Vegetation of Naree and Yantabulla stations on the Cuttaburra Creek, Far North Western Plains, New South Wales

Abstract

'Naree' and 'Yantabulla' stations (31,990 ha) are found 60 km south-east of Hungerford and 112 km north-west of Bourke, New South Wales (lat. 29° 55'S; long. 150°37'N). The properties occur on the Cuttaburra Creek within the Mulga Lands Bioregion. We describe the vegetation assemblages found on these properties within three hierarchical levels (Group, Alliance & Association). Vegetation levels are defined based on flexible UPGMA analysis of coverabundance scores of all vascular plant taxa. These vegetation units are mapped based on extensive ground truthing, SPOT5 imagery interpretation and substrate. Three 'Group' level vegetation types are described: Mulga Complex, Shrublands Complex and Floodplain Wetlands Complex. Within these Groups nine 'Alliances' are described: Rat's tail Couch - Lovegrass Grasslands, Canegrass Grasslands, Lignum - Glinus Shrublands, Coolibah - Black Box Woodlands, Turpentine - Button Grass - Windmill Grass Shrublands, Turpentine - Hop Bush - Kerosene Grass shrublands and Mulga Shrublands. Sixteen 'Associations' are described 1) Mulga - Poplar Box Shrubland, 2) Mulga - Poplar Box - Bastard Mulga Shrubland, 3) Turpentine - Hop Bush - Senna Shrubland, 4) Turpentine - Elegant Wattle - Boobialla Shrubland, 5) Turpentine - Hop Bush - Daisy Bush Shrubland, 5) Belah - Rosewood - Turpentine Bush Shrubland, 6) Belah - Rosewood - Turpentine Bush Shrubland, 7) Ironwood - Leopardwood - Supplejack Shrubland, 8) Yapunyah - Black Box - River Cooba Woodland, 9) Coolibah - River Cooba - Yapunyah Woodland, 10) Rat's tail Couch - Lovegrass - Fairy Grass Grassland and Herbfield, 11) Rat's tail Couch - Lovegrass - Purslane Grassland and Herbfield, 12) Darling Pratia - Rat's tail Couch - Spike Rush Herbfield, 13) Canegrass Grassland, 14) Glinus - Groundsel - Lignum Herbfield, 15) Poplar Box - Mulga - Coolibah Woodland and 16) Black Box Woodland. In total 355 vascular plant taxa were found of which 6% were considered exotic in origin. A population of 'Dentella minutissima'; a species listed as threatened (endangered) under the New South Wales 'Threatened Species Conservation Act' 1995 was found. A summary of select structural and habitat attributes within Alliances is also presented.