Western Sydney Dry Rainforest and Moist Woodland on Shale - profile

Gazetted date: 27 Feb 2013

Profile last updated: 04 Mar 2024

The Western Sydney Dry Rainforest and Moist Woodland on Shale ecological community covers two vegetation units, Western Sydney Dry Rainforest and Moist Shale Woodland, described by Tozer (2003) and Tozer et al. (2010) and listed as endangered under the New The ground stratum of the dry rainforest form typically is comprised of a mixture of fern and forrb species with grasses being absent to uncommon and mosses aslo rare. In the moist woodland form, some rainforest-affiliated species also remain and grasses can be more abundant, comprising shade and moisture-tolerant species such as Echinopogon ovatus (forest hedgehog grass), Microlaena stipoides (weeping grass) and Oplismenus imbecillis (creeping beardgrass). Fern and forb species recorded as occurring in the ground layer of the ecological community include: Adiantum aethiopicum (common maidenhair), Asplenium flabellifolium (necklace fern), Cheilanthes distans (bristly cloak fern), Desmodium brachypodum (large tick-trefoil), Desmodium varians (slender tick-trefoil), Dichondra spp. (kidney weed), Doodia aspera (rasp fern), Einadia hastata (berry saltbush), Einadia nutans subsp. nutans (climbing saltbush), Galium leiocarpum (bedstraw), Geranium homeanum (cranesbill), Glycine clandestina (twining glycine), Nyssanthes diffusa (barbwire weed), Oxalis perennans (wood sorrel), Pellaea falcata (sickle fern), Plectranthus parviflorus (cockspur flower), Pyrrosia rupestris (rock felt fern), Sigesbeckia orientalis subsp. orientalis (Indian weed), Rumex brownii (swamp dock), Solanum spp. (e.g. S. prinophyllum (forest nightshade) and S. pungetium (jagged nightshade)), Stellaria flaccida (forest starwort), Urtica incisa (stinging nettle) and Wahlenbergia gracilis (sprawling bluebell). The ecological community supports a wide range of animal species, including small mammals (particularly micro-bats), insectivorous, frugivorous and seed-foraging ground-dwelling birds, birds of prey, skinks, snakes, frogs and a large range of invertebrates. The vegetation structure and species composition of the ecological community provides shelter, food and nesting material for these animals, which in turn play important roles in the ongoing function of the ecosystem. A small number of plants and animals likely to be present in the ecological community are listed as threatened at the national and/or state level. A more comprehensive description of the ecological community is contained in the Listing Advice which is available on the Internet at: www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publiclookupcommunities.pl South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW Scientific Committee, 2000a; 2000b). The ecological community varies from a low closed rainforest, typically in lower slopes and gullies, to a more open moist woodland form on upper slopes and disturbed sites. Emergent trees can be up to around 25 m high and a lower tree layer is often present. Dominant species of the canopy and the sub-canopy vary across the latitudinal range of the ecological community, and also according to the available moisture and shelter. Each dry rainforest stand is unique in its assemblage of species, although there are a group of common species throughout with local floristics depending on local conditions. In sheltered gullies and on lower slopes the canopy layer of the ecological community is typically dominated by Melaleuca styphelioides (prickly-leaved paperbark). Other diagnostic tree species include Acacia implexa (hickory wattle), Alectryon subcinereus (native quince), Brachychiton populneus (kurrajong), Corymbia maculata (spotted gum), Melicope micrococca (white euodia) and Streblus brunonianus (whalebone tree). Eucalyptus spp. occur as emergents in the rainforest form, and grade into a canopy in moist woodlands, the dominant species generally being E. tereticornis (forest red gum), E. moluccana (coastal grey box) and/or E. crebra (narrow-leaved ironbark). Mesic species commonly occur in the shrub layer of the ecological community and some shrub species are prickly. Characteristic shrub species include Breynia oblongifolia (coffee bush), Clerodendrum tomentosum (hairy clerodendrum) and Notelaea longifolia f. longifolia (large mock-olive), which are common in both the dry rainforest and moist woodland forms of the ecological community. At sites where the dry rainforest form is present additional shrub species are common, including Abutilon oxycarpum var. oxycarpum (lantern bush), Deeringia amaranthoides (shrubby deeringia), Melicytus dentatum (tree violet), Myrsine variabilis (muttonwood), Pittosporum multiflorum (orange thorn), P. revolutum (yellow pittosporum) and Solanum stelligerum (Devil’s needles). Other shrub species present in the moist woodland form of the ecological community include Bursaria spinosa (blackthorn) and Olearia viscidula (wallaby weed). Vines and other climber species are typically common throughout the ecological community. Species frequently recorded in patches of the ecological community include: Aphanopetalum resinosum (gum vine), Cayratia clematidea (native grape), Celastrus australis (staff climber), Cissus antarctica (kangaroo vine), Clematis glycinoides var. glycinoides (headache vine), Eustrephus latifolius (wombat berry), Geitonoplesium cymosum (scrambling lily), Glycine clandestina (twining glycine), Pandorea pandorana (Wonga Wonga vine), Ripogonum album (white supplejack), Rubus parvifolius (native raspberry), Sarcopetalum harveyanum (pearl vine) and Stephania japonica var. discolor (snake vine). In order to meet the definition of the TEC sites must satisfy condition criteria stipulated in the Listing Advice and/or Conservation Advice. Typically condition is assessed by reference to patch size and vegetation structure thresholds or species composition metrics.