Ecological Assessment Report

                                                                              Ecological Assessment Report




4         Ecological Values Assessment
4.1       Ground-truthed Vegetation Communities

The site assessment determined that the proposed development site supports four vegetation
communities, as outlined below.


4.1.1 Vegetation Community 1: Eucalypt Forest south-west of house site

Vegetation located to the south-west of the house site consists of a remnant eucalypt forest (plates 1
and 2). Species present include grey ironbark (Eucalyptus siderophloia), pink bloodwood (Corymbia
intermedia), Gympie messmate (Eucalyptus cloeziana), Qld grey gum (Eucalyptus major), and brush
box (Lophostemon confertus). The midstory consists of Acacia sp., small leaved fig (Ficus obliqua),
celerywood (Polyscias elegans), soap tree (Alphitonia excelsa), Muttonwood (Myrsine variabilis) and
juvenile canopy species. This community has only small amounts of weed incursion, mainly in the form
of exotic grasses such as Guinea grass, (Megathyrsus maximus) and lantana (Lantana camara).

The site has a significant amount of small to large woody debris. The site slope is roughly 23 degrees,
sloping downwards to the south-west. Most canopy trees are between 300-600mm diameter at breast
Height (DBH), though with large remnant trees between greater than 600mm DBH scattered throughout.
Arboreal hollows are sparse, with few individual small hollows (<10cm) present in select mature trees.
The canopy height is up to 30m with an estimated canopy cover of 70-80%. This community is mapped
as Category B (Remnant) Least Concern regional ecosystem, under the DoR mapping. The Vegetation
resembles and combination of two remnant regional ecosystems, being:

      •    regional ecosystem 12.11.3: Eucalyptus siderophloia, E. propinqua +/- E. microcorys,
           Lophostemon confertus, Corymbia intermedia, E. acmenoides open forest on metamorphics
           +/- interbedded volcanics; and

      •    regional ecosystem 12.11.16: Eucalyptus cloeziana +/- E. propinqua, E. acmenoides, E.
           microcorys and E. grandis open forest. Understory is generally shrubby +/- vine forest species.
           Occurs on Palaeozoic and older moderately to strongly deformed and metamorphosed
           sediments and interbedded volcanics, especially phyllite of the Kin Kin Beds.

The site inspection confirms the accuracy of the DoR mapping.




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