Gardening Penrith

Dichondra

noreply@blogger.com (www.propertymaintenance.net.au) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:33:00 +0000

Dichondra repens: is a member of the Convolvulaceae family and is known as Kidney Weed. This is an unfortunate common name. Although the leaves are kidney-shaped it is not a weed but a useful Australian native plant.
Dichondra repens is a prostrate perennial that roots at the nodes. The kidney-shaped leaves are about three centimetres across. The flowers are small and inconspicuous.
Dichondra repens is distributed throughout Australia as well as New Zealand .
The species will develop into a dense ground cover but requires reasonable water for maximum coverage.
In some gardens Dichondra repens is grown as a lawn substitute but requires full sun and watering to fulfil this purpose.
It is said the Dichondra repens will invade garden beds. We do not agree with this slander. We welcome Dichondra repens into our gardens as the species does not interfere with other plants. It forms living mulch that inhibits weeds and reduces evaporation.
Propagation is by division.
Sometimes nurseries sell Dichondra repens in punnets.

Plants

Cumberland Plain Woodlands

noreply@blogger.com (www.propertymaintenance.net.au) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:43:00 +0000

Cumberland Plain Woodlands

Scientists generally recognise the 'Cumberland Plain Woodlands' to represent those distinct groupings of woodlands dominated by trees of Eucalyptus moluccana,(Grey Box), Eucalyptus tereticornis (Forest Red Gum) and in some areas Eucalyptus crebra (Narrow-leaved Ironbark).
Summary of the nomination
The nomination of 'Cumberland Plain Woodlands' is for Schedule 2, ie, '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 type. This community type was once widespread in the Cumberland Plains region west of Sydney NSW but has been reduced to a few fragmented stands by human use of this land for farming, industry and housing. The nomination states that the remaining stands of this ecological community are threatened by the spread of the Sydney suburban areas.
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
The Cumberland Plain Woodlands is the accepted name for the plant community that occurs on soils derived from shale on the Cumberland Plain.

The Cumberland Plain Woodlands ecological community is characteristically of woodland structure but may include both more open and more dense areas, and the canopy is dominated by species including one or more of the following: Eucalyptus moluccana, Eucalyptus tereticornis, Eucalyptus crebra, Eucalyptus eugenioides and Eucalyptus maculata. The understorey is generally grassy to herbaceous with patches of shrubs, or if disturbed, contains components of the indigenous native species sufficient to re-establish the characteristic native understorey. The Cumberland Plains Woodlands ecological community includes regrowth that is likely to achieve a near natural structure or is a seral stage towards that structure.

The following assemblage of grass, forb and sub-shrub species characterises the understorey of the Cumberland

Plain Woodlands ecological community:

Aristida ramosa,

Aristida vagans,

Arthropodium milleflorum,

Chloris truncata,

Chloris ventricosa,

Commelina cyanea,

Cyperus gracilis,

Dianella revoluta,

Dichelachne micrantha,

Echinopogon caespitosus,

Echinopogon ovatus,

Entolasia marginata,

Eragrostis leptostachya,

Hypoxis hygrometrica,

Lepidosperma laterale,

Lomandra filiformis,

Lomandra multiflora,

Microlaena stipoides,

Oplismenus aemulus,

Panicum simile,

Themeda australis,

Tricoryne elatior,

Asperula conferta,

Brunoniella australis,

Dichondra repens,

Glycine cladestina,

Glycine tabacina,

Goodenia hederacea,

Hardenbergia violacea,

Hibbertia diffusa,

Hypericum gramineum,

Lissanthe strigosa,

Oxalis exilis,

Phyllanthus filicaulis,

Pratia purpurascens,

Solanum pungetium,

Vernonia cinerea and

Wahlenbergia gracilis.

The characteristic taller shrub assemblage is:

Acacia decurrens,

Acacia falcata,

Acacia implexa,

Acacia parramattensis,

Bursaria spinosa,

Daviesia ulicifolia,

Dillwynia sieberi,

Exocarpos cupressiformis,

Indigofera australis,

Melaleuca decora and

Eremophila debilis.

The following assemblage characterises the tree canopy:

Eucalyptus crebra,

Eucalyptus eugenioides,

Eucalyptus fibrosa,

Eucalyptus maculata,

Eucalyptus moluccana and

Eucalyptus tereticornis.

Not all species listed as characteristic of the assemblage occur in every single stand of the community. Also, the total list of plant species that occurs in the community is much larger than the characteristic assemblage, with many species occurring in one or a few sites, or in very low abundance. A detailed description of the ecological community is provided in Benson D. (1992). The natural vegetation of Penrith. Cunninghamia 2(4): 541-596.
The distribution of Cumberland Plain Woodlands in the County of Cumberland in 1788 was approximately 107,000 hectares. Only 6% (6,420 hectares) of the original community remained in 1988 in the form of small fragmented stands. Although some areas occur within conservation reserves, this is in itself not sufficient to ensure the long-term survival of the community unless the factors threatening the integrity and survival of the community are ameliorated.
Threats to the community include clearance for agriculture, grazing, hobby and poultry farming, housing and other developments, invasion by exotic plants and increased nutrient loads due to fertiliser run-off from gardens or farmland, dumped refuse or sewer discharge.
How judged by ESSS in regard to the ESP Act criteria
It is the view of ESSS that the ecological community known as 'Cumberland Plain Woodlands' is subject to current and continuing threats likely to lead to extinction as demonstrated by the following two of the four 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':
a) marked decrease in geographic distribution (to 6% of the original community), and
d) restricted geographic distribution such that the community could be lost rapidly by the action of a threatening process (such as clearance for farming, industry and housing).
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.
Recommendation
'Cumberland Plain Woodlands', should be listed under 'Schedule 2 Listed Ecological Communities' of the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992.

Woodlands vanishing from Sydney's outskirts

noreply@blogger.com (www.propertymaintenance.net.au) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:16:00 +0000

Cumberland Plain Woodland

Woodlands vanishing from Sydney's outskirts

Environment Australia
The Cumberland Plain Woodlands is the name for the distinct groupings of plants that occur on the clay soils derived from shale on the undulating Cumberland Plain in central New South Wales. The most commonly found trees in the woodland are Grey Box Eucalypts Eucalyptus moluccana, Forest Red Gums Eucalyptus tereticornis, Narrow-Leaved Ironbarks Eucalyptus crebra and Spotted Gum Eucalyptus maculata. A variety of other lesser-known eucalypts as well as shrubs, grasses and herbs are also found. It is the dominance of Grey Box and Forest Red Gum that makes the community distinctive.
Where is it found?
In 1877 Cumberland Plain Woodlands covered 107,000 hectares occupying approximately 30 per cent of the Sydney Basin. This community type was once widespread in the Plains but has been reduced to a few fragmented stands by human use for farming, industry and housing. Today less than six per cent remains in small fragments scattered across the western suburbs of Sydney, totalling only 6400 hectares. The remaining fragments occur in areas subject to intense pressure from urban development.
Although some areas occur within conservation reserves, this is in itself not sufficient to ensure the long-term survival of the community unless the factors threatening the integrity and survival of the community are eliminated.
What are the threats?
The remaining stands of this ecological community are threatened by the spread of the Sydney suburban areas. Threats include clearance for agriculture, grazing, hobby and poultry farming, housing and other developments, invasion by exotic plants and increased nutrient loads due to fertiliser run-off from gardens and farmland, dumped refuse or sewer discharge.
What's happening?
Both New South Wales and the Commonwealth have listed the Cumberland Plains Woodland as an endangered ecological community under their respective Legislation. A Recovery Plan for this Woodland is being prepared by the NSW Government. Environment Australia, under the Natural Heritage Trust, is supporting a number of projects restoring and rehabilitating these woodlands through Landcare and Bushcare programs and through community groups
How can I help?
You can help by:
limiting access to the Cumberland Plain Woodland by you, your pets, your garden plants, your rubbish and your vehicles;
practising environmentally safe bushwalking by keeping to paths, not trampling or picking plants, and keeping pets on a lead (or at home!);
disposing of cigarette butts and garden waste wisely and report any unauthorised fires or dumped rubbish to the appropriate authorities;
supporting local efforts to conserve threatened species in your area by joining a local organisation such as a Landcare or catchment group, natural history or a 'friends of' group or by volunteering for Green Corps or the Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers; and
participating in special events, information nights, tree planting days and weed eradication programs in your local area.
To find out more about saving your state's threatened species check out the Threatened Species Network (TSN) web site or call the Network's National Office on (02) 9281 5515.
You can also find out more information about Australia's threatened species by calling the Department of the Environment and Heritage's Community Information Unit on free call 1800 803 772

Dichondra

noreply@blogger.com (www.propertymaintenance.net.au) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:33:00 +0000

Plants