Local Vegetation
The Croobyar Road catchment has been widely cleared (historically) of native vegetation for agricultural purposes. However some areas of remnant vegetation still remain along Croobyar and Stony Creeks on private land despite being impacted by livestock and environmental weeds invasion.
Listed below is a summary of the key vegetation types identified within the Croobyar catchment which includes the tributaries of Narrawallee Inlet and Burrill Lake. The following list of vegetetaion communities should be used as a guide only.
Milton Ulladulla Subtropical Rainforest
The Milton Monzonite is home for the Endangered Ecological Community (EEC) - Milton Ulladulla Subtropical Rainforest. This name is given to the ecological community that occurs on basaltic soils (on Milton Monzonite), deep alluvium and soils of the Conjola Formation enriched by monzonite in the Milton Ulladulla area (within the Sydney Basin Bioregion).
The structure of the Milton Ulladulla Subtropical Rainforest is a dense forest up to 15 m high with an emergent tree layer to over 25 m often present.
Characteristic tree species in the Milton Ulladulla Subtropical Rainforest include Clayoxylon australe, Acmena smithii, Dendrocnide excelsa, Ficus species, Syzygium australe, Streblus brunonianus, Baloghia inophylla and Toona ciliata (K. Mills pers. comm.). There is generally a sparse shrub layer and ground cover with a diverse mix of lianas, vines, and ferns, or if disturbed there are components of indigenous native species sufficient to facilitate the restoration of the characteristic habitat. Milton Ulladulla Subtropical Rainforest provides habitat for several threatened species including the Powerful Owl, Ninox strenua and the Grey-headed Flying Fox, Pteropus poliocephalus. The community contains many "subtropical" rainforest plant species that are found no further to the south, and are rare on the South Coast (K. Mills pers. comm.). For more information Click here
Source: Office of Environment and Heritage
Main Vegetation Communities within the Croobyar catchment
* The following vegetation community summaries are taken from:
Native vegetation of southeast NSW: a revised classification and map for the coast and eastern tablelands V.1, Tozer, M.G et. al.
* Vegetation Map Data: Ulladulla Vegetation Map, Edition 3 December 2009 - Royal Botanical Gardens (Click here)
* Plant Reference Data: Royal Botanical Gardens - PlantNET
Subtropical Dry Rainforest
Is a low closed forest characterised by a dense tree canopy, a prominent small tree/shrub stratum and a sparse ground cover. This rainforest occurs on coastal lowlands between Mt Kiera and Nowra with a southern occurrence near Milton. Largely restricted to dry slopes on fertilse soils associated with Gerringon volcanics, Milton Monzonite or Cordeaux Crinanite at altitudes less than 350m ASL.
Floristic Summary:
Trees: Streblus brunonianus, Alectryon subcinereus, Pittosporum undulatum
Shrubs: Notelaea venosa, Cassine australis, Clerodendrum tomentosum, Pittosporum revolutum, Breynia oblongifolia, Rapanea variabilis
Ground Cover: Oplismenus imbecillis, Pellaea falcata, Pseuderanthemum variabile, Asplemium flabellifolium
Clyde Gully Wet Forest
Is a mixed forest of eucalypts and rainforest trees with mesophyll shrubs, vines and ferns. It is found predominately below 200m ASL on sandy loams in moist sheltered gullies and slopes on the lower coastal ranges.
Floristic Summary:
Trees: Acacia mabellae, Livistona australis, Eucalyptus piperita, Acmena smithii
Shrubs: Elaeocarpus reticulatus, Callicoma serratifolia, Cyathea australis, Synoum glandulosum
Ground Cover: Blechnum cartilagineum, Calochlaena dubia, Lomandra longifolia, Oplismenus imbecillis
South Coast Grassy Woodland
Is an open eucalypt woodland with an open shrub layer and a continuous grassy ground cover. found on lower slopes in coastal rain shadow valleys below 350m ASL from Wollongong to Milton.
Floristic Summary:
Trees: Eucalyptus tereticornis, Eucalyptus eugenioides
Shrubs: Pittosporum undulatum, Breynia oblongifolia, Rapanea variabilis
Ground Cover: Dichondra spp, Desmodium gunnii, Microlaena stipoides, Carex longebrachiata, Themeda australis
Basalt Hilltop Scrub
is restricted to 100-200m ASL on exposed ridgetops on shallow rocky soil derived from volcanic geologies (Bumbo Latite and Milton Monzonite). All occurrences are in the coastal hinterland near Jamberoo and west of Milton, where mean annual rainfall varies between 1200 and 1500mm.
Floristic Summary:
Shrubs: Leucopogon juniperinus, Acacia parvipinnula, Melaleuca armillaris, Indigofera australis, Zieria granulata
Groundcover: Bracteantha bracteata, Cheilanthes sieberi, Notodanthonia longifolia, Eragrostis leptostachya, Fimbristylis dichotoma
Southern Turpentine Forest
Is a rather dense eucalypt forest with an open shrubby understorey. It is widespread east of the Morton plateau on coastal lowlands near Conjola and Wandandian typically occurring on sheltered slopes below 650m ASL.
Floristic Summary:
Trees: Syncarpia glomulifera, Corymbia gummifera, Eucalyptus piperita, Eucalyptus scias
Shrubs: Persoonia linearis, Leucopogon lanceolatus, Acacia obtusifolia, Elaeocarpus reticulatus, Banksia spinulosa
Ground Cover: Dianella caerulea, Entolasia stricta, Pteridium esculentum, Lepidosperma uruphorum
South Coast River Flat Forest
Is an open eucalypt forest with an open understorey of small trees, scattered shrubs and dense ground cover of grasses and forbs. It occurs from Wandandain south to the Bega River on sandy alluvial flats, on floodplain margins in riverine corridors, most extensively below 100m ASL but also found up to 300m ASL.
Floristic Summary:
Trees: Eucalyptus elata, Angophora floribunda
Shrubs: Rubus parvifolius, Breynia oblongifolia, Hymenanthera dentata, Acacia mearnsii
Ground Cover: Microlaena stipoides, Carex longebrachiata, Pteridium esculentum, Adiantum aethiopicum
Estuarine Creekflat Scrub
Is a dense scrub with a continuous groundcover of sedges and forbs, and is recorded from scattered localities along the entire study area coastline from Cockle Bay in the north to Nadgee Lake in the south. Within this distribution Estuarine Creekflat Scrub is restricted to shores of estuarine lagoons and brackish lakes, wetlands and creek flats below 10m ASL.
Floristic Summary:
Trees: Melaleuca ericifolia, Casuarina glauca
Groundcover: Baumea juncea, Lobelia alata, Baumea articulata, Leptinella longipes, Samolus repens, Selliera radicans
Floodplain Swamp Forest
is a low, rather dense forest characterised by a noneucalypt tree canopy, an open shrub layer and a semi-continuous groundcover dominated by taxa tolerant of brackish groundwater. Floodplain Swamp Forest is found on the floodplains of the Towamba, Bega, Bermagui, Clyde, Shoalhaven, Georges and Hawkesbury Rivers, and smaller alluvial plains adjacent to coastal lakes, lagoons and inlets such as Wallaga Lake, Lake Conjola, St Georges Basin and Lake Illawarra. Though typically coastal, this forest may occur some distance inland along floodplains of larger river estuaries in brackish drainage lines and
depressions below 10m ASL.
Floristic Summary:
Trees: Casuarina glauca, Melaleuca styphelioides
Groundcover: Commelina cyanea, Phragmites australis, Alternanthera denticulata, Carex apprssa, Centella asiatica, Cynodon dactylon, Juncus kraussii
The Croobyar Road catchment has been widely cleared (historically) of native vegetation for agricultural purposes. However some areas of remnant vegetation still remain along Croobyar and Stony Creeks on private land despite being impacted by livestock and environmental weeds invasion.
Listed below is a summary of the key vegetation types identified within the Croobyar catchment which includes the tributaries of Narrawallee Inlet and Burrill Lake. The following list of vegetetaion communities should be used as a guide only.
Milton Ulladulla Subtropical Rainforest
The Milton Monzonite is home for the Endangered Ecological Community (EEC) - Milton Ulladulla Subtropical Rainforest. This name is given to the ecological community that occurs on basaltic soils (on Milton Monzonite), deep alluvium and soils of the Conjola Formation enriched by monzonite in the Milton Ulladulla area (within the Sydney Basin Bioregion).
The structure of the Milton Ulladulla Subtropical Rainforest is a dense forest up to 15 m high with an emergent tree layer to over 25 m often present.
Characteristic tree species in the Milton Ulladulla Subtropical Rainforest include Clayoxylon australe, Acmena smithii, Dendrocnide excelsa, Ficus species, Syzygium australe, Streblus brunonianus, Baloghia inophylla and Toona ciliata (K. Mills pers. comm.). There is generally a sparse shrub layer and ground cover with a diverse mix of lianas, vines, and ferns, or if disturbed there are components of indigenous native species sufficient to facilitate the restoration of the characteristic habitat. Milton Ulladulla Subtropical Rainforest provides habitat for several threatened species including the Powerful Owl, Ninox strenua and the Grey-headed Flying Fox, Pteropus poliocephalus. The community contains many "subtropical" rainforest plant species that are found no further to the south, and are rare on the South Coast (K. Mills pers. comm.). For more information Click here
Source: Office of Environment and Heritage
Main Vegetation Communities within the Croobyar catchment
* The following vegetation community summaries are taken from:
Native vegetation of southeast NSW: a revised classification and map for the coast and eastern tablelands V.1, Tozer, M.G et. al.
* Vegetation Map Data: Ulladulla Vegetation Map, Edition 3 December 2009 - Royal Botanical Gardens (Click here)
* Plant Reference Data: Royal Botanical Gardens - PlantNET
Subtropical Dry Rainforest
Is a low closed forest characterised by a dense tree canopy, a prominent small tree/shrub stratum and a sparse ground cover. This rainforest occurs on coastal lowlands between Mt Kiera and Nowra with a southern occurrence near Milton. Largely restricted to dry slopes on fertilse soils associated with Gerringon volcanics, Milton Monzonite or Cordeaux Crinanite at altitudes less than 350m ASL.
Floristic Summary:
Trees: Streblus brunonianus, Alectryon subcinereus, Pittosporum undulatum
Shrubs: Notelaea venosa, Cassine australis, Clerodendrum tomentosum, Pittosporum revolutum, Breynia oblongifolia, Rapanea variabilis
Ground Cover: Oplismenus imbecillis, Pellaea falcata, Pseuderanthemum variabile, Asplemium flabellifolium
Clyde Gully Wet Forest
Is a mixed forest of eucalypts and rainforest trees with mesophyll shrubs, vines and ferns. It is found predominately below 200m ASL on sandy loams in moist sheltered gullies and slopes on the lower coastal ranges.
Floristic Summary:
Trees: Acacia mabellae, Livistona australis, Eucalyptus piperita, Acmena smithii
Shrubs: Elaeocarpus reticulatus, Callicoma serratifolia, Cyathea australis, Synoum glandulosum
Ground Cover: Blechnum cartilagineum, Calochlaena dubia, Lomandra longifolia, Oplismenus imbecillis
South Coast Grassy Woodland
Is an open eucalypt woodland with an open shrub layer and a continuous grassy ground cover. found on lower slopes in coastal rain shadow valleys below 350m ASL from Wollongong to Milton.
Floristic Summary:
Trees: Eucalyptus tereticornis, Eucalyptus eugenioides
Shrubs: Pittosporum undulatum, Breynia oblongifolia, Rapanea variabilis
Ground Cover: Dichondra spp, Desmodium gunnii, Microlaena stipoides, Carex longebrachiata, Themeda australis
Basalt Hilltop Scrub
is restricted to 100-200m ASL on exposed ridgetops on shallow rocky soil derived from volcanic geologies (Bumbo Latite and Milton Monzonite). All occurrences are in the coastal hinterland near Jamberoo and west of Milton, where mean annual rainfall varies between 1200 and 1500mm.
Floristic Summary:
Shrubs: Leucopogon juniperinus, Acacia parvipinnula, Melaleuca armillaris, Indigofera australis, Zieria granulata
Groundcover: Bracteantha bracteata, Cheilanthes sieberi, Notodanthonia longifolia, Eragrostis leptostachya, Fimbristylis dichotoma
Southern Turpentine Forest
Is a rather dense eucalypt forest with an open shrubby understorey. It is widespread east of the Morton plateau on coastal lowlands near Conjola and Wandandian typically occurring on sheltered slopes below 650m ASL.
Floristic Summary:
Trees: Syncarpia glomulifera, Corymbia gummifera, Eucalyptus piperita, Eucalyptus scias
Shrubs: Persoonia linearis, Leucopogon lanceolatus, Acacia obtusifolia, Elaeocarpus reticulatus, Banksia spinulosa
Ground Cover: Dianella caerulea, Entolasia stricta, Pteridium esculentum, Lepidosperma uruphorum
South Coast River Flat Forest
Is an open eucalypt forest with an open understorey of small trees, scattered shrubs and dense ground cover of grasses and forbs. It occurs from Wandandain south to the Bega River on sandy alluvial flats, on floodplain margins in riverine corridors, most extensively below 100m ASL but also found up to 300m ASL.
Floristic Summary:
Trees: Eucalyptus elata, Angophora floribunda
Shrubs: Rubus parvifolius, Breynia oblongifolia, Hymenanthera dentata, Acacia mearnsii
Ground Cover: Microlaena stipoides, Carex longebrachiata, Pteridium esculentum, Adiantum aethiopicum
Estuarine Creekflat Scrub
Is a dense scrub with a continuous groundcover of sedges and forbs, and is recorded from scattered localities along the entire study area coastline from Cockle Bay in the north to Nadgee Lake in the south. Within this distribution Estuarine Creekflat Scrub is restricted to shores of estuarine lagoons and brackish lakes, wetlands and creek flats below 10m ASL.
Floristic Summary:
Trees: Melaleuca ericifolia, Casuarina glauca
Groundcover: Baumea juncea, Lobelia alata, Baumea articulata, Leptinella longipes, Samolus repens, Selliera radicans
Floodplain Swamp Forest
is a low, rather dense forest characterised by a noneucalypt tree canopy, an open shrub layer and a semi-continuous groundcover dominated by taxa tolerant of brackish groundwater. Floodplain Swamp Forest is found on the floodplains of the Towamba, Bega, Bermagui, Clyde, Shoalhaven, Georges and Hawkesbury Rivers, and smaller alluvial plains adjacent to coastal lakes, lagoons and inlets such as Wallaga Lake, Lake Conjola, St Georges Basin and Lake Illawarra. Though typically coastal, this forest may occur some distance inland along floodplains of larger river estuaries in brackish drainage lines and
depressions below 10m ASL.
Floristic Summary:
Trees: Casuarina glauca, Melaleuca styphelioides
Groundcover: Commelina cyanea, Phragmites australis, Alternanthera denticulata, Carex apprssa, Centella asiatica, Cynodon dactylon, Juncus kraussii