Candelo dry grass forest in the South East Corner Bioregion - endangered ecological community listing

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list the Candelo Dry Grass Forest in the South East Corner Bioregion as an ENDANGERED ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY on Part 3 of Schedule 1 of the Act. The 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. Candelo Dry Grass Forest is the name given to a forest community described in Keith, D. & Bedward, M. (1999).

2. Candelo Dry Grass Forest is characterised by an upperstorey dominated by Eucalyptus tereticornis,  Eucalyptus globoidea and  Angophora floribunda usually with  Eucalyptus melliodora. The understorey consists of an open stratum of small trees and shrubs with  Acacia mearnsii as dominant. The grassy ground cover is diverse, and dominated by  Themeda australis,  Austrodanthonia racemosa, D ichanthium sericeum,  Eragrostris leptostachya,  Microlaena stipoides and  Dichelachne micrantha with forbs including  Dichondra repens,  Desmodium varians,  Hydrocotyle laxiflora,  Geranium solanderi,  Euchiton gymnocephalus,  Glycine clandestina and  Glycine tabacina.

3. The plant species assemblage for the community includes:

4. The total species list of the community may be larger than that given 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 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 Candelo Dry Grass Forest differs from other communities in the South East Forests by the inclusion of Eucalyptus melliodora in the canopy with the dominance of  Dichanthium sericeum and presence of  Glycine tabacina in the understorey.

6. Candelo Dry Grass Forest occurs in the Bega and Towamba Valleys in the Bega Valley Local Government Area, on fertile soils in rain-shadow areas, with an outlying stand between Bega and Wolumla. It is part of a complex of grassy ecosystem but is unique to the region.

7. Over 90% of the original extent of Candelo Dry Grass Forest has been cleared for agriculture and over 90% of the remaining area is on private land.

8. The community is highly fragmented and threatened by further clearing, grazing and weed invasion. It is suspected that preferential grazing has changed the understorey composition and inappropriate fire regimes may also be a threat.

9. In view of 7 and 8 above, the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that Candelo Dry Grass Forest in the South East Corner Bioregion is likely to become extinct in nature in New South Wales unless the circumstances and factors threatening its survival or evolutionary development cease to operate.

Reference:

Keith, D. and Bedward, M. (1999) Native Vegetation of the South East Forests Region, Eden, NSW. Cunninghamia 6(1) 1-218.

Proposed Gazettal date: 24/11/00