Cadellia pentastylis (Ooline) community in the Nandewar and Brigalow Belt South bioregions - Determination to make a minor amendment to Part 3 of Schedule 1 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act
The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Determination to make a minor amendment to Part 3 of Schedule 1 (Endangered ecological communities) of the Act by inserting the Cadellia pentastylis (Ooline) community in the Nandewar and Brigalow Belt South bioregions (as described in the determination of the Scientific Committee under Division 5 Part 2) and as a consequence to omit reference to the Cadellia pentastylis (Ooline) community in the Nandewar and Brigalow Belt South bioregions (as described in the final determination to list the ecological community) which was published on pages 7386 to 7388 in the NSW Government Gazette No. 132 dated 11 September 1998. Minor amendments to the Schedules are provided for by Division 5 of Part 2 of the Act.
The Scientific Committee is of the opinion that the amendment is necessary or desirable to correct minor errors or omissions in the Determination in relation to the Thackway and Cresswell (1995) reference.
NSW Scientific Committee - final determination
The Scientific Committee has found that:
1. The Cadellia pentastylis community is a forest community with the canopy dominated or co-dominated by the tree Cadellia pentastylis (Ooline). Other canopy species include Eucalyptus albens, Eucalyptus beyeriana, Eucalyptus chloroclada, Eucalyptus melanophloia, Eucalyptus pilligaensis, Eucalyptus viridis and Callitris glaucophylla.
Understorey species include Alstonia constricta, Beyeria viscosa, Carissa ovata, Einadia hastata, Geijera parviflora, Notelaea microcarpa and Aristida and Stipa species.
Details of the species composition of individual stands is provided in Benson J.S. (1993) The Biology and Management of Ooline (Cadellia pentastylis) in NSW. Species Management Report No.2 (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service).
The species composition of stands varies, with stands on claystone having a more herbaceous understorey than those on sandstone or conglomerate. However, all stands are similar in having Cadellia pentastylis as a dominant overstorey species.
2. Stands of Cadellia pentastylis occur in northern NSW on undulating terrain on a variety of soil types, usually between 300-450 m asl. The distribution of the community falls within the Nandewar and Brigalow Belt South bioregions in the IBRA scheme. Bioregions are defined in Thackway and Cresswell (1995).
3. The Cadellia community also occurs in Queensland, where it has been extensively cleared.
4. Cadellia pentastylis is the only species in the genus and has affinities with rainforest species. The community may provide links to the more extensive rainforest cover of Australia which was present until the late Tertiary development of widespread aridity.
Cadellia pentastylis exhibits the capacity to resprout and coppice - the number of genetic individuals in some stands may be much less than the number of stems present.
Cadellia pentastylis is listed on Schedule 2 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act, and is coded 3R Ca by Briggs, J.D. and Leigh, J.H. (1996) Rare or Threatened Australian Plants CSIRO Publications, Melbourne.
4. The total area of theCadellia pentastylis community in NSW is c1200 ha. in 8 major locations (locations 1 -7 in Fig.1 of Benson 1993, plus an additional location at Mosquito Creek. Location 8 in Benson’s Fig. 1 is in Queensland). 5. At all locations there has been a substantial reduction in the area of the community over the last 200 years (see Fig. 2-8 in Benson 1993). 6. Stands of the community occur under a variety of tenures. Some areas are conserved in the Scrub Myrtle Flora Reserve, Gamilaraay Nature Reserve and under a voluntary conservation agreement 7. Threats to the community include grazing and accompanying compaction of soil leading to poor recruitment of seedlings. The response ofCadellia pentastylis to fire is unknown so that impact of changed fire regimes on the community is uncertain.Historically the major threat to the community has been from clearing, which has caused the dramatic reduction in extent of the community. Further clearing would be a major danger to the survival of the community.
Fragmentation of formerly more extensive stands, and the possibility of low genetic diversity within stands (because of the prevalence of vegetative reproduction) may pose long term threats to the survival of the community.
8. In view of 4, 5 and 7 above, the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that theCadellia pentastyliscommunity is likely to become extinct in nature in NSW unless the circumstances and factors threatening its survival or evolutionary development cease to operate.Dr Richard Major
Chairperson
Scientific Committee
Proposed Gazettal date: 02/12/11
Exhibition period: 02/12/11 – 03/02/12
Reference :
Thackway R, Cresswell ID (1995) An interim biogeographic regionalisation for Australia: a framework for setting priorities in the National Reserves System Cooperative Program. (Version 4.0. Australian Nature Conservation Agency: Canberra.)