Download Biodiversity of the Hunter and Central Coast Presentation_P

Hollows for Habitat Workshop
Setting the Scene - Biodiversity of the
Hunter and Central Coast
Photo: Paul Hillier
Photo: Paul Houlder
Photo: Mick Roderick
Paul Hillier
Office of Environment and Heritage
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Presentation Outline
• Discussion of the uniqueness of the region’s
biodiversity.
• A description of the different regions of the Hunter
and Central Coast.
• Focus on those areas under pressure.
• Dominant vegetation types.
• Key hollow-bearing tree species.
• Discussion of key populations of hollow-dependent
species throughout the Hunter and Central Coast.
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Hunter & Central Coast
Growth Plan Area
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Hunter & Central Coast
Major Catchments
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Unique Biodiversity
• Biodiversity uniqueness contributed to by western
influences.
• Many of the listed vegetation communities are
unique to the region
• Large areas of the Hunter and Central Coast
vegetation are listed under the TSC Act or EPBC
Act.
Photos: Paul Hillier
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Biodiversity under pressure
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Hawkesbury Sandstone
Shrubby Woodlands and
Open Banksia Heaths.
Hollows:
• Scribbly Gums,
• Bloodwoods, and
• Smooth-barked Apples.
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Hawkesbury Sandstone (cont)
Broad-headed Snake
(Hoplocephalus bungaroides)
• Live in sandstone ridgetops
and adjacent dry forest
habitats.
• Hollows in large trees are
used for shelter in summer.
Photo: Stuart Cohen
Photo: Stuart Cohen
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Hawkesbury Sandstone (cont)
Eastern Pygmy-possum
(Cercartetus nanus)
• Banksias are an important
food source in this area.
Photo: Phil Spark
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Hawkesbury Sandstone (cont)
Eastern Pygmy-possum
(Cercartetus nanus)
• Banksias are an important
food source in this area.
• Population extends into the
Somersby area.
• Pressures from property
development and
fragmentation.
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au (13 May 2015)
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Central Coast
Dominated by Coastal
Narrabeen Shrub Forest &
Coastal Narrabeen Moist
Forest.
Hollows:
• Blackbutt,
• Spotted Gum, and
• Smooth-barked Apples.
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Lake Macquarie
Smooth-barked Apple Woodland
on the slopes & Scribbly Gum
Woodland.
Pressures: Land Development.
Hollows:
• Scribbly Gums, and
• Smooth-barked Apples.
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Lake Macquarie (cont)
To the West:
Coastal Foothills Spotted Gum
Ironbark Woodland, Coastal
Ranges Open Forest & Moist
Gully Forests.
Pressures: land development
and mining.
Hollows:
• Spotted Gums, and
• Grey Gums.
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Lake Macquarie (cont)
Photo: John Turbill
Hollow dependent species
present include:
• Yellow-bellied glider
(Petaurus australis)
• Squirrel Glider (Petaurus
norfolcensis)
• Spot-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus
maculatus)
• Powerful owl
• (Ninox strenua).
• Sooty Owl (Tyto
tenebricosa).
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Lower Hunter Valley
Spotted Gum Ironbark Forests,
Forest Red Gums and Kurri
Sand Swamp Woodlands.
Photos: Paul Hillier
Important for woodland birds and as a drought
refuge for western species.
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Lower Hunter Valley (cont)
Spotted Gum, Smooth-barked
Apple Woodlands further to the
coast.
Photo: Doug Mills
Land development expanding
further into the valley.
Photo: Paul Hillier
Hollows:
• Spotted Gums,
• Ironbarks,
• Grey Gums,
• Red Gums, and
• Smooth-barked Apples.
Hunter Estuary – Mangrove Forests provide
roosting sites for Eastern Freetail-bat
(Mormopterus norfolkensis).
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Port Stephens and Great Lakes
Coastal Smooth-barked Apple,
Blackbutt, Scribbly Gum
Woodlands and Scrub.
Pressures: property
development and extractive
industries.
Photo: Paul Hillier
Hollows:
• Spotted Gums, and
• Smooth-barked Apples.
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Port Stephens and Great Lakes
(cont)
Provides habitat for Masked Owl
(Tyto novaehollandiae).
North Arm Cove: considered as
a possible site for Australia’s
Capital City and subdivided on a
similar design.
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Barrington and Dungog Area
Spotted Gum, Grey Ironbark,
Forest Red Gum, Rough-barked
Apple.
Pressures: predominately rural
use.
Hollows: Spotted Gum, Forest
Red Gum and Rough-barked
Apple.
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Barrington and Dungog Area
Rivers and water bodies of the
Hunter and Central Coast –
important for Southern Myotis
(Myotis macropus).
Photo: B.G. Baker
Photo: Paul Hillier
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Barrington and Dungog Area
An ecologically data poor area.
Photos: Paul Hillier
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Upper Hunter
Spotted Gum, Ironbark, Grey
Box and White Box. River Oak
and River Red Gum Forests
along main watercourses.
Pressures: rural uses and coal
mining.
Recent listing of Central Hunter
Valley eucalypt forest and
woodland (CEEC).
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Upper Hunter (Cont)
Notable population of Brushtailed phascogale (Phascogale
tapoatafa).
Hollows: Spotted Gum, Grey
Box and White Box. River Red
Gum and Rough-barked Apple
along watercourses.
Photo: Linda Broome
Photo: Paul Hillier
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Merriwa Plateau
Grey Box and White Box
Grassy Woodlands (listed
community).
Pressures: rural land use.
Habitat for the Turquoise parrot
(Neophema pulchella).
An ecologically data poor area.
Photo: Paul Houlder
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Conclusion
Unique Biodiversity.
Pressure on biodiversity are
varied and include land
development, rural land uses
and extractive industries.
A wide range of vegetation
types and tree species that
provide hollows.
A wide range of hollow
dependent species.
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