List of Threatened Ecological Communities Amendment (EC78) Instrument 2021

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Commonwealth of Australia

List of Threatened Ecological Communities Amendment (EC78) Instrument 2021

I, SUSSAN LEY, Minister for the Environment, pursuant to paragraph 184(a) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, hereby amend the list referred to in section 181 of that Act by including in the list of threatened ecological communities in the critically endangered category:

Tasmanian white gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) wet forest

as described in the Schedule to this instrument.

This instrument commences the day after registration.

Sussan Ley

...................................................................................

Sussan Ley

Minister for the Environment

Dated ................3/9/21 ........................

SCHEDULE

Tasmanian white gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) wet forest

The Tasmanian white gum wet forest is a type of eucalypt forest that is found in all Tasmanian bioregions, but mainly within the Northern Slopes and Ben Lomond bioregions in the north of the state. It typically occurs on moderately fertile to fertile well-drained soils. It occurs where fire is normally infrequent and rainfall is high. It is usually found in areas where average annual rainfall exceeds 1000mm, though may also occur in drier areas with reliable water supplies, such as river gullies.

Tasmanian white gum wet forest is a wet eucalypt forest, with either a wet sclerophyll or mixed forest understorey. It typically has a tall open forest structure, with a canopy dominated by tall eucalypts over a secondary tree layer and usually broad-leaf shrubs, ferns and graminoids.

The canopy of this ecological community is dominated by white gum (Eucalyptus viminalis). Other canopy species often present include stringybark (E. obliqua) and gum-topped stringybark (E. delegatensis), with giant ash (E. regnans) in the north-east and black gum (E. ovata) in poorly drained sites. Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) and silver wattle (A. dealbata) are widespread secondary tree species in wet sclerophyll forest, and are successively replaced by rainforest trees, predominantly myrtle beech (Nothofagus cunninghamii) and sassafras (Atherosperma moschatum), in mixed forest.

Most sites have a typical wet sclerophyll understorey containing tall shrubs and small trees such as common dogwood (Pomaderris apetala), musk daisybush (Olearia argophylla), blanket leaf (Bedfordia salicina) and native currant (Coprosma quadrifida). Ferns are common, particularly soft treefern (Dicksonia antarctica) but also usually ground ferns (e.g. Hypolepis rugosula, Histiopteris incisa, Blechnum spp. and Polystichum proliferum). Graminoids such as cutting grass (Gahnia grandis) and swordsedges (Lepidosperma spp.) are sometimes prominent. In poorly drained sites, paperbarks (Melaleuca spp. particularly M. squarrosa) or teatrees (Leptospermum spp. particularly L. lanigerum) may be common. Alternatively, in mixed forest forms of the ecological community the understorey can be dominated by shrubs and saplings of rainforest tree species, notably myrtle beech (Nothofagus cunninghamii) or sassafras (Atherosperma moschatum), or occasionally leatherwood (Eucryphia lucida) or celerytop pine (Phyllocladus aspleniifolius). The community tends to be species-poor with respect to herbs and grasses, mostly due to a thick layer of plant litter.

The ecological community includes a variety of fauna species, including species that are listed as threatened at a national or state level.