The Blue Gum High Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion is a wet sclerophyll forest found in the northern parts of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It has been classified as critically endangered, under the New South Wales government's Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. The principal canopy trees in this forest community are Sydney blue gum and blackbutt which are usually seen between 20 and 40 metres tall. 180 species of indigenous plants have been identified at Dalrymple-Hay Nature Reserve.
Distribution The Blue Gum High Forest is restricted to the northern parts of Sydney, on soils based on shale with an annual rainfall over 1100 mm (43 in). Much of it grew on the ridge tops, roughly following the present day Pacific Highway from around Crows Nest up to Hornsby. Also it was recorded on soils based on the Mittagong Formation, volcanic diatremes and exposed shale lenses within the Hawkesbury Sandstone. Blue Gum High Forest grades into Turpentine-Ironbark Forest in drier areas of lower rainfall.
Remnants are found as far west as West Pennant Hills and Eastwood, though most of the few remaining areas are in suburbs such as Pymble, Turramurra and Wahroonga. Turiban Reserve in Wahroonga has particularly tall trees. Two of the larger forest remnants are Dalrymple-Hay Nature Reserve and Sheldon Forest. Around 4.5 percent of the original forest remains, and the current remnants amount to an area of 136 hectares (336 acres).
Ecological status
Due to fragmentation and the surrounding urban area, the forest remnants are constantly under threat from invasive plant species. Bush regeneration programs have been put in place for many years. Significant species include Wandering Jew, Madeira vine, passionfruit vine, Chinese privet, ochna and camphor laurel.
Fauna
Ring-tail possums, sugar gliders, brushtail possums and grey-headed flying foxes are common. There are occasional sightings of wallabies.National Parks & Wildlife Service, info from a Field Officer
Birds include rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus), Australian king parrot (Alisterus scapularis), crimson rosella (Platycercus elegans), currawongs, variegated fairywren (Malurus lamberti), black-faced cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae), superb fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), powerful owl (Ninox strenua), glossy black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami) and silvereyes.
The yellow-bellied sheathtail-bat (Saccolaimus flaviventris) is present though seldom seen.
Flora
+ Selected plant species of Sydney Blue Gum High Forest Common name Botanical name Approx. height Plantnet Principal tree speciesSydney blue gumEucalyptus saligna20–40 metresdetailsBlackbuttEucalyptus pilularis25–45 metresdetailsAssociated tree speciesSydney red gumAngophora costata15–35 metresdetailsGrey gumEucalyptus punctata20–30 metresdetailsWhite mahoganyEucalyptus acmenoides20–30 metresdetailsRed mahoganyEucalyptus resinifera20–30 metresdetailsTurpentineSyncarpia glomulifera20–30 metresdetailsGrey ironbarkEucalyptus paniculata20–35 metresdetailsWhite stringybarkEucalyptus globoidea15–30 metresdetailsUnderstorey tree speciesForest oakAllocasuarina torulosa6–15 metresdetailsSweet pittosporumPittosporum undulatum to 15 metresdetailsBlueberry ashElaeocarpus reticulatus to 15 metresdetailsHickoryAcacia implexa to 10 metresdetailsLilly PillyAcmena smithii to 10 metresdetailsShrub species Hairy clerodendrum Clerodendrum tomentosum to 10 metresdetailsCoffee bushBreynia oblongifolia to 3 metresdetailsSydney golden wattleAcacia longifolia to 8 metresdetailsMyrtle wattleAcacia myrtifolia 0.3–3 metresdetailsBleeding heartHomalanthus populifolius 0.5–5 metres detailsSweet bursariaBursaria spinosa to 10 metresdetailsGorse bitter-peaDaviesia ulicifolia to 2 metresdetailsMock oliveNotelaea venosa to 9 metresdetailsCommon hop bushDodonaea triquetra to 3 metresdetailsCherry ballartExocarpos cupressiformis to 8 metresdetailsVariable muttonwood Myrsine variabilis to 8 metresdetailsYellow pittosporumPittosporum revolutum to 3 metresdetailsMuttonwoodMyrsine howittiana to 8 metresdetailsNarrow-leaved orangebarkDenhamia silvestris to 4 metresdetailsAustralian indigoIndigofera australis to 2.5 metresdetailsTick bushKunzea ambigua to 3.5 metresdetailsHerbs, grasses and fernsTussock grassPoa affinis detailsFalse brackenCalochlaena dubia detailsMaidenhair fernAdiantum aethiopicum detailsGristle fernBlechnum cartilagineum detailsSickle fernPellaea falcata detailsPixie CapsAcianthus fornicatus details Kidney weed Dichondra repens details Lilac lily Schelhammera undulata details Ivy Goodenia Goodenia hederacea details Blady grass Imperata cylindrica detailsVinesAustralian ClematisClematis aristata detailsWombat berryEustrephus latifolius detailsBearded tylophoraVincetoxicum barbatum (syn. Tylophora barbata) detailsScented milk vineLeichhardtia suaveolens (syn. Marsdenia suaveolens) detailsDusky coral peaKennedia rubicunda detailsFive leaf water vineCissus hypoglauca details Twining Glycine Glycine clandestina detailsWonga wonga vinePandorea pandorana detailsOther species Doodia aspera Echinopogon caespitosus Entolasia marginata Entolasia stricta Glochidion ferdinandi Goodenia heterophylla Lagenophora gracilis Lepidosperma laterale Leucopogon juniperinus Lomandra longifolia Microlaena stipoides Oplismenus aemulus Oxalis exilis Ozothamnus diosmifolius Panicum simile Polyscias sambucifolia Pomax umbellata Poranthera microphylla Pratia purpurascens Pseuderanthemum variabile Rubus parvifolius Smilax glyciphylla Stipa pubescens Veronica plebeia Zieria smithii
See also
List of threatened ecological communities declared by the Commonwealth of Australia Blue Mountains Shale Cap Forest
References