YELLOW BOX/RED GUM GRASSY WOODLAND

Red Hill is an area of Yellow Box/Red Gum Grassy Woodland. Today only scattered areas of this type of woodland exist in the ACT and it has been declared an endangered ecological community.

Yellow Box/Red Gum Grassy Woodland is an open woodland in which Yellow Box (Eucalyptus melliodora) and Blakely's Red Gum (Eucalyptus blakelyi) are the dominant trees. The trees form an open canopy above a species-rich understorey of native tussock grasses, herbs and scattered shrubs.

Yellow Box/Red Gum Grassy Woodlands are utilised by a large number of animal species. The name Yellow Box/Red Gum Grassy Woodland encompasses the dominant trees of the upper stratum, the characteristic plants of the understorey and the characteristic animals that interact with the vegetation complex.

A number of plant, bird and insect species associated with Yellow Box/Red Gum Grassy Woodland have also been declared as vulnerable to extinction or endangered in the ACT. They are:

STRUCTURE

Woodland is characterised by a discontinuous layer of tree canopies 10 - 30 metres in height having a foliage cover of 10% - 30%. In Grassy Woodland, the next tallest vegetation layer with a cover of more than 10% is dominated by grasses.

In Yellow Box/Red Gum Grassy Woodland, the understorey is usually dominated by a more or less continuous layer in which mid-height tussock grasses are prominent. Structurally and floristically, this stratum closely resembles Natural Temperate Grassland.

Shrubs may also be present and may sometimes form a discontinuous middle layer.

FLORISTICS

Other tree species may be associated with Eucalyptus melliodora and Eucalyptus blakelyi in the Yellow Box/Red Gum Grassy Woodland community. These include:

The ground layer, the lowest stratum, frequently includes:

It may also include a rich flora of forbs (herbs). These include:

Less commonly found are:

A shrub layer, when present, may contain some of the following:

FAUNA

Yellow Box/Red Gum Grassy Woodland provides habitat for many animals, including birds, bats, reptiles, ground dwelling and arboreal mammals, and invertebrates.

The hollows in older tree trunks and branches, together with fallen wood, are vital habitat for many of these species. Trees do not develop hollows until they are at least seventy years old and some standing trees are now about 300 years old. Termites, fire and wood rotting fungi promote hollow formation but the hollows may carry fire up into trees and eventually destroy them.

Loose bark provides shelter for some of the invertebrates which in turn provide food for birds. The shrub and grassy understorey also provides nesting sites, shelter and food resources for fauna.

In the ACT, about fifty bird species occur as residents or summer migrants in grassy woodland which is an important breeding habitat for many species including:

Species which have declined in numbers, in addition to the vulnerable and endangered species mentioned above, are:

Among the birds of prey are:

The Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) is abundant in the ACT and occurs in all types of grassy woodland on both rural and reserve lands. In the marginal dry hill country of the lower Naas and Gudgenby catchments, the Wallaroo (Macropus robustus) is present in small numbers. Other mammals found in grassy woodland include:

The Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeata) is a terrestrial inhabitant of woodland, and shelters in the soil and feeds on ants and termites.

Three species of bats:

occur in lowland ACT woodland.

Many species of reptiles have been recorded in woodland areas including:

Snakes found include:

Frogs occur in wetter areas within woodland and may use logs, rocks and thick grass for shelter. Species recorded in ACT woodland include:

For further information

see "Yellow Box/Red Gum Grassy Woodland. An endangered ecological community. Action Plan No. 10. Environment ACT. November 1999" and references cited therein.

The information in this page is taken from the Action Plan.