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Photographer: Leah Mackinnon WEEPING MYALL WOODLAND INTRODUCTION All part of a Community Ecological communities are groups of plants, animals and other organisms that naturally occur together. The structure and composition are determined by environmental factors such as climate, landscape position, soil, aspect and altitude. While a particular ecological community will vary in structure and composition across its range, there are common elements that clearly identify one ecological community as distinct from another. Ecological communities also exist in different condition ‘states’, each with defining characteristics. States range from high quality to degraded with several in between. Management affects the state of a community and depending on the type of management action, can cause a community to make a ‘transition’ to a better or worse state. Weeping Myall Woodland is listed as a threatened ecological community under the Australian Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). In NSW the community is listed under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act) as Myall Woodland in the Darling Riverine Plains, Brigalow Belt South, Cobar Peneplain, Murray-Darling Depression, Riverina and NSW South Western Slopes bioregions. Activities which affect the condition or extent of Weeping Myall Woodland may require consent or approval. Where does the community occur? Weeping Myall Woodland is found on grey, black and brown alluvial clay soils on plains and the edge of floodplains. It occurs across much of inland New South Wales, west of the Great Dividng Range. Weeping Myall Woodland Weeping Myall Woodland is a threatened ecological community. This open woodland occurs on clay soils on plains and is characterised by an overstorey dominated by Weeping myall (Acacia pendula) and a grassy understorey of perennial tussock grasses, chenopods and scattered shrubs. Unfortunately large areas of this woodland have been cleared and remaining patches are listed as endangered. The ecological community is home to many species of fauna including threatened species such as the painted honeyeater. Managing and enhancing biodiversity on your land helps build a resilient landscape that balances production and conservation Description Identification Weeping Myall Woodland has widely spaced trees with the canopy dominated by Weeping myall (Acacia pendula) up to 12 metres tall. The ground layer is dominated by perennial tussock grasses and chenopods. Scattered shrubs may also be present. There may be other trees and large shrubs present such as: Boonery (Alectryon oleifolius), Belah (Casuarina cristata), Bimble box (Eucalyptus populnea), Budda (Eremophila mitchellii) and Cooba (Acacia salicina). Grey mistletoe (Amyema quandang) is a common and important part of the community. Ground layer composition will vary according to seasonal rainfall and grazing management. The understorey is usually grassy but in some areas may be mainly shrubby. To fit the EPBC Act definition for this community a patch must: • be greater than 0.5 hectare • have a tree canopy that is dominated (at least 50% of trees present) by living, dead or defoliated Weeping myall trees • have greater than 5% canopy cover of live Myall trees or 25 dead trees • have either: - more than two layers of regeneration of Weeping myall present; or - the tallest layer of living, dead or defoliated Weeping myall trees is at least 4 m tall and of the vegetative cover present, 50% is comprised of native species. What is not Weeping Myall Woodland? Weeping Myall Woodland does not occur in floodplains that are frequently inundated. Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke Profile drawing of Weeping Myall Woodland community Plants of Weeping Myall Woodlands 1 2 DOMINANT CANOPY SPECIES GROUNDCOVER SPECIES Acacia pendula Weeping myall Casuarina cristataBelah Aristida leptopoda White speargrass Aristida ramosaWiregrass Atriplex elymoides Hoop Mitchell grass Astrebla lappacea Curly Mitchell grass Atriplex leptocarpa Slender-fruited saltbush Atriplex muelleri Mueller’s saltbush Atriplex semibaccata Berry saltbush Austrodanthonia bipartita Wallaby grass Austrodanthonia setacea Small-flower wallaby grass Austrostipa aristiglumis Plains grass Austrostipa blackii Boerhavia dominiiTarvine Chamaesyce drummondii Caustic weed Chloris truncata Windmill grass Dichanthium sericeum Queensland blue grass Enteropogon acicularis Twirly windmill grass Eragrostis setifoliaNeverfail Goodenia glauca Pale goodenia Maireana aphyllaCottonbush Maireana decalvans Black cottonbush Paspalidium constrictum Box grass Ptilotus exaltatusPtilotus Solanum esurialeQuena Sporobolus caroli Fairy grass Themeda avenacea Tall oatgrass Walwhalleya proluta Rigid panic ASSOCIATED CANOPY SPECIES Alectryon oleifolius Western rosewood Amyema quandang Grey mistletoe Atalaya hemiglaucaWhitewood Eucalyptus coolabahCoolibah Eucalyptus largiflorens Black box Eucalyptus populnea subsp. bimbil Poplar box MID-STOREY SPECIES Acacia oswaldiiMiljee Acacia salicinaCooba Apophyllum anomalum Warrior bush Capparis mitchellii Wild orange Enchylaena tomentosa Ruby saltbush Eremophila bignonifloraEurah Eremophila mitchelliiBudda Maireana aphylla Cotton bush Muehlenbeckia florulentaLignum Myoporum montanum Western boobialla Pimelea neo-anglica Poison pimelea Pittosporum angustifoliumButterbush Rhagodia spinescens Thorny saltbush Santalum lanceolatum Sandalwood Sclerolaena muricata Black rolypoly Vachellia farnesianaMimosa 4 Photo Key: 1 Weeping myall – Leah Mackinnon 3 2 Grey mistletoe – Leah Mackinnon 3 Sandalwood – Leah Mackinnon 4 Budda – Greg Steenbeeke 5 Belah, cone – Kelly Coleman 5 Animals of Weeping Myall Woodlands BIRDS: Parrots Red-winged parrot ▲ Budgerigar Blue bonnet Pale-headed rosella Eastern rosella Superb parrot ● Mulga parrot ▲ Eastern ringneck ▲ Red-rumped parrot Cockatoos Cockatiel Sulphur-crested cockatoo Little corella Major Mitchell’s cockatoo ● Red-tailed black-cockatoo ● Galah Ground feeding and low nesting birds Emu Bush stone-curlew ● Australian bustard ● Pheasant coucal ▲ Banded lapwing ▲ Masked lapwing Singing bushlark Richard’s pipit Australian reed-warbler ■ Tawny grassbird ▲ Little grassbird ▲ Brown songlark Rufous songlark Golden-headed cisticola ▲ Crimson chat ▲ White-fronted chat ▲ King quail Stubble quail Brown quail Painted button-quail ▲ Red-chested button-quail ▲ Little button-quail ▲ Ground feeding birds White-winged chough Apostlebird Spotted bowerbird ▲ Grey-crowned babbler ● White-browed babbler ▲ Diamond dove ▲ Bar-shouldered dove Peaceful dove Crested pigeon Common bronzewing Diamond firetail ● Double-barred finch Plum-headed finch ▲ Zebra finch Superb fairy-wren Variegated fairy-wren White-winged fairy-wren ▲ Splendid fairy-wren ▲ Southern whiteface ▲ Aerial Feeding birds Dusky woodswallow ▲ White-breasted woodswallow ▲ White-browed woodswallow ▲ Masked woodswallow ▲ Little woodswallow ▲ White backed swallow Welcome swallow Fairy martin Tree martin Fork-tailed swift ■ White-throated needletail ■ Restless flycatcher Grey fantail Willie wagtail Dollarbird Rainbow bee-eater ■ Medium to large bush birds Black-faced cuckoo-shrike Ground cuckoo-shrike ▲ White-bellied cuckoo-shrike ▲ Laughing kookaburra Sacred kingfisher Red-backed kingfisher ▲ Pied butcherbird Grey butcher bird Australian raven Little raven Torresian crow Little crow ▲ Australian magpie Magpie-lark Olive-backed oriole ▲ Grey shrike-thrush Fan-tailed cuckoo Horsfield’s bronze-cuckoo Pallid cuckoo Black-eared cuckoo ▲ White-winged triller ▲ Brown treecreeper Spiny-cheeked honeyeater Noisy miner Yellow-throated miner Little friarbird Noisy friarbird Black honeyeater ▲ KEY: ● Species, population or community listed as vulnerable or endangered under the EPBC and/or TSC Act ■ Species listed as migratory under the EPBC Act ▲ Species identified as present or returning to vegetation communities in good condition 2 MAMMALS Blue-faced honeyeater Painted honeyeater ● Brown honeyeater White-plumed honeyeater Singing honeyeater Brown-headed honeyeater Black chinned honeyeater (east subsp.) ● White-naped honeyeater Striped honeyeater Eastern yellow robin Hooded robin ● Jacky winter Scarlet robin ● Red-capped robin Flame robin ● Golden whistler ▲ Rufous whistler Eastern shrike-tit ▲ Crested bellbird ▲ 1 3 4 Small bush birds Inland thornbill Yellow-rumped thornbill Yellow thornbill Buff-rumped thornbill Chestnut-rumped thornbill ▲ Spotted pardalote Striated pardalote Western gerygone White-throated gerygone Weebill Silvereye Mistletoe bird Varied sittella ● Birds of prey Collared sparrowhawk Brown goshawk Wedge-tailed eagle Swamp harrier ● ▲ Spotted harrier ● ▲ Black-shouldered kite Whistling kite Letter-winged kite ▲ Black kite Little eagle ● Square-tailed kite ● Brown falcon Nankeen kestrel Australian hobby Peregrine falcon Black falcon ▲ Grey falcon ● Nocturnal birds Grass owl ● Barn owl Southern boobook Barking owl ● Tawny frogmouth Australian owlet-nightjar Spotted nightjar ▲ Terrestrial (land dwelling) Paucident planigale ▲ Narrow-nosed planigale ▲ Fat-tailed dunnart ▲ Stripe-faced dunnart ● Common dunnart Water-rat (streams) Red kangaroo ▲ Eastern grey kangaroo Swamp wallaby Short-beaked echidna Arboreal (tree dwelling) Brush-tail possum Sugar glider Bats Microbats Gould’s wattled bat Chocolate wattled bat Little pied bat ● Lesser long-eared bat Inland broad-nosed bat Little broad-nosed bat Little forest bat Southern freetail bat Inland freetail bat White-striped freetail-bat Yellow-bellied sheathtail-bat ● Megabats Little red flying fox 5 6 Introduced European cattle Goat Dingo Domestic dog Fox Deer Horse Cat Brown hare Rabbit House mouse Black rat Pig 7 PHOTO KEY: 1 Red rumped parrot – Iestyn Taylor 2 Bush stone curlew – Phil Spark 3 Painted honeyeater – Phil Spark 4 Diamond firetail – Iestyn Taylor 5 Planigale – Phil Spark 6 Common dunnart – Phil Spark 7 Little pied bat – Phil Spark REPTILES Dragons Burn’s dragon Eastern bearded dragon Long-tailed earless dragon ▲ Turtles Broad-shelled snake-necked turtle ▲ Eastern snake-necked turtle Murray short-necked turtle Snakes Murray/darling carpet python ▲ Green Tree snake ▲ Yellow-faced whip snake De Vis’s banded snake Red-naped snake Grey snake ▲ Pale-headed snake ● Mulga snake Spotted black snake Red-bellied black snake Eastern brown snake Easter shovel-nosed snake ▲ Variable black-naped snake Curl snake Eastern bandy-bandy ▲ Blind snakes Prong-snouted blind snake Robust blind snake Brown-snouted blind snake Geckos Southern spiny-tailed gecko Box-patterned gecko ▲ Tessellated gecko ▲ Eastern spiny-tailed gecko ▲ Dubious dtella Varied dtella Prickly gecko Marbled velvet gecko Legless lizards Patternless delma Excitable delma Burton’s snake-lizard Western scaly-foot Skinks Five-clawed worm-skink ● Shiny-palmed shinning-skink Unspotted yellow-sided ctenotus (Qld border) Robust ctenotus Tree-crevice skink Wood mulch-slider Eastern robust slider Common dwarf skink South-eastern morethia skink Common bluetongue Shingleback lizard Goannas Sand monitor Lace monitor 8 9 AMPHIBIANS Ephemeral dams, ponds, wetlands Frogs & froglets New Holland frog ▲ Water holding frog Rough frog Striped burrowing frog Green tree frog Broad-palmed frog Desert tree frog Eastern signbearing froglet Common eastern froglet Sloane’s froglet ● Bullfrog Northern banjo frog N W Ornate burrowing frog Salmon-striped frog Painted burrowing frog Eastern dwarf tree frog Peron’s tree frog Long-thumbed frog Spotted marsh frog Toads & toadlets Holy cross toad Wrinkled toadlet 10 11 12 KEY: PHOTO KEY: ● Species, population or community listed as vulnerable or endangered under the EPBC and/or TSC Act 8 Grey snake – Phil Spark ■ Species listed as migratory under the EPBC Act 9 Pale headed snake – Phil Spark ▲ Species identified as present or returning to vegetation communities in good condition 10Burn’s dragon – Phil Spark 11Eastern spiny-tailed gecko – Phil Spark 12Sloane’s froglet – Phil Spark Threats and Management Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke Threats Weeping Myall Woodland communities are threatened with extinction or continued decline from historical and current sources. It is estimated that its area has declined by between 60% and 95% since European settlement. Clearing – the removal of live and dead trees, as well as young regrowth, continues to be a major threat. Weeping Myall Woodland occurs on fertile soils and is often in direct competition with cropping land. ‘Tidying-up’ reduces the extent and condition of Weeping Myall Woodland patches. Fodder lopping – Weeping myall trees are used for fodder during drought. Trees are often pushed over to allow stock to gain access to the foliage. Lack of recruitment – Weeping myall trees produce seed irregularly and seeds are often eaten by predators before they can germinate. Often seedlings are eaten by grazing animals or are unable to compete with vigorous grassy weeds. Grazing – uncontrolled grazing of Weeping Myall Woodland can prevent seedling regeneration of trees and can permanently remove many of the chenopod and grass species that make up the community. This degrades the condition and extent of the community. Pest animals such as pigs also cause damage. Bag shelter moth (Ochrogaster lunifera) – larvae can defoliate trees to the point where they are unable to recover and the tree dies. Bag shelter moth also affects seed set and viability. The moths are attracted to trees that have been fertilised (usually through application to adjacent crops or pastures). Weeds – grassy weeds such as Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) and Coolatai grass (Hyparrhenia hirta) compete with native grasses and chenopods which are important elements of this community. Weed competition can cause the death of adult and juvenile plants and prevent seedlings from germinating. Disturbance will favour the establishment of weeds. Climate change – is likely to have an effect on distribution and composition of Weeping Myall Woodland and increase the impact of other threats, particularly weeds. Management The aim of management of Weeping Myall Woodland is to maintain or increase the extent of the community and to maintain or improve its condition. • It is recommended that you do not clear Weeping Myall Woodland, even under permissible exemptions from the Native Vegetation Conservation Act. • Provide long-term protection for Weeping Myall Woodland through Agreements with Local Land Services or Conservation Agreements with the Office of Environment and Heritage or the Nature Conservation Trust. • Prevent herbicide and fertiliser drift from reaching stands. • Control Bag shelter moth outbreaks in significant stands. • Although more effort is required, it is recommended that when lopping Weeping myall trees for fodder, cut a few branches from each tree rather than pushing the whole tree over. • Remove stock after grazing to allow regeneration to occur. • Increase the size and connectivity of existing patches through revegetation. Re-establish Weeping myall trees, chenopods and native grasses. • Collect seeds of Weeping myall when they are available and store them under cool, dry conditions until you need them. • Control grazing in Weeping Myall Woodland patches so that the grasses and chenopods are not destroyed and plants are able to regenerate and grow to maturity. Fencing patches allows grazing to be managed. Control pest animals. • Control weeds within and around patches. Spray weeds but be careful of spray drift on desirable plants. Avoid cultivating or disturbing the soil within patches to prevent weed invasion. • Retain all fallen timber and leaf litter within patches as these are important habitat for some wildlife, particularly reptiles and amphibians. • Do not remove mistletoe from Weeping myall trees and other acacias and eucalypts as these provide important food resources for birds and mammals. • Retain standing dead trees as these provide important habitat for many fauna species. ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION: HOW HEALTHY WOODLANDS WORK FOR YOU Healthy Weeping Myall Woodlands provide a wide range of benefits that are often called ‘ecosystem services’. These include traditional services like grazing for livestock, but also other services such as: • financial benefits • soil formation and cycling • nutrient cycling • water capture, filtration and delivery to water bodies •pollination • pest management (e.g. reducing pest pressure on crops) • regional climate buffering • shade and shelter (e.g. for livestock) • breakdown and absorption of wastes • a sense of place •scenery FURTHER INFORMATION Look for “Weeping Myall” on the EPBC Species Profiles and Threats database (SPRAT) at www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/index.html Weeping Myall Woodlands Policy Statement 3.17 www.environment.gov.au/resource/weeping-myall-woodlands Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke www.lls.nsw.gov.au 1300 795 299 8:30 am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke
