Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub
Advice to the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources from the Endangered Species Scientific Subcommittee (ESSS) on a proposal to add an ecological community to Schedule 2 of the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (ESP Act)
- Generally accepted name of the ecological community
- Summary of the nomination
- Statement with regard to the Endangered Species Protection Regulations
- Description of the range and status of the ecological community
- How judged by ESSS in regard to the ESP Act criteria
- Recommendations
Generally accepted name of the ecological community
Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub. Scientists generally recognise the 'Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub' to represent the plant communities occurring in Sydney's eastern and south-eastern suburbs that has the structural form of sclerophyllous heath or scrub occasionally with small areas of woodland, forest or wetland vegetation. To avoid confusion with similar communities in other regions, ESSS designates this community "Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub of the Sydney Region".
Summary of the nomination
The nomination of 'Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub' was for Schedule 2, i.e. 'Ecological Communities that are Endangered'. The nomination provided a summary of information about the ecological community and evidence about the conservation status of the ecological community as defined by Benson and Howell (1990). The nomination stated that this community now occupies a total area of 40 hectares, which is estimated to be 1% of its original area. The nomination stated that the community is threatened by fragmentation, weed invasion and other types of land degradation from human activities and that changes in land tenure may also be a threat to the remnants.
References:
Benson D. and Howell J. (1990). Sydney's vegetation 1788-1988 - Utilization, degradation and rehabilitation. Proceedings of the Ecological Society of Australia 16: 115-127.
Statement with regard to the Endangered Species Protection Regulations
This nomination has been assessed by officers of the Threatened Species and Communities Section, Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia. ESSS has been advised that the information supplied with the nomination meets all the requirements specified by regulation.
Description of the range and status of the ecological community
Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub is the accepted name for a plant community on nutrient poor sand deposits in the eastern and south eastern suburbs of Sydney. It has a structural form predominately of sclerophyllous heath or scrub occasionally with small areas of woodland or low forest. The characteristic assemblage of plants in the community includes tree, shrub and heath species, including some but not all of the following components:
- Allocasuarina distyla,
- Acacia longifolia,
- A. suaveolens,
- A. terminalis,
- Actinotus minor,
- Banksia aemula,
- B. ericifolia,
- B. integrifolia,
- B. serrata,
- Baekea imbricata,
- Bauera rubiodies,
- Boronia parvifolia,
- Bossiaea heterophylla,
- Brachyloma daphnoides,
- Darwinia spp.,
- Epacris spp.,
- Eucalyptus gummifera,
- Hakea teretifolia,
- Kunzea ambigua,
- Lambertia formosa ,
- Leptospermum spp.,
- Melaleuca squamea,
- Monotoca spp.,
- Persoonia lanceolata,
- Ricinocarpus pinifolius, and
- Styphelia viridis.
Species in the understorey include the fern Pteridium esculentum and the monocotyledons
- Caustis pentandra,
- Dianella revoluta,
- Eragrostis brownii,
- Haemodorum planifolium,
- Hypolaena fastigiata,
- Lepidosperma laterale,
- Leptocarpus tenax,
- Lepyrodia scariosa and
- Xanthorrhoea resinifera.
Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub is now restricted to less than 1% of its original area and currently exists only as a number of remnants.
Threats to the survival of the community include fragmentation, development, increased nutrient status, inappropriate fire regimes, invasion by exotic plants, grazing by horses and rabbits and erosion from vehicle and pedestrian use.
How judged by ESSS in regard to the ESP Act criteria
It is the view of ESSS that the ecological community known as Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub is subject to current and continuing threats likely to lead to extinction as demonstrated by the following one of the five criteria for an ecological community provided in the document 'Listing Endangered Ecological Communities under the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992: Guidelines for Nomination and Assessment of Proposals. 1997':
- marked decrease in geographic distribution.
ESSS judges that this ecological community meets the criteria for endangered under s6 (3) for the following reasons:
- it is likely to become extinct in nature unless less the circumstances and factors affecting its abundance, survival or evolutionary development cease to operate.
Recommendations
'Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub of the Sydney Region' should be listed under 'Schedule 2 Listed Ecological Communities' of the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992.