\ reunion 



In the seventy years since the 

 nw| or reels were worked mil. the 

 hush P ;,r,l !' r rccovclcd fmni thc 

 •LtfflS ol those limes Iml com- 

 Mi'ison with the forest within the 

 J ,. ,,, C rvc (which was created m 

 ,^7S) show how far short of lull 

 , cc ovcrV lhi« BOCft I" compar- 

 able areas within thc reserve, trees 

 Sit mature and dense, otten 70-80 11. 

 high with a well-established shrub 

 uver Outside the reserve the forest 

 ,s largely open and immature and 

 „. s sulfcred scverelv Irom felling and 

 minima. Nevertheless, a considerable 

 variety of hccs is presem a 

 ,JJit ion. the natural habitat 

 , rofn a den.se to an open V 

 flJ(cs , with considerable vana 

 *hrub and ground covei. 



A mix sun tyed 



Three SttKS were chosen for surveys 

 which represented, in density and 

 variety of vegetation, the average 

 (Survey I), the richest I Survey 2). 

 and the poorest I Survey 3 ) that was 

 found in these hills 1 he lirst survey 

 w.is centred on Sutherland's Creek, 

 north ol Steiglitt. in August l u 68. 

 ihi' second on Aeroplane Road, in 

 February W&i and Ihe third at the 

 junction of Sutherland's Creek and 

 Manners Clullv. soulh of SteigliU. 

 ,„ Septcmher. I«><W. I hesc arc shown 

 a, Figure 1. 



id. in 

 varies 

 pe of 



ion ,o 



the plateau there was an open foiesl 

 of Messmate iEuculvpws- ohlknm). 

 Hi oad -leaved Peppermint ( E, tit vet). 

 Red Stringyhark (/:. muinnrlivm ho) 

 ;ind Scent-bark U:. tiroinnphloiil) in 

 areas of varying density, in which the 

 canopy at 20- J5 ft. gave Irom II to 

 50'/ cover. The shrub layer was 

 equally uneven and consisted mainly 

 ol lluki-o. litinkxiti and Grass tree 

 {XtiMhonhoni utiMralix). Ground 

 cover was fairly dense in some 

 swampy areas, being made op of Flat 



Pea IFbaytahium ahiusmtwlion), 



(jliinca-llowei lllihhrrlia Hindu) and 

 grasses. Iml was elsewhere very thin, 

 showing signs of Ihe recent severe 

 drought 



On the slopes there was an open 

 tree cover of 20 t't.-high regrowth 

 Messmate and Peppermint with less 

 than IT mature trees. The only other 

 component present was Grass-tree 

 which was generally Nparse but also 

 occurred in dense patches 1 here was 

 virtually no ground cover (the survey 

 notes written at the lime describe 

 •'. . a thin sheen of young grass, 

 moss and ground plants a few mm 

 high, no cover for anything taller 

 rhan anis"). 



The creek bed was devoid ol a 

 shrub layer and had a ground cover 

 of Poo aiturulis up io 12' tall, giv- 

 ing an KO-IOOV; cover downstream 

 and about a 20T cover upstream 

 from the survey camp. There was an 

 open canopy of cucalypts not dillcr- 

 ing from that on the slopes, 



\nnrv /: Trapping was carried out 

 hi Itme distinct types of habitat. On 



TAHI-* I 



iiiBs (in inchest for Durdidwurrah (40-ycnr average) ami 

 t) together with the average number of days of lain 



Offk.al rainfall 

 Anakie (79-year ave 



Kilt Feb. Mar | \Pf 



J 



Days of railt 1 * I ? \ 

 Aiukic | LM I 7 I I S.' : iw 



Days ..f rain | 7 



« 1 u 



Mas 



June 



JulyJ 



Ml 



2.:t< 



2.15. 



IT 



IK 



20 1 









iTs 



1 42 



1.8V 



14 



16 





JulyUu«j5cptJ Oct jNov Dee 



! 17 I 15 15 



is u 



2.04 2.05 

 12 10 



Year 



26.5* 

 1K2 



23.91 

 152 



March. 1971 



