1.1.7.2 Terrestrial species and communities


The Gloucester subregion lies almost entirely within the IBRA Karuah-Manning subregion within the IBRA NSW North Coast (NNC) bioregion and also within the North Coast botanical region described by Harden (1990). The vegetation of the IBRA NNC is briefly described as: humid; hills, coastal plains and sand dunes; EucalyptusLophostemon confertus tall open forests, Eucalyptus open forests and woodlands, subtropical rainforest (often with Araucaria cunninghamii and Melaleuca quinquenervia), wetlands and heaths (Environment Australia, 2000).

The IBRA Karuah-Manning subregion is located in the south of the IBRA NNC bioregion and is largely comprised of coastal barrier sands, estuarine plains and alluvial deposits (DECCW, 2009). Over half of this IBRA subregion has been cleared but it still supports significant wetlands, coastal sand heaths and woodlands from Fullerton Cove north to Port Stephens. The following description of the vegetation in the IBRA Karuah-Manning subregion is based on NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS, 2003). In the south of the IBRA NNC bioregion on the Barrington Plateau, cool temperate species are common and the fertile basaltic soils support rainforest including Antarctic beech (Nothofagus moorei) which forms a two tiered forest structure. Here it occurs as the only overstorey species with a fern understorey. Rainforests are also sometimes found inhabiting protected pockets where plant nutrients have accumulated in litter. In contrast, eucalypt vegetation communities mainly occur on granitic soils; dominant species include blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis), Sydney blue gum (Eucalyptus saligna), spotted gum (Eucalyptus maculata), grey gum (Eucalyptus punctata), forest red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis), red bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera), brush box (Tristania conferta) and white mahogany (Eucalyptus acmenoides).

In the coastal dunes, coastal tea tree (Leptospermum laevigatum) and coastal wattle (Acacia longifolia) occur near the beach, with some areas of beach she-oak (Casuarina equisetifolia), snappy gum (Eucalyptus racemosa), blackbutt, dwarf red bloodwood and bastard mahogany (Eucalyptus umbra). Banksia and bangalow palms are found in the dunes and heath and paperbark swamps occur behind the dunes and near the lagoons. Where sufficient nutrients have accumulated, rare patches of rainforest species may also be found.

Almost none of the Gloucester subregion lies within conservation reserves compared to 16% of the IBRA Karuah-Manning subregion. The majority of the Gloucester subregion is cleared (see Section 1.1.2). The major land uses are grazing on modified pastures, intensive urban use or other commercial uses. Much of the remnant vegetation in the Gloucester subregion lies within areas classified as ‘Other minimal use’ or ‘Water’, which are mainly distributed along the margins of the subregion, on or adjacent to hill slopes, or along watercourses. A significant nature conservation area lies south of the subregion along the eastern edge of the Karuah National Park. Much of the vegetation is eucalypt forest (see Section 1.1.2), with open eucalypt forest and grassy understorey being the single most common natural vegetation type within the subregion (Table 9). Much of the riparian zone has been cleared from the banks of the Gloucester River north of Gloucester along the Manning River. In contrast, the banks of the Karuah River from Stroud to Karuah are well-vegetated. The section of Karuah National Park within the subregion contains eucalypt forest with a broadleaf/fern or woody understorey and substantial areas of mangroves.

Table 9 Vegetation of the Gloucester subregion

Comparative areas of vegetation within the Gloucester subregion and the IBRA* Karuah-Manning subregion of the IBRA NSW North Coast bioregion.


Gloucester subregion

% area

Gloucester subregion

area (ha)

IBRA* Karuah-Manning subregion

% area

IBRA* Karuah-Manning subregion

area (ha)

Tropical or subtropical rainforest

0.0

1.1

4935

Eucalyptus (tall) open forest with a dense broad-leaved and/or tree-fern understorey (Eucalyptus open forests with a shrubby wet sclerophyll understorey)

3.6

1659

15.7

68,158

Eucalyptus open forests with a shrubby understorey

2.0

936

6.4

27,732

Eucalyptus open forests with a grassy understorey

11.7

5389

27.2

117,907

Eucalyptus woodlands with a shrubby understorey

1.8

849

3.2

13,889

Melaleuca open forests and woodlands

0.0

5

0.8

3273

Casuarina and Allocasuarina forests and woodlands

0.0

0.2

632

Heath

0.0

1.4

6188

Other shrublands

0.0

0.1

486

Mangroves

0.4

203

0.2

826

Naturally bare, sand, rock, claypan, mudflat

0.0

0.2

802

Freshwater, dams, lakes, lagoons or aquatic plants

1.1

484

5.3

22,772

Eucalyptus tall open forest with a fine-leaved shrubby understorey

1.7

794

9.7

42,195

Eucalyptus tall open forests and open forests with ferns, herbs, sedges, rushes or wet tussock grasses

0.0

4

0.1

368

Sedgelands, rushes or reeds

0.0

0.4

1605

Unclassified native vegetation

0.0

0.5

1987

Cleared, non-native vegetation, buildings

77.5

35,836

27.2

117,824

Unknown/No data

0.2

103

0.5

2291

Total

100.0

46,262

100.0

433,870

* Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia

Sixteen threatened ecological communities are listed under the TSC Act. One is listed as critically endangered and four are endangered (Table 10), and may be present within the IBRA Karuah-Manning subregion. This includes twelve vegetation and two animal threatened ecological communities. Five of the vegetation and one of the animal threatened ecological communities are also listed under the EPBC Act, including three listed as critically endangered (Table 10).

Table 10 Conservation status of threatened ecological communities found in the IBRA* Karuah-Manning subregion

As listed under NSW’s Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (the TSC Act) or the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act).


Community name

TSC Act

EPBC Act

Coastal Saltmarsh in the New South Wales North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions / Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh

endangered

vulnerable

Eucalyptus seeana population in the Greater Taree local government area

endangered

not listed

Freshwater Wetlands on Coastal Floodplains of the New South Wales North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions

endangered

not listed

Hunter Lowland Redgum Forest in the Sydney Basin and New South Wales North Coast Bioregions

endangered

not listed

Littoral Rainforest in the New South Wales North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions / Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia

endangered

critically endangered

Lowland Rainforest in the NSW North Coast and Sydney Basin Bioregions / Lowland Rainforest of Subtropical Australia

endangered

critically endangered

Lowland Rainforest on Floodplain in the New South Wales North Coast Bioregion / Lowland Rainforest of Subtropical Australia

endangered

critically endangered

Rhizanthella slateri (Rupp) M.A. Clem. & Cribb in the Great Lakes local government area / Rhizanthella slateri — Eastern Underground Orchid

endangered

endangered

River-Flat Eucalypt Forest on Coastal Floodplains of the New South Wales North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions

endangered

not listed

Subtropical Coastal Floodplain Forest of the New South Wales North Coast Bioregion

endangered

not listed

Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest of the New South Wales North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions

endangered

not listed

Swamp Sclerophyll Forest on Coastal Floodplains of the New South Wales North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions

endangered

not listed

Sydney Freshwater Wetlands in the Sydney Basin Bioregion

endangered

not listed

Themeda grassland on seacliffs and coastal headlands in the NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions

endangered

not listed

Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) population in the New South Wales North Coast Bioregion and Port Stephens local government area

endangered

not listed

Koala, Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens population / Koala (combined populations of Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory)

endangered

vulnerable

* Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia.

Source data: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp/AreaHabitatSearch.aspx?cmaname=Hunter-Central+Rivers.

There are 56 threatened fauna and twelve threatened flora species listed under the TCS Act that may occur within the Gloucester subregion (Table 11). This includes 18 threatened fauna and eight threatened flora species that are listed as vulnerable or endangered under the EPBC Act.


Table 11 Conservation status of threatened flora and fauna species recorded in the Gloucester bioregion

As listed under NSW’s Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (the TSC Act) or the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act) that have been recorded in or that may occur in the Gloucester subregion.

Source data: http://www.bionet.nsw.gov.au/.


Common name

Species name

TSC Act

EPBC Act

Broad-headed Snake

Hoplocephalus bungaroides

Endangered

Vulnerable

Stephens' Banded Snake

Hoplocephalus stephensii

Vulnerable

Not listed

Green and Golden Bell Frog

Litoria aurea

Endangered

Vulnerable

Stuttering Frog

Mixophyes balbus

Endangered

Vulnerable

Giant Barred Frog

Mixophyes iteratus

Endangered

Endangered

Magpie Goose

Anseranas semipalmata

Vulnerable

Marine

Australasian Bittern

Botaurus poiciloptilus

Vulnerable

Endangered

Bush Stone-curlew

Burhinus grallarius

Endangered

Not listed

Gang-gang Cockatoo

Callocephalon fimbriatum

Vulnerable

Not listed

Glossy Black-Cockatoo

Calyptorhynchus lathami

Vulnerable

Not listed

Spotted harrier

Circus assimilis

Vulnerable

Not listed

Brown Treecreeper

Climacteris picumnus

Vulnerable

Not listed

Barred Cuckoo-shrike

Coracina lineata

Vulnerable

Not listed

Eastern Bristlebird

Dasyornis brachypterus

Endangered

Endangered

Black-necked Stork

Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus

Endangered

Not listed

Red Goshawk

Erythrotriorchis radiatus

Critically Endangered

Vulnerable

White-throated Needletail

Hirundapus caudacutus

Not listed

Marine, Migratory

Comb-crested Jacana

Irediparra gallinacea

Vulnerable

Not listed

Black Bittern

Ixobrychus flavicollis

Vulnerable

Not listed

Swift Parrot

Lathamus discolor

Endangered

Endangered

Square-tailed Kite

Lophoictinia isura

Vulnerable

Not listed

Black-chinned Honeyeater

Melithreptus gularis

Vulnerable

Not listed

Rainbow Bee-eater

Merops ornatus

Not listed

Marine, Migratory

Black-faced Monarch

Monarcha melanopsis

Not listed

Marine, Migratory

Turquoise Parrot

Neophema pulchella

Vulnerable

Not listed

Barking Owl

Ninox connivens

Vulnerable

Not listed

Powerful Owl

Ninox strenua

Vulnerable

Not listed

Grey-crowned Babbler

Pomatostomus temporalis

Vulnerable

Not listed

Wompoo Fruit-Dove

Ptilinopus magnificus

Vulnerable

Not listed

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove

Ptilinopus regina

Vulnerable

Not listed

Superb Fruit-Dove

Ptilinopus superbus

Vulnerable

Marine

Speckled Warbler

Pyrrholaemus saggitatus

Vulnerable

Not listed

Rufous Fantail

Rhipidura rufifrons

Not listed

Marine, Migratory

Painted Snipe

Rostratula benghalensis

Endangered

Vulnerable

Masked Owl

Tyto novaehollandiae

Vulnerable

Not listed

Sooty Owl

Tyto tenebricosa

Vulnerable

Not listed

Regent Honeyeater

Xanthomyza phrygia

Endangered

Endangered

Large-eared Pied Bat

Chalinolobus dwyeri

Vulnerable

Vulnerable

Spotted-tailed Quoll

Dasyurus maculatus

Vulnerable

Endangered

Eastern False Pipistrelle

Falsistrellus tasmaniensis

Vulnerable

Not listed

Golden-tipped Bat

Kerivoula papuensis

Vulnerable

Not listed

Parma Wallaby

Macropus parma

Vulnerable

Not listed

Little Bent-wing Bat

Miniopterus australis

Vulnerable

Not listed

Eastern Bentwing-bat

Miniopterus schreibersii oceanensis

Vulnerable

Not listed

Eastern Free-tail Bat

Mormopterus norfolkensis

Vulnerable

Not listed

Large-footed Myotis (or Southern Myotis)

Myotis macropus

Vulnerable

Not listed

Yellow-bellied Glider

Petaurus australis

Vulnerable

Not listed

Squirrel Glider

Petaurus norfolcensis

Vulnerable

Not listed

Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby

Petrogale penicillata

Vulnerable

Vulnerable

Brush-tailed Phascogale

Phascogale tapoatafa

Vulnerable

Not listed

Koala

Phascolarctos cinereus

Vulnerable

Vulnerable

Common Planigale

Planigale maculata

Vulnerable

Not listed

Long-nosed Potoroo

Potorous tridactylus

Vulnerable

Vulnerable

New Holland Mouse, Pookila

Pseudomys novaehollandiae

Vulnerable

Endangered

Hastings River Mouse, Koontoo

Pseudomys oralis

Endangered

Vulnerable

Grey-headed Flying-fox

Pteropus poliocephalus

Vulnerable

Vulnerable

Yellow-bellied Sheath-tail Bat

Saccolaimus flaviventris

Vulnerable

Not listed

Greater Broad-nosed Bat

Scoteanax rueppellii

Vulnerable

Not listed

Red legged pademelon

Thylogale stigmatica

Vulnerable

Not listed

Eastern Cave Bat

Vespadelus troughtoni

Vulnerable

Not listed

Charmhaven Apple

Angophora inopina

Vulnerable

Vulnerable

Trailing Woodruff

Asperula asthenes

Vulnerable

Vulnerable

Netted Bottle Brush

Callistemon linearifolius

Vulnerable

Not listed

Leafless Tongue-orchid

Cryptostylis hunteriana

Vulnerable

Vulnerable

White-flowered Wax Plant

Cynanchum elegans

Endangered

Endangered

Slaty Red Gum

Eucalyptus glaucina

Vulnerable

Vulnerable

Guthrie's Grevillea

Grevillea guthrieana

Endangered

Endangered

Small-flower grevillea

Grevillea parviflora subsp. parviflora

Vulnerable

Vulnerable

Scant Pomaderris

Pomaderris queenslandica

Endangered

Not listed

Black-eyed Susan

Tetratheca juncea

Vulnerable

Vulnerable

Zannichellia palustris

Zannichellia palustris

Endangered

Not listed

Last updated:
5 January 2018