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Download Coolibah – Black Box Woodland - Northern Tablelands Local Land
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Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke COOLIBAH – BLACK BOX 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. Coolibah – Black Box Woodland Unfortunately large areas of this woodland have been cleared across the region and remaining fragments are listed as endangered. The woodland and its waterways provide an essential home to many of our catchments’ most threatened species. Coolibah – Black Box Woodland is listed as an endangered ecological community under both the Australian Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act). Activities which affect the condition or extent of Coolibah – Black Box Woodland may require consent or approval. Where does the community occur? The community is situated within the upper reaches of the MurrayDarling Basin and southern part of the Fitzroy River system The community is distributed from central western NSW to central northern Queensland. The Coolibah – Black Box Woodland threatened ecological community occurs on the grey, self-mulching clays of floodplains, swamp margins, ephemeral wetlands, and stream levee areas of the Darling Riverine Plains and the Brigalow Belt South Bioregions. It is characterised by a dominant eucalyptus overstorey of Coolibah (Eucalyptus coolabah) and Black Box (Eucalyptus largiflorens), with a grassy understorey. Managing and enhancing biodiversity on your land helps build a resilient landscape that balances production and conservation Description Identification Coolibah – Black Box Woodland has a canopy of widely spaced Coolibah and/or Black Box trees with a mid-storey of shrubs and a ground layer of grasses and herbs. Healthy Coolibah – Black Box Woodland typically has widely spaced trees, of different ages and sizes, a high diversity of grass species, fallen timber and hollow trees. Under the EPBC Act there are specific criteria to identify Coolibah – Black Box communities. You should refer to the listing advice for the exact identification criteria. A patch must be at least 5ha and have a tree canopy cover of at least 8%. The patch must have trees of either Coolibah or Black Box. Some of the trees must have a diameter at breast height greater than 30 cm or hollows (dead or live trees). If trees have been coppiced then some trees must have a diameter greater than 20 cm. At least 10% of the ground cover must be native grasses, herbs, saltbush or low shrubs and at least half of the ground cover must be native species. Coolibah – Black Box Woodland is a very dynamic and resilient community. During drought and after floods it may have different species dominating the ground layer than during other times. The composition of the ground layer will vary between grass-dominated, saltbush dominated and shrub-dominated depending on the conditions. Photographer: David Carr Profile drawing of Coolibah – Black Box Woodland community (M. Goode) Plants of Coolibah – Black Box Woodland 1 2 DOMINANT CANOPY SPECIES GROUNDCOVER SPECIES Absent from derived (previously cleared) grasslands Astrebla lappacea Austrostipa spp. Bothriochloa spp. Boerhavia dominii Chloris ventricosa Dichanthium sericeum Enteropogon acicularis Eremophila debilis Leptochloa digitata Marsilea drummondii Panicum decompositum Panicum queenslandicum Paspalidium jubiflorum Sclerolaena birchii Sclerolaena muricata Tetragonia tetragonioides Eucalyptus coolabah subsp. coolabah Coolibah Eucalyptus largiflorens Black box ASSOCIATED CANOPY SPECIES Vary according to landscape position, rainfall and soil type Acacia cambagei Alectryon oleifolius Casuarina cristata Eucalyptus populnea subsp. bimbil Eucalyptus camaldulensis Melaleuca trichostachya Gidgee Boonery Belah Poplar box River red gum Tea tree MID-STOREY SPECIES Sparse to dense Acacia stenophylla Acacia salicina Acacia oswaldii Capparis mitchellii Capparis lasiantha Duma florulenta Einadia hastata Eremophila bignoniiflora Eremophila glabra Eremophila mitchellii Exocarpos aphyllus Geijera parviflora Lomandra longifolia Myoporum montanum Rhagodia spinescens Vachellia farnesiana Black wattle, River cooba Cooba Miljee Bumbil, Wild orange Nepine Lignum Saloop Eurah Tarbush False sandalwood, Budda Leafless ballart Wilga Mat-rush Western boobialla Spiny saltbush Mimosa bush 3 4 Photo Key: 1 Coolibah leaves and fruit 2 Eurah flower 3 Nardoo 4 Black box leaves and buds 5 Umbrella canegrass All photographs by David Carr 5 Curly Mitchell grass Speargrasses Red grasses Tarvine Tall chloris Queensland blue grass Curly windmill grass Amulla Umbrella canegrass Nardoo Native millet Yadbila grass Warrego summer grass Galvanised burr Black roly poly Warrigal greens Animals of Coolibah – Black Box Woodland BIRDS Parrots Red-winged parrot Budgerigar Blue bonnet Pale-headed rosella N Eastern rosella Superb parrot ● Mulga parrot Eastern ringneck Red-rumped parrot Little lorikeet ● Cockatoos Cockatiel Sulphur-crested cockatoo Little corella Major Mitchell’s cockatoo ● W Red-tailed black-cockatoo ● Glossy black-cockatoo ● Galah Ground feeding and low nesting birds Black-necked stork ● R Brolga ● R Emu Banded lapwing Masked lapwing Stubble quail Brown quail Painted button-quail Red-chested button-quail Little button-quail Crimson chat White-fronted chat Singing Bushlark Richard’s Pipit Australian reed-warbler ■ R Brown songlark Rufous songlark Golden-headed cisticola Tawny grassbird Little grassbird Bush stone-curlew ● Australian bustard ● Ground feeding birds Australian white ibisR Straw-necked ibis 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 Chestnut-breasted mannikin Aerial feeding birds Dollarbird Rainbow bee-eater ■ Dusky woodswallow White-breasted woodswallow White-browed woodswallow Masked woodswallow Black-faced woodswallow Little woodswallow Restless flycatcher Grey fantail Willie wagtail White-backed swallow Welcome swallow Fairy martin Tree martin Fork-tailed swift ■ White-throated needletail ■ Spiny-cheeked honeyeater Noisy miner Yellow-throated miner Little friarbird Noisy friarbird Black honeyeater Blue-faced honeyeater Painted honeyeater ● Brown honeyeater Yellow-faced honeyeater White-plumed honeyeater Singing honeyeater Brown-headed honeyeater Black-chinned honeyeater (eastern subsp.) ● Striped honeyeater Olive-backed oriole Medium to large bush birds Laughing kookaburra Sacred kingfisher Azure kingfisher R Red-backed kingfisher Fan-tailed cuckoo Horsfield’s bronze-cuckoo Shining bronze-cuckoo Pallid cuckoo Black-eared cuckoo Pied butcherbird Grey butcherbird Australian magpie Pied currawong Magpie-lark Black-faced cuckoo-shrike Ground cuckoo-shrike White-bellied cuckoo-shrike Fan-tailed cuckoo Horsfield’s bronze-cuckoo Shining bronze-cuckoo Pallid cuckoo Black-eared cuckoo White-winged triller Brown treecreeper White-winged chough Australian raven Little raven Torresian crow Little crow Apostlebird Spotted bowerbird 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 N, E, S, W = Regional extent – North, East, South or West of Border Rivers-Gwydir catchment area H = found at high altitude R = found in riparian/wetland areas 2 4 MAMMALS Grey shrike-thrush Eastern shrike-tit Crested bellbird W Golden whistler E Rufous whistler Eastern yellow robin Hooded robin ● Jacky winter Red-capped robin 1 Small bush birds Inland thornbill Yellow-rumped thornbill Yellow thornbill Buff-rumped thornbill Chestnut-rumped thornbill Southern whiteface Western gerygone White-throated gerygone Weebill Mistletoebird Superb fairy-wren Variegated fairy-wren White-winged fairy-wren Splendid fairy-wren Varied sittella ● Spotted pardalote Striated pardalote Silvereye Birds of prey 3 Collared sparrowhawk Brown goshawk Wedge-tailed eagle Swamp harrier Spotted harrier ● Black-shouldered kite White-bellied sea-eagle R 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 Only terrestrial birds have been included however there are 67 species of water birds frequently found in Coolibah-Black Box Woodland. For further information, contact your nearest Local Land Services office. Introduced House sparrow Common myna Common starling Feral pigeon Spotted turtle-dove Terrestrial (land dwelling) Paucident planigale Narrow-nosed planigale Fat-tailed dunnart Stripe-faced dunnart ● Common dunnart Water-rat R Western grey kangaroo Eastern grey kangaroo Red kangaroo Common wallaroo Swamp wallaby Spotted-tailed quoll ● Short-beaked echidna 5 Arboreal (tree dwelling) Koala ● Feathertail glider Sugar glider Common brushtail possum Bats Microbats Gould’s wattled bat Chocolate wattled bat Little pied bat ● Lesser long-eared bat Corben’s 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 ● 6 Megabats Little red flying-fox Introduced European cattle Goat Dingo, domestic dog Fox Deer Horse Cat Brown hare Rabbit House mouse Black rat Pig 7 Photo Key: 1 Red-winged parrot – A. Coward 2 Brolga – Iestyn Taylor 3 Baby emus – Lori Charlson 4 Red-tailed black-cockatoo – Phil Spark 5 Stripe-faced dunnart – J. Gerth 6 Sugar glider – Phil Spark 7 Little forest bat – Phil Spark REPTILES Dragons Burn’s dragon Eastern bearded dragon Long-tailed earless dragon Tree-crevice skink Eastern water-skink R Wood mulch-slider Eastern robust slider Common dwarf skink South-eastern morethia skink Common bluetongue Shingleback lizard 8 Turtles Broad-shelled snake-necked turtle R Eastern snake-necked turtle R Murray short-necked turtle R Snakes Murray/Darling carpet python Green tree snake Southern death adder 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 Eastern shovel-nosed snake Variable black-naped snake Curl snake Eastern bandy-bandy Blind Snakes Prong-snouted blind snake Robust blind snake Proximus blind snake Brown-snouted blind snake Geckos Southern spiny-tailed gecko Box-patterned gecko Tessellated gecko Eastern stone gecko Eastern spiny-tailed gecko Dubious dtella Varied dtella Prickly gecko Marbled velvet gecko Goannas Sand monitor Black-tailed monitor Lace monitor AMPHIBIANS Ephemeral dams, ponds, wetlands Frogs and froglets New Holland frog N Water-holding frog Rough frog Striped burrowing frog N Green tree frog Broad-palmed frog Peron’s tree frog Desert tree frog Eastern sign-bearing froglet Common eastern froglet Sloane’s froglet ● Bullfrog Long-thumbed frog Ornate burrowing frog Salmon-striped frog Spotted marsh frog Northern banjo frog NE Painted burrowing frog 9 10 11 Toads and toadlets Holy cross toad Wrinkled toadlet Legless lizards Patternless delma Excitable delma Burton’s snake-lizard Common scaly-foot Western scaly-foot 12 Skinks Five-clawed worm-skink ● Shiny-palmed shinning-skink Unspotted yellow-sided ctenotus Robust ctenotus Brown-blazed wedgesnout ctenotus KEY: Photo Key: ■ Species listed as migratory under the EPBC Act 9 Carpet python – Phil Spark ● Species, population or community listed as vulnerable or endangered under the EPBC and/or TSC Act N, E, S, W = Regional extent – North, East, South or West of Border Rivers-Gwydir catchment area H = found at high altitude R = found in riparian/wetland areas 8 Shingleback lizard – David Carr 10 Five-clawed worm-skink – Alex Dudley 11 Rough frog – Alex Dudley 12 Salmon-striped frog – Alex Dudley Threats and Management Photographer: Greg Steenbeeke Threats Clearing – of both the overstorey and understorey is a major threat to both the extent and the condition of this community. When the woodland understorey is removed, through cultivation for crops or pasture development, the community suffers greatly to the point it cannot be regenerated. Grazing – by domestic and feral animals can remove the ground cover species. Changing the groundwater or the flooding and drying regime – can kill mature trees and prevent regeneration. Herbicide or defoliant drift – from spraying in adjacent paddocks will kill or reduce the health of trees and shrubs. Weeds – such as Lippia (Phyla canescens), Johnson grass (Sorghum halapense) and African boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum) compete with the ground layer plants and prevent regeneration. Feral animals – particularly pigs can destroy ground layer plants and shrubs and introduce weeds. Foxes and cats prey on native animals. Other threats – include salinity, mining, housing development, the effects of fragmentation and climate change. Management The aim of management of Coolibah – Black Box 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 Coolibah – Black Box Woodland patches, even under permissible exemptions from the Native Vegetation Conservation Act. • Provide long-term protection for patches through landholder agreements with the Local Land Services or conservation agreements with the Office of Environment and Heritage or the Nature Conservation Trust. • Do not cultivate in or near patches of this community and avoid opening new tracks, table drains or trenches through stands in good condition. • Increase the area of this community through revegetation and assisted natural regeneration. • Prevent herbicide or defoliant drift onto patches of Coolibah – Black Box Woodland by spraying when there is no wind or planting buffers of resistant trees (e.g. Belah). • Adopt selective and rotational grazing practices and avoid grazing when ground layer plants are flowering and setting seed (usually spring to midsummer). • Allow occasional flooding and avoid permanent inundation. Restoring hydrological regimes requires coordinated efforts of landholders and government at a regional scale. • Manage weeds in and around existing patches of woodland. Avoid creating soil disturbances that favour weeds. • Increase species diversity by introducing seedlings of other species from adjacent or similar patches. Profile drawing of Coolibah – Black Box Woodland community (M. Goode) ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION: HOW HEALTHY WOODLANDS WORK FOR YOU Healthy Coolibah – Black Box 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: • capture of solar energy • soil formation and cycling • nutrient cycling • water capture, filtration and delivery to water bodies • pollination • pest management (e.g. reducing insect pest pressure on crops) • habitat for fauna, notably hollow dwelling fauna which utilise hollows in old Coolibah, River red gum and Poplar box trees • regional climate buffering • shade and shelter (e.g. for livestock) • breakdown and absorption of wastes • a sense of place • scenery FURTHER INFORMATION Look for ‘Coolibah – Black Box Woodlands of the Darling Riverine Plains and the Brigalow Belt South Bioregions’ on the Australian Government Threatened Species and Ecological Communities website www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/index.html NSW Threatened Species www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au Contact the Local Land Services on the contact details below. Photographer: David Carr www.lls.nsw.gov.au 1300 795 299 8:30 am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday Photographer: David Carr Credits: Text & flora list – David Carr; Fauna list – Phil Spark; Compilation – Michelle McKemey; Graphic design – Melanie Kilby
