maculatus (spotted-tailed quoll), Potorous tridactylus tridactylus (long-nosed potoroo) and Phascolarctos cinereus (koala), threatened birds such as Petroica boodang (scarlet robin), Ninox strenua (powerful owl) and Anthochaera phrygia (regent honeyeater) and threatened amphibians and reptiles such as Heleioporus australiacus (giant burrowing frog) and Varanus rosenbergi (Rosenberg’s goanna, heath goanna). The ecological community also provides ecosystem services and contributes to the health and wellbeing of local residents. For example, the forests and woodlands help cool temperatures in the surrounding region; store carbon; filter and maintain aquifers; mitigate local flooding, soil loss, and pollution; and, provide amenity and recreation such as scenic areas for bushwalking. The ecological community also supports soil health, crop pollination and pest management. Remaining patches provide important wildlife corridors and refuges in a mostly fragmented landscape, including as stepping stones between Morton National Park, Nattai National Park and the Upper Nepean State Conservation Area. A Conservation Advice is available that outlines a range of priority research and management actions that provide guidance on how to protect, manage and restore the ecological community. Routine property maintenance and land management practices, carried out in line with local laws and guidelines covering native vegetation, are typically unlikely to require consideration under the EPBC Act (e.g. most farming activities, roadside maintenance and managing fire breaks). Activities likely to have significant adverse impacts on the ecological community need to be considered under the EPBC Act to avoid or mitigate those impacts—activities such as large new developments, works or infrastructure. For example, permanently clearing areas of high-quality native vegetation for mining and energy infrastructure or residential subdivision and development. Southern Highlands Shale Forest and Woodland typical form © Greg Stone
(from left) Eucalyptus fibrosa (red ironbark) © D. Eucalyptus obliqua (stringybark) © M. Fagg, Eucalyptus mannifera (brittle gum) © D. Kelly Canopy Characteristic canopy species that may be found in all forms of the ecological community include: Eucalyptus globoidea (white stringybark), Eucalyptus piperita (Sydney peppermint) and Eucalyptus radiata (narrow- leaved peppermint). In addition to these species, the ecological community may be dominated by one or more of the following canopy species: In the ‘typical’ form - by Eucalyptus macarthurii (Paddy’s River box). Eucalyptus pauciflora (snow gum) may also be present but not as a dominant species. Eucalyptus amplifolia (cabbage gum) and/or Eucalyptus tereticornis (forest red gum) often occur. Eucalyptus ovata (swamp gum) is often present at poorly drained sites. – In addition, a Penrose variant is dominated by Eucalyptus blaxlandii (Blaxland’s stringybark); a Bundanoon variant often includes Angophora floribunda (rough barked apple); and a Braemar variant is often dominated by Eucalyptus fibrosa (red ironbark) and Eucalyptus punctata (grey gum), reflecting a stronger sandstone influence. In the ‘tall wet’ form - by Eucalyptus cypellocarpa (mountain grey gum), Eucalyptus elata (river peppermint), Eucalyptus obliqua (stringybark), Eucalyptus ovata (swamp gum), Eucalyptus quadrangulata (white-topped box), Eucalyptus smithii (gully peppermint, blackbutt peppermint) and/or Eucalyptus viminalis (manna gum, ribbon gum). In the dry’ form - by Eucalyptus cinerea (Argyle apple, silver leaved stringybark), Eucalyptus dives (broad leaved peppermint), Eucalyptus mannifera (brittle gum) and/or Eucalyptus rubida (candlebark, ribbon gum). Eucalyptus pauciflora may also occur, and while not a dominant species, its frequency in this form reflects the increased exposure to frost and lower rainfall. Eucalyptus rubida (candlebark) © M. Fagg
In all these cases, landholders are encouraged to avoid any impacts on patches of the ecological community where possible and to help restore remnants. For example, landholders should try to avoid native vegetation clearance in the ecological community and create a minimum 50 m buffer zone to help protect the root zone of trees and other components at the edge of the ecological community from spray drift (fertiliser, pesticide or herbicide sprayed in adjacent land) and other damage. Please note that human settlements and infrastructure where the ecological community formerly occurred do not form part of the natural environment and are therefore not considered to be part of the protected ecological community. This also applies to sites that have been replaced by crops and exotic pastures, or where the ecological community exists in a highly-degraded or unnatural state (see ‘Are all patches protected under the EPBC Act listing?’ section of this guide). The likelihood that an action will have a significant impact on the ecological community depends on local conditions, the quality of the patch, and upon the intensity, duration, magnitude and geographic extent of the impacts. Fire management activities should seek to minimise impacts to the ecological community. Fires must be managed to ensure that where possible, prevailing fire regimes do not disrupt the life cycles of the component species of the ecological community (including avoiding management burning in flowering and nesting seasons, wherever possible), that they support rather than degrade the habitat necessary to the ecological community, that they do not promote invasion of exotic species, and that they do not increase impacts of other disturbances such as grazing or predation by feral predators. Activities with national environment law approval to the listing of this ecological community, do not need to seek further approval. Southern Highlands Forest and Woodland short dry form © Greg Stone
What can I do to look after the ecological community? To protect and promote the recovery of bush remnants in your area you can: avoid further clearance and fragmentation of the ecological community and surrounding native vegetation, with high-quality, relatively unmodified areas, wildlife refuges and areas supporting connectivity being particularly important minimise unavoidable impacts from any developments or activities adjacent to the ecological community that might result in further degradation—for example, by applying a minimum 50 m buffer zone around patches of the ecological community and avoiding hydrological and nutrient enrichment impacts remove invasive species from your property, don’t or spread potential environmental weeds (e.g. avoid non-native grasses; check with your local authority) and don’t dump garden waste into or near remnants unnecessary mowing or ‘tidying’ of fallen branches and leaf litter that are essential to natural nutrient cycling avoid fertilisers in or near bush remnants retain dead trees, logs, large branches and rocks as fauna habitat in bushland areas keep vehicles out of remnants and walk, ride or drive on established roads and paths, avoiding the removal or trampling of plants report illegal or damaging behaviour (e.g. unauthorised fires or dumping) to appropriate authorities exclude from remnants where possible, particularly during late spring and summer and use fencing to allow regenerating canopy trees to reach maturity keep pets out of bushland, especially if it is known to contain koalas or other threatened species on large properties undertake projects to restore the ecological community, including replanting and regeneration in areas linking with other patches in the landscape and areas that will buffer the ecological community from threats on smaller properties plant local native plants that occur in local threatened ecological communities support efforts to conserve native vegetation and wildlife in your area (e.g. by joining or establishing a local organisation such as a Landcare or catchment care group, natural history or a ‘friends of ’ group; learn about the ecological community, and participate in activities such as tree planting, low impact rubbish removal and weeding) contact your local NRM Region body for support in bush management activities. The Conservation Advice gives further details of priority conservation actions for the ecological community. This can be found on the Department’s website: Eucalyptus dives (broad-leaved peppermint) © N. Lamb, (Lower) Eucalyptus radiata (narrow-leaved peppermint) © M. Fagg