78 
D. R. MELICK 
with occasional rainforest species, and thus 
catergorisation is difficult. In terms of the com¬ 
munities described in central Gippsland by 
Gullan et al. (1981), these groups are probably 
best regarded as damp sclerophyll communities, 
although rainforest species are not characteristic 
for these vegetation types. 
Damp sclerophyll woodland (group Bl, 28 
quadrats). In this unusual community a sparse 
canopy (20% cover) of Eucalyptus globulus ssp. 
bicostata, E. polyanthemos and E. melliodora , 
up to 30 m tall, is present over a dense under¬ 
storey (75% cover) of Acacia mearnsii and 
Pomaderris aspera scrub from 8-18 m high. 
Dense lianes of Pandorea pandorana and Cle¬ 
matis glycinoides are found throughout the 
understorey. A well developed ground stratum 
contains shade tolerant herbs such as Micro- 
laena stipoides, Dichondra repens, Goodenia 
ovata, Oxalis corniculata and Hydrocotyle hirta. 
The sedge Lepidosperma laterale and the fern 
Pellaea falcata are abundant. This community 
occurs on the relatively cool south-easterly slope 
above the Mitchell River, and the presence of 
burnt stumps in some places and occasional cop¬ 
pice of regenerating Acmenasmithii suggest that 
this site once supported a form of wet sclerophyll 
forest with areas of hillside rainforest. 
Layered tall open forest (group B2, 29 quadrats). 
This heterogeneous community occurs mainly 
along the southern aspects of the upper 
Woolshed Creek, with pockets on other rela¬ 
tively sheltered eastern aspects. Eucalyptus glo- 
boidea, E. polyanthemos and E. cypellocarpa 
growing to over 30 m high are present as an open 
overstorey (average crown cover of 37%) over a 
reasonably thick scrub (54% cover) of Kunzea 
ericoides, Acacia mearnsii and Baeckea virgata 
scrub (in riparian areas) from 6-12 m high. Some 
rainforest elements occur, a few individuals of 
Tristaniopsis laurina, Pittosporum undulatum 
and Rapanea howittiana being present in 
quadrats near the rainforest boundary. The 
ground stratum is diverse, including mosses and 
ferns, of which Adiantum aethiopicum and 
Cheilanthes tenuifolia are the most abundant. 
The shade tolerant herbs Microlaena stipoides, 
Hydrocotyle hirta, Dichondra repens , Veronica 
plebeia and Goodenia ovata are also present in 
the field layer, together with ubiquitous Lepido¬ 
sperma laterale. 
Supergroup C. Dry sclerophyll communities 
These communities are classified by their floris- 
tic association and show a variable range of 
structures. These complex mosaics are domi 
nated by Eucalyptus globoidea with variable 
mixtures of E. polyanthemos, E. melliodora mi 
Brachychiton populneus. The understoreys are 
commonly dominated by Acacia mearnsii and 
Kunzea ericoides, while a variety of sedges 
grasses, herbs and ferns may be present in the 
ground stratum. 
The floristic groupings of the computer clas¬ 
sification show a continuum ranging from open 
forest with predominantly grassy understoreys 
of Stypandra glauca and Lepidosperma laterale 
(group Cl) to woodlands with very dense 
scrubby understoreys of Acacia mearnsii and 
Kunzea ericoides (group C2). 
Sclerophyll open forest (group Cl, 61 quadrats). 
An open forest of Eucalyptus globoidea, and to a 
lesser extent E. polyanthemos , is found in the 
north-west of the park on the cooler southern 
and eastern aspects, and in a small patch on the 
northern aspect of the ridge below Woolshed 
Creek. The average crown cover of the eucalypt 
overstorey is 60% and the mean height is about 
26 m. The sparse ground stratum (33% cover)is 
dominated by the lily Stypandra glauca, together 
with the sedges Gahnia radula and Lepido¬ 
sperma laterale\ The presence of G. radula, 
which is an indicator of seasonal waterlogging 
(Clifford 1952), in the north-west ofthesitesug¬ 
gests this area is poorly drained; such a moist 
habitat would explain the common occurrence 
of the fern Adiantum aethiopicum in the ground 
flora in these areas. On the hotter ridge sites the 
dwarf sclerophvllous shrubs Phyllanthits hirtel- 
lus, Pomax umbellala and Leucopogon ericoides 
become prominent in the field layer. Although 
Kunzea ericoides is present in the understorey it 
is only patchy, having an average cover value of 
27%. 
Sclerophyll woodlands and scrub (group Cl 8 5 
quadrats). This community, which occurs on 
gently sloping terrain from the vicinity of ihe 
creeks to the broad ridges, shows great structural 
variation, with patches of woodland (64,5% 
plots) with scrubby understorey amid dense 
scrubland (35.5% plots). Woodland up to 25 m 
in height is composed predominantly of 
Eucalyptus globoidea with E. polyanthemos 
occurring occasionally. However, the commu¬ 
nity is overwhelmingly dominated by dense 
stands (78% cover) of Kunzea ericoides ^Aca¬ 
cia mearnsii 4-15 m tall. The great dominance 
of the scrub has generally depleted the ground 
