The Sydney Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland, also known as Coastal Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland and Hornsby Enriched Sandstone Exposed Woodland, is a shrubby woodland and mallee community situated in northern parts of Sydney, Australia, where it is found predominantly on ridgetops and slopes of the Hornsby Plateau, Woronora Plateau and the lower Blue Mountains area. It is an area of high biodiversity, existing on poor sandstone soils, with regular wildfires, and moderate rainfall.[1][2][3][4]
| Sydney Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland | |
|---|---|
 Yellow-top mallee ash growing at Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Australasia |
| Biome | Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands |
| Borders | |
| Geography | |
| Country | Australia |
| Elevation | 300–600 metres (980–1,970 ft) |
| Coordinates | 33°37′5.45″S 151°15′30.82″E / 33.6181806°S 151.2585611°E |
| Geology | Sandstone, shale |
Climate type | Humid subtropical climate (Cfa) |
Soil types | Clay, sand (podsol), loam |
Geography
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The Ridgetop Woodland is a low eucalypt forest having a diverse sclerophyll shrub layer, mallees and open groundcover of sedges that sit on the Triassic Hawkesbury sandstone plateaux, which encircle the Sydney Basin. The community is found in areas where the average annual rainfall ranges from 850mm to 1650mm. Ridgetop Woodland is a distinctive component of the Sydney landscape, recognised for its prominent visibility and scenic characteristics, including the knotted forms of stunted trees, the reflective tones of smooth bark, and the distinctive shapes of heathland flora.[2]
Vegetation mapping of the Cumberland Plain conducted by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2002) indicates that the study area contains Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland.[5] Around one-quarter of this community has been cleared for urban development, though many areas still remain in conservation reserves.[6] 75-90% of the vegetation zone remains.[7]
Scope
editIt incorporates Coastal Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland, which is found up to 600m above sea level in areas receiving an average annual rainfall ranging from 850 to 1650 mm. It then grades into heath (e.g. Coastal Sandstone Plateau Heath) where soils become more shallow.[8]
In the upper Blue Mountains it is supplanted by Blue Mountains Ridgetop Woodland on the more raised Narrabeen Sandstone, on sandy loams, where there it will grade into the Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands Basalt Forests further west. Coastal Sand plain Heath occurs at Wottamolla, Royal National Park.[6]
Flora
editThe area is dominated by Corymbia eximia and Eucalyptus sieberi, which shape a sporadic overstorey enclosed with large shrubs such as Banksia serrata, Leptospermum trinervium and Hakea dactyloides. Smaller shrubs including Leucopogon setiger and Dillwynia floribunda are salient towards the edge of the rock shelf.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Sydney Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland". Northern Beaches Council. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- 1 2 3 "Urban Bushland in the Ryde LGA - Sydney Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland" (PDF). Ryde Council. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- ↑ "Ecological communities Sydney Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland". Ku-ring-gai Council. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- ↑ "Duffys Forest Ecological Community in the Sydney Basin Bioregion - profile". New South Wales Department of Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- ↑ Vegetation Management Plan (PDF) (Report). Macquarie University. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
- 1 2 DSF p131: Coastal Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland
- 1 2 DSF p131: Coastal Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland Cunninghamia 11(3): 2010
- ↑ Statement of Evidence: Ecological Assessment for Reconsideration (EPBC 2009/4718) (PDF) (Report). Department of the Environment, Australia. Retrieved 27 April 2026.