Vegetation and floristics of Warra National Park and 'Wattleridge', Northern Tablelands, NSW

Abstract

The vegetation of Warra National Park (29° 29'S, 151° 56'E; 2041 ha in area) and 'Wattleridge' (29°31'S, 151°54'E;648 ha in area), located approximately 35 km southeast of Glen Innes and 5 km west of Mount Mitchell, within the Guyra and Severn Shires in the New England Tablelands Bioregion NSW, is described. Nine vegetation communities are defined, based on flexible UPGMA analysis of cover abundance scores of all vascular plant taxa. These communities have been mapped based on analysis of quadrat data, air photo interpretation, substrate variation and ground-truthing. Communities described are: (1) 'Leptospermum novae-angliae' (New England Tea-tree) – 'Bursaria spinosa' (Blackthorn) Riparian Scrub & Heath, (2) 'Eucalyptus pauciflora' (Snow Gum) – 'Eucalyptus nova-anglica' (New England Peppermint) Woodland, (3) 'Haloragis heterophylla' (Variable Raspwort) – 'Carex inversa' (Sedge) Herbfield, (4) 'Baeckea omissa' (Baeckea) – 'Leptospermum gregarium' (Swamp Tea-tree) Closed Wet Heath, (5) 'Eucalyptus cameronii' (Die-hard Stringybark) – 'Eucalyptus campanulata' (New England Blackbutt) Shrubby Open Forest, (6) 'Eucalyptus radiate' subsp. 'Sejuncta' (Narrow-leaved Peppermint) – 'Eucalyptus acaciiformis' (Wattle-leaved Peppermint) Woodland, (7) 'Eucalyptus cameronii' (Die-hard Stringybark) – 'Eucalyptus caliginosa' (Broad-leaved Stringybark) Grassy Open Forest, (8) 'Eucalyptus nobilis' (Manna Gum) – 'Eucalyptus obliqua' (Messmate) Tall Open Forest, and (9) 'Eucalyptus oblique' (Messmate) – 'Eucalyptus nobilis' (Manna Gum) Tall Open Forest, (10) 'Leptospermum novae-angliae – Kunzea obovata – Brachyloma saxicola' Shrubby Open Scrub and Closed Heath. Of 11 communities within the area, four should be considered as threatened, while 18 taxa are considered to be of conservation significance.