Blue Mountains Swamps in the Sydney Basin Bioregion - profile

Indicative distribution

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known

predicted

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. ( click here to see geographic restrictions). The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.

Scientific name: Blue Mountains Swamps in the Sydney Basin Bioregion

Conservation status in NSW: Vulnerable Ecological Community

Commonwealth status: Not listed

Gazetted date: 10 Aug 2007

Profile last updated: 12 Sep 2024

Description

The Blue Mountains Swamps community is characterised by a dense mixture of shrubs and sedges, most of which have sclerophyllous foliage. The shrub stratum typically varies from 0.5 m to over 2.0 m tall and is highly variable in cover. The ground stratum may be up to about 1 m tall and is dominated by a dense sward of sclerophyllous sedges and grasses except in patches where these are displaced by a dense cover of taller shrubs. Ferns, forbs and small shrubs are scattered amongst the sedges and grasses. There is considerable local variation within the swamps in species composition and vegetation structure, which is apparently related to local soil properties and fire history.

Structure of the vegetation varies from closed heath or scrub to open heath to closed sedgeland or fernland. Among the frequently occurring large shrub species Weeping Baeckea (Baeckea linifolia), Prickly Tea-tree (Leptospermum juniperinum) and Needlebush (Hakea teretifolia) are relatively common, while Woolly Tea-tree (L. grandifolium) and Grevillea acanthifolia subsp. acanthifolia occur primarily on deeper, highly organic, frequently waterlogged soils, and L. polygalifolium and Hairpin Banksia (Banksia spinulosa) are typically found on intermittently waterlogged, shallower sandy soils with a moderate organic content. Small shrubs, including Almaleea incurvata, Blunt-leaf Heath (Epacris obtusifolia) and Pink Swamp Heath (Sprengelia incarnata), are typically more abundant on the less waterlogged soils. The large tussock sedge Button Grass (Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus), and rhizomatous sedges and cord rushes, including Lepidosperma limicola, Ptilothrix deusta, Lepyrodia scariosa and Leptocarpus tenax are generally common throughout the swamps, as are the grasses Wiry Panic (Entolasia stricta) and Tetrarrhena turfosa. Coral ferns (Gleichenia spp.), and Forked Sundew (Drosera binata) are typical of frequently waterlogged soils, while other herbs, including Dampiera stricta, Heathy Mirbelia (Mirbelia rubiifolia) and Raspwort (Gonocarpus teucrioides) occur in more open vegetation on intermittently waterlogged soils.

This community forms a component of the community Temperate Highland Peat Swamps on Sandstone which is listed as Endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Distribution

The Blue Mountains Swamps community has been recorded in the local government areas of Blue Mountains and Wollondilly within the Sydney Basin Bioregion and may occur elsewhere in the Bioregion. The Blue Mountains Swamps community has a total extent of occurrence of less than 2000 km², bounded approximately by the western Blue Mountains escarpment from Bell to Narrow Neck Peninsula, south to Lacys Tableland, the Hawkesbury-Nepean River from Lapstone to Kurrajong in the east, and Mt Wilson in the north.

Habitat and ecology

The Blue Mountains Swamps community is typically associated with the poorly drained headwaters of streams on the predominantly sandstone plateaux of the Blue Mountains. High levels of soil moisture result from the combination of high rainfall (typically exceeding an average of 1000 mm per annum), relatively slow runoff and low subsurface permeability.
The Blue Mountains Swamps community spans an altitudinal range of approximately 500 to 950 m above sea level.
With increasing elevation, the Blue Mountains Swamps community intergrades with Newnes Plateau Shrub Swamp in the Sydney Basin Bioregion, which is currently listed as an Endangered Ecological Community under the Threatened Species Conservation Act. The transition occurs around Bell and Clarence at approximately 850-950 m above sea level. The Blue Mountains Swamps community typically has a reduced cover of shrubs and a greater cover of sedges (particularly Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus).
The soils typically vary from damp grey-yellow sandy loams to black mineral peats, depending on the level of waterlogging.

Regional distribution and habitat

Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.

Sydney Basin

Threats

Inappropriate fire regime (particularly increased fire frequency) caused by bushfire hazard reduction activities and backburning (during wildfire). More intense fire regimes may result in incremental, long-term loss of peat, and contraction and degradation of this community.
Climate change effects such as reduced groundwater, increases in fire frequency and intensity, higher temperatures, and more extreme weather events leading to erosion and degradation of habitat.
Disturbance caused by wildfire and bushfire hazard reduction fire management activities such as construction of access tracks and fuel breaks, slashing, mowing and mechanical hazard reduction.
Agricultural activities (including grazing) resulting in loss of habitat and habitat degradation such as reduced water quality, erosion, sedimentation, drainage, nutrient enrichment, pesticide application, and weed invasion.
Clearing and development of land through urbanisation resulting in loss of habitat and/or habitat degradation such as reduced water quality, erosion, sedimentation, nutrient enrichment and weed invasion.
Groundwater extraction (domestic, agricultural, commercial and public water supply bores).
Increased sedimentation caused by construction, maintenance, and lack of maintenance of unsealed roads and tracks.
Increased stormwater run-off and reduced water quality from impermeable road surfaces entering swamp headwaters leading to erosion and habitat degradation.
Walking trails and tracks through swamp habitat and unauthorised use of off-road vehicles, including trail bikes.
Weed invasion causing degradation of habitat, such as increased shading from invasive shrubs and climbers.
Incursion into swamps by Sambar deer and pigs causing degradation of habitat through wallowing and trampling causing compaction, erosion, vegetation destruction and weed spread.
Inappropriate application of pesticides on, or adjacent to, swamps.

Recovery strategies

A targeted strategy for managing this species has been developed under the Saving Our Species program; click here for details. For more information on the Saving Our Species program click here

Activities to assist this species

Install stormwater control mechanisms to prevent off-site impacts from adjacent development.
Reduce urban runoff, sewerage overflows, illegal stormwater connections and groundwater extraction.
Prevent access to the community by off-road vehicles, bushwalkers or other trampling agents through signage, fencing or re-routing of tracks.
Undertake weed control as required using removal methods that will not damage the community.
Manage fire trails and unsealed roads to reduce sedimentation impacts.

Information sources

Benson, D.H. (1992) The natural vegetation of the Penrith 1:100 000 map sheet. Cunninghamia 2(4): 541-596
Holland, W.H., Benson, D.H. and McRae, R.H.D. (1991) Spatial and temporal variation in a perched headwater valley in the Blue Mountians: geology, geomorphology, vegetation, soils and hydrology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 113(4) 271-295
Keith, D.A., Rodoreda, S.Holman, L. and Lemmon, J. (2006) Monitoring Change in Upland Swamps in Sydney’s Water Catchments: the roles of fire and rain. Sydney Catchment Authority Special Areas Strategic Management Research and Data Program. Project No. RD07. (Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Sydney)
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2003) The Native Vegetation of the Warragamba Special Area. Part A: Technical Report. Part B: Vegetation Community Profiles. (NSW NPWS, Sydney)
NSW Scientific Committee (2007) Blue Mountains Swamps in the Sydney Basin Bioregion. Vulnerable ecological community determination - final.
NSW Scientific Committee (2011) Blue Mountains Swamps in the Sydney Basin Bioregion - Minor amendment to Vulnerable ecological community determination.
Tindall, D., Pennay, C., Tozer, M.G., Turner, K. and Keith, D.A. (2004) Native vegetation map report series No. 4. Araluen, Batemans Bay, Braidwood, Burragorang, Goulburn, Jervis Bay, Katoomba, Kiama, Moss Vale, Penrith, Port Hacking, Sydney, Taralga, Ulladulla, Wollongong (Priority 5 Mapping Area - P5MA). (NSW Dept. of Environment and Climate Change and NSW Dept. of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, Sydney)
Tozer, M.G., Turner, K., Keith, D.A., Tindall, D., Pennay, C., Simpson, C., MacKenzie, B., Beukers, P. and Cox, S. (2010) Native vegetation of southeast NSW: a revised classification and map for the coast and eastern tablelands. Cunninghamia 11(3): 359-406
Tozer, M.G., Turner, K., Simpson, C., Keith, D.A., Beukers, P., MacKenzie, B., Tindall, D. and Pennay, C. (2006) Native vegetation of south east NSW: a revised classification and map for the coast and eastern tablelands. V1.0. (NSW Dept. of Environment and Climate Change and NSW Dept. of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, Sydney)

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