozer, M.G. (2003) The native vegetation of the Cumberland Plain, Western Sydney: systematic classification and field identification of communities. Cunninghamia 8(1): 1-75
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