2. Evergreen Very Tall Open-Forests

With canopies touching to slightly separated and a crown cover of 40%-70%, the Open-forests may be grouped into Very Tall Open-forest (over 20 m tall) and Tall Open-forests (12 m - 20 m tall). The former occur in the higher rainfall areas on better soils, while the latter tend to occur on the lower nutrient soils where rainfall is sufficient.

Distribution: the Very Tall Open-forests occur on the higher parts of the Liverpool and Mt. Royal Ranges in the north and north-east, and on the Watagans and higher parts of the Hunter Range and Mt. Nullo area in the south-west. The Mid-high to Tall Open-forests occur along the coast, to the north and south of the Hunter River estuary, and in the lowlands of the lower Hunter Valley and on the higher and better watered parts of the southern mountains.

Structure: of the Very Tall Open-forest, tall to very tall trees, 20 - 40 m, with a mid-dense canopy and a moist understory of shrubs, or herbs, grasses or ferns may be present. In the Mid-high to Tall Open-forests the canopy is more open and lower, 10 - 20 m, and usually with a lower sclerophyllous shrub layer. A herbaceous ground cover may also be present.

Climatic and edaphic factors: the Very Tall Open-forests occur mostly in the higher rainfall areas (up to 1500 mm) on the better soils, mostly of basalts and Carboniferous shales, while the Mid-high to Tall Open-forests are found in areas of rainfall of 600 - 1000 mm on sands and clays.

Sub-formations and Alliances

2A. On the Tomalla plateau and parts of the Liverpool Range, Very Tall Open-forests of trees 30 - 40 m tall, usually with a sparce shrub layer and ferny or grassy floor, occur on basalts where the rainfall is 750 - 1500 mm. Main tree species include Eucalyptus laevopinea, E. viminalis and E. fastigata. E. pauciflora may be dominant in localised areas. Other eucalypts include, E. dalrympleana, E. obliqua (Tomalla - Barrington Tops area), E. stellulata, E. nobilis and E. saligna. Shrubs are common and Acacia dealbata subsp. subalpina often occurs in fire promoted thickets. Poa labillardieri is the dominant ground cover.

Very Tall Open-forest of E. fastigata and E. obliqua on Tomalla Plateau	and E. dalrympleana on the Barrington Tops.
Mixed eucalypts forest with a tree fern understory on the Barrington plateau.	Tall open-forest of E. laevopinea on the Coolah plateau.

2B. On Mt. Nullo and the other high areas of the southern watershed, Tall to Very Tall Open-forests, up to 20 m or more, with a sparse shrub layer, occur in the higher rainfall areas on remnant basalts. Important canopy species include E. laevopinea, E. globulus subsp. bicostata, E. blaxlandii, and E. mannifera. Species of Poa with tussocks of Cyperaceae and Themeda australis are the dominant ground cover.

2C-D. In the mountainous areas of the Mt. Royal Ra., with S to SE aspects at altitudes from 200 - 1800 m, and in the Watagan mountains, Very Tall Open-forests with trees to 30 (-40) m also occur.

2C. In the former area on the Tertiary basalts and Carboniferous shales, where the rainfall is high, 1000 - 1200 mm, E. companulata and E. microcorys are the dominant species with Angophora floribunda and Allocasuarina torulosa forming a sparce lower layer. Generally shrubs are rare, but in the wetter areas the more hardy rainforest species, as well as tree ferns may form a shrub layer, while the ground cover is mostly of grasses such as species of Poa, Eragrostis, Themeda australis and Imperata cylindrica, with Cyperaceae and Pteridium and Adiantium ferns. At higher altitudes, other tree species include E. viminalis, E. fastigata and E. obliqua, while at lower altitudes, E. acmenoides, E. canaliculata, E. eugenioides, E. globoidea and E. propinqua are found where the forest merges with the woodland formations. In cleared areas at these lower altitudes Paspalum dilatum, Sporabolus indicus var. capensis, Themeda australis and species of Lomandra and Trifolium occur.

2D. In the Wattagans, there is usually a dense shrub layer where the forests occur on Triassic sandstones and Tertiary basalts in areas with rainfalls of 1150 - 1250 mm. E. saligna is generally the dominant species with E. pilularis and Syncarpia glomulifera. Associated trees include E. acmenioides. E. agglomerata, E. microcorys, E. scias, E. deanei, E. piperita, E. sieberi and Corymbia gummifera. Near the transition to the woodland and lower open-forests, Angophora costata, A. floribunda, E. amplifolia and E. punctata may be found.

E. saligna, E. pilularis and Syncarpia glomulifera above a rainforest gully in the Wattagans.