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Byron Bay Dwarf Graminoid Clay Heath Community - endangered ecological community listing

11 Feb 2000

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list Byron Bay Dwarf Graminoid Clay Heath Community as an ENDANGERED ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY on Part 3 of Schedule 1 of the Act. Listing of endangered ecological communities is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.

NSW Scientific Committee - final determination

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1. The Byron Bay Dwarf Graminoid Clay Heath Community is the accepted name for the plant community that is found on gently sloping clay ridges of low relief, within the Byron Bay Council area.

2. Byron Bay Dwarf Graminoid Clay Heath Community is floristically distinct from other graminoid clay heaths found in NSW. It is disjunct from and to the north of other known graminoid clay heaths in NSW.

3. Byron Bay Dwarf Graminoid Clay Heath Community is characterised by the following assemblage of vascular plant species:

  • Acacia sophorae
  • Allocasuarina littoralis
  • Aristida warburgii
  • Asplenium flabellifolium
  • Austromyrtus dulcis
  • Banksia oblongifolia
  • Bauera capitata
  • Burchardia umbellata
  • Cassytha filiformis
  • Caustis recurvata
  • Centella asiatica
  • Centrolepis fascicularis
  • Corymbia intermedia
  • Cryptostylis subulata
  • Cymbopogon refractus
  • Dampiera stricta
  • Dianella caerulea
  • Dodonaea triquetra
  • Drosera auriculata
  • Drosera spathulata
  • Entolasia stricta
  • Epacris obtusifolia
  • Epacris pulchella
  • Eustrephus latifolius
  • Gahnia sieberiana
  • Geitonoplesium cymosum
  • Gleichenia dicarpa
  • Gompholobium pinnatum
  • Hibbertia aspera
  • Hibbertia scandens
  • Hibbertia vestita
  • Imperata cylindrica
  • Lepidosperma laterale
  • Leptospermum polygalifolium
  • Lindsaea linearis
  • Lomandra elongata
  • Lomandra filiformis
  • Lomandra longifolia
  • Lomatia silaifolia
  • Lophostemon suaveolens
  • Melaleuca nodosa
  • Melaleuca quinquenervia
  • Mirbelia rubiifolia
  • Monotoca elliptica
  • Ozothamnus diosmifolius
  • Parsonsia straminea
  • Patersonia fragilis
  • Patersonia sericea
  • Pimelea linifolia
  • Platyscace ericoides
  • Pseudanthus orientalis
  • Pteridium esculentum
  • Pultenaea villosa
  • Schizaea bifida
  • Schoenus apogon
  • Schoenus brevifolius
  • Sowerbaea juncea
  • Strangea linearis
  • Themeda australis
  • Trachymene incisa
  • Xanthorrhoea fulva

4. The total species list of the community is larger than that given in 3 (above), with many species present in only one or two sites or in very small quantity. In any particular site not all of the assemblage listed in 3 may be present. At any one time, seeds of some species may only be present in the soil seed bank with no above-ground individuals present. The species composition of the site will be influenced by the size of the site and by its recent disturbance history. The number of species and the above-ground composition of species will change with time since fire, and may also change in response to changes in fire frequency.

5. The structure of the community is a heathland with occasional emergents of Corymbia intermedia and Lophostemon suaveolens.

6. Only approximately 5 Ha of the Byron Bay Dwarf Graminoid Clay Heath remains and this occurs in small, disturbed and isolated fragments. Threats include clearing, disturbance by humans, weed invasion and alterations to fire and hydrological regimes.

7. No areas of Byron Bay Dwarf Graminoid Clay Heath are known from a conservation reserve.

8. In view of the small size of existing remnants the threat of further clearing and disturbance, the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that Byron Bay Dwarf Graminoid Clay Heath is likely to become extinct in nature unless factors threatening its survival or evolutionary development cease to operate and that listing as an endangered ecological community is warranted.

Proposed Gazettal date: 11/2/00
Exhibition period: 11/2/00 - 17/3/00

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Threatened Species Scientific Committee

Email: [email protected]