New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Woodland on Basalts and Sediments in the New England Tableland Bioregion - Determination to make a minor amendment to Part 3 of Schedule 1 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Determination to make a minor amendment to Part 3 of Schedule 1 (Endangered ecological communities) of the Act by inserting the New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Woodland on Basalts and Sediments in the New England Tableland Bioregion (as described in the determination of the Scientific Committee under Division 5 Part 2) and as a consequence to omit reference to the New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Woodland on Basalts and Sediments in the New England Tableland Bioregion (as described in the final determination to list the ecological community) which was published on pages 10395 to 10398 in the NSW Government Gazette No. 178 dated 7 November 2003. Minor amendments to the Schedules are provided for by Division 5 of Part 2 of the Act.

The Scientific Committee is of the opinion that the amendment is necessary or desirable to correct minor errors or omissions in the Determination in relation to the Thackway and Cresswell (1995) reference.

NSW Scientific Committee - final determination

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1. New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Woodland on Basalts and Sediments in the New England Tableland Bioregion is the name given to the ecological community characterised by the species assemblage listed in paragraph 2. In NSW all sites are within the New England Tableland Bioregion. Bioregions are defined in Thackway and Cresswell (1995).

2. New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Woodland on Basalts and Sediments in the New England Tableland Bioregion is characterised by the following assemblage of species:

3 The total species list of the community is considerably larger than that given above, with many species present in only one or two sites or in very small quantity. The species composition of a site will be influenced by the size of the site, recent rainfall or drought condition and by its disturbance (including fire) history. The number of species, and the above ground relative abundance of species will change with time since fire, and may also change in response to changes in fire regime (including changes in fire frequency). At any one time, above ground individuals of some species may be absent, but the species may be represented below ground in the soil seed banks or as dormant structures such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes, rootstocks or lignotubers. The list of species given above is of vascular plant species; the community also includes micro-organisms, fungi, cryptogamic plants and a diverse fauna, both vertebrate and invertebrate. These components of the community are poorly documented.

4 New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Woodland on Basalts and Sediments in the New England Tableland Bioregion is dominated by trees of  Eucalyptus nova-anglica and occasionally  E.  dalrympleana subsp.  heptantha, usually 8-20 metres tall. There are few shrubs present, and none listed as common.  Ground cover is usually dense with  Asperula conferta,  Poa sieberiana,  Themeda australis,  Juncus filicaulis,  Dichondra repens,  Carex inversa,  Rumex brownii,  Acaena ovina and  Desmodium varians common. There is some variation in the structure due to different stages of regrowth after clearing or dieback.

5 New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Woodland on Basalts and Sediments in the New England Tableland Bioregion occurs primarily in valley flats subject to cold air drainage. The valley flats are composed of basaltic soils, fine-grained sedimentary and acid volcanic substrates with poorly drained loam-clay soils.

6 New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Woodland on Basalts and Sediments in the New England Tableland Bioregion is described in Benson and Ashby (2000) who list species to provide a guide to identification of the community. Care should be taken in the application and interpretation of indicator plant species because of sampling limitations, the reduction in species diversity in degraded sites, the fact that some species may only be present at a site at some times as a soil seed bank or as dormant bud or tubers.

7 New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Woodland on Basalts and Sediments in the New England Tableland Bioregion is or has been known to occur in the Dumaresq, Guyra, Inverell, Severn and Tenterfield Local Government Areas, but may occur elsewhere in the New England Tableland Bioregion.

8 Disturbed New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Woodland on Basalts and Sediments in the New England Tableland Bioregion remnants are considered to form part of the community including where the vegetation would respond to assisted natural regeneration, such as where the natural soil and associated seedbank is still at least partially intact.

9 New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Woodland on Basalts and Sediments in the New England Tableland Bioregion has been cleared for grazing and agricultural development. For example within the Guyra mapsheet, 2300ha (approx. 11%) of the original distribution remains (Benson and Ashby 2000) and much of this is in poor condition.

10 Less than 3% of the remaining area of New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Woodland on Basalts and Sediments in the New England Tableland Bioregion is thought to occur within conservation reserves. Reserves containing the community include Bolivia Hill, Boorolong, Mount Duval, Yina and Imbota Nature Reserves and Warra National Park.

11 Much of the remaining area of New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Woodland on Basalts and Sediments in the New England Tableland Bioregion has been disturbed by clearing, pasture improvement, grazing and dieback. Continuing threats include further clearing of remnants, grazing of the understorey, dieback, pasture improvement and weed invasion.

12 In view of the above the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Woodland on Basalts and Sediments in the New England Tableland Bioregion is likely to become extinct in nature in New South Wales unless the circumstances and factors threatening its survival cease to operate.

Dr Richard Major
Chairperson
Scientific Committee

Proposed Gazettal date: 02/12/11
Exhibition period: 02/12/11 – 03/02/12

Reference

Benson JS, Ashby EM (2000) Vegetation of the Guyra 1:100 000 map sheet New England Bioregion, New South Wales. Cunninghamia 6, 747-872.

Thackway R, Cresswell ID (1995) An interim biogeographic regionalisation for Australia: a framework for setting priorities in the National Reserves System Cooperative Program. (Version 4.0. Australian Nature Conservation Agency: Canberra.)