Burrinjuck Nature Reserve

The Burrinjuck Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve on the south west slopes of New South Wales, Australia. The 5,250-hectare (13,000-acre) reserve is located adjacent to the Burrinjuck Dam, with 5,118 hectares (12,650 acres) of the reserve located on the northern side of the reservoir, and the remaining 89 hectares (220 acres) located on the southern side of the reservoir[1] to the northeast of Black Andrew Nature Reserve. It includes land formerly managed as the Burrinjuck State Forest and Burrinjuck State Recreation Area.[1]

Burrinjuck Nature Reserve
New South Wales
IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
Burrinjuck Nature Reserve
Nearest town or cityBurrinjuck
Coordinates34°57′27″S 148°35′22″E
Established1984[1]
Area52.50 km2 (20.3 sq mi)[2]
Managing authoritiesNSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
WebsiteBurrinjuck Nature Reserve
See alsoProtected areas of
New South Wales

History

The reserve was established in 1984. Initially, it consisted of 1,286 hectares (3,180 acres) of land, but 367 hectares (910 acres) and about 1,581 hectares (3,910 acres) of the former Burrinjuck State Recreation Area were added in 2001 following the passage of the National Park Estate (Southern Region Reservations) Act 2000 (NSW), and a further 1,911 hectares (4,720 acres) were added to the western side of the reserve in 2006.[1]

The entire reserve has been subject to bushfire, though some parts of the reserve have experienced fire more often than others.[3] A particularly severe fire in the summer of 1972–1973 burnt around 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres) of land in the area.[4] Recent work demonstrated that the vegetation communities in the reserve appear to be quite resilient to fire.[5]

Public facilities

The only public facilities in the reserve are the Hume and Hovell Track and a track that leads to the summit of Mt. Barren Jack from Burrinjuck Waters State Park.[1]

Ecology

Flora

Six different forest ecosystems are recognised in the reserve:[1]

  • Apple box - Norton's box - moist grass forest. This is the dominant ecosystem in the eastern part of the reserve. Common plant species include Norton's box (Eucalyptus nortonii), apple box (Eucalyptus bridgesiana), red stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha), silver wattle (Acacia dealbata), tick indigo (Indigofera adesmiifolia), stinking pennywort (Hydrocotyle laxiflora), native geranium (Geranium solanderi var. solanderi), Sheep's Burr Acaena echinata, native carrot (Daucus glochidiatus), weeping grass (Microlaena stipoides var. stipoides), snowgrass (Poa meionectes), Austral bear’s ear (Cymbonotus preissianus), and Plantago varia.
  • Wee Jasper Norton’s box – Poa grass forest. This ecosystem is dominant on steep slopes in the south west of the reserve. Common plant species include Norton's box (Eucalyptus nortonii), red stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha), shiny cassinia (Cassinia longifolia), hoary guinea flower (Hibbertia obtusifolia), slender tea tree (Leptospermum brevipes), daphne heath (Brachyloma daphnoides), clustered everlasting (Chrysocephalum semipapposum), Gonocarpus tetragynus and snow grass (Poa sieberiana var. cyanophylla).
  • Brittle Gum – Broad-Leaved Peppermint - Poa grass forest. This ecosystem is found on steeper slopes in the southern half of the reserve. Common plant species include brittle gum (Eucalyptus mannifera), broad-leaved peppermint gum (Eucalyptus dives), Robertson's peppermint (Eucalyptus robertsonii ssp. robertsonii), red stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha), pea bush (Platylobium formosum ssp. formosum), hoary guinea flower (Hibbertia obtusifolia), red-stemmed wattle (Acacia rubida), Monotoca scoparia, Gonocarpus tetragynus, grass trigger-plant (Stylidium graminifolium), Poa tenera, Brachyscome spathulata, silvertop wallaby grass (Joycea pallida) and snowgrass (Poa sieberiana var. sieberiana).
  • Dwyer’s Gum heathy low open woodland. This ecosystem is found at the northern edge of the reserve. Common plant species include black cypress pine (Callitris endlicheri), white box (Eucalyptus albens), red stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha), inland scribbly gum (Eucalyptus rossii), sticky everlasting (Xerochrysum viscosum), Caladenia mentiens, fringed spider orchid (Caladenia tentaculata), native carrot (Daucus glochidiatus), Gonocarpus elatus, yellow pennywort (Hydrocotyle foveolata), Senecio species, spoon cudweed (Stuartina muelleri), annual bluebell (Wahlenbergia gracilenta), snowgrass (Poa meionectes) and wattle mat-rush (Lomandra filiformis ssp. coriacea).
  • Long Leaved Box (Black Cypress Pine) heath shrub forest. This ecosystem is scattered throughout the central and western part of the reserve. Common plant species include long-leaved box (Eucalyptus goniocalyx), red stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha), common fringe-myrtle (Calytrix tetragona), lesser guinea flower (Hibbertia calycina), varnish wattle (Acacia verniciflua), shiny cassinia (Cassinia longifolia), grass tree (Xanthorrhoea glauca ssp. angustifolia), green wattle (Acacia deanei ssp. deanei), woolly grevillea/crimson grevillea cross (Grevillea lanigera x polybractea), Daviesia pubigera, Persoonia rigida, spotted doubletail (Diuris maculata), Dampiera purpurea and Senecio anethifolius.
  • Blue Gum – Broad-Leaved Peppermint dry grass shrub forest. This ecosystem is dominant on gentle slopes in the centre of the reserve. Common plant species include southern blue gum (Eucalyptus bicostata), broad-leaved peppermint (Eucalyptus dives), red stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha), Robertson's peppermint (Eucalyptus robertsonii ssp. robertsonii), common bracken (Pteridium esculentum), silver wattle (Acacia dealbata), shiny cassinia (Cassinia longifolia), Hovea linearis, honeypots (Acrotriche serrulata), Platylobium formosum ssp. formosum, pale wedge pea (Gompholobium huegelii), Monotoca scoparia, twyning glycine (Glycine clandestina), rough bedstraw (Galium gaudichaudii), native geranium (Geranium solanderi var. solanderi), Plantago varia, Brachyscome spathulata, pink fairy orchid (Caladenia carnea var. carnea), kidneyweed (Dichondra repens), cudweed (Euchiton gymnocephalus), nodding greenhood (Pterostylis nutans), prickly starwort (Stellaria pungens), Australian bluebell (Wahlenbergia stricta ssp. stricta), common wheatgrass (Elymus scaber var. scaber), wattle mat-rush (Lomandra filiformis ssp. filiformis) and snow grass (Poa sieberiana var. hirtella and Poa sieberiana var. cyanophylla).

Threatened species

Two species listed on the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW) are known to exist in the reserve. The Yass daisy is listed as vulnerable, and the crimson spider orchid is listed as endangered. There are thought to be about 100 crimson spider orchid plants in the reserve, which constitute one of four known populations of the species in New South Wales.[6]

Grevillea iaspicula meets the criteria for listing as Critically Endangered in NSW under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW).[7] Seven sub-populations of the plant are known to occur in the Wee-Jasper–Burrinjuck area; one of these sub-populations is located in the reserve.

Fauna

3 amphibian species, 9 reptile species, 32 mammal species and 179 bird species have been recorded in the reserve since the late 1970s.

Threatened species

16 animal species known to exist in the reserve are listed under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW).[1] All are listed as vulnerable. They are the gang-gang cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum), turquoise parrot (Neophema pulchella), superb parrot (Polytelis swainsonii), barking owl (Ninox connivens), powerful owl (Ninox strenua), brown treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus), speckled warbler (Pyrrholaemus sagittatus), black-chinned honeyeater (Melithreptus gularis ssp. gularis), hooded robin (Melanodryas cucullata), grey-crowned babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis ssp. temporalis), olive whistler (Pachycephala olivacea), diamond firetail (Stagonopleura guttata), spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis), squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) and the eastern bent-wing bat (Miniopterus schreibersii oceanensis).

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See also

References
  1. "Burrinjuck Nature Reserve plan of management" (PDF). NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (PDF). Government of New South Wales. September 2010. ISBN 978-1-74232-954-3. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  2. "Burrinjuck Nature Reserve". Office of Environment and Heritage. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  3. Burrinjuck Nature Reserve fire management strategy 2006 (PDF) (Report). New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service. August 2006. ISBN 1-74137-274-7. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  4. "Brief history of bushfires in NSW". New South Wales Rural Fire Service. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  5. Doherty, M.D.; Wright, G. (2004). "Post fire recovery after the 2003 Canberra fires—bouncing back in Bimberi, Brindabella and Burrinjuck". Proceedings of Bushfire 2004: Earth, Wind and Fire—Fusing the Elements. Adelaide, South Australia.
  6. "Crimson spider orchid". Nature Conservation Trust of New South Wales. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  7. NSW Scientific Committee (2008). Grevillea iaspicula McGillivray (Proteaceae): Review of Current Information in NSW (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 5 May 2013.
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