3. Evergreen Open-Forests

3A. The Mid-high to Tall Open-forests occur as three well defined alliances. On the coastal Quaternary sands north of Newcastle where the rainfall is from 900 - 1000 mm, Tall Open-forests of Angophora coastata, E. pilularis and Corymbia. gummifera occur. The open canopy is about 20 m high and there is a sparce lower layer of small trees and a closed shrub or herb layer. Besides the three dominant species, other species include E. globoidea, E. racemosa, E. parramattensis subsp. decadans and E. robusta, with smaller trees such as Banksia, Melaleuca and Persoonia. Much of this original forest has been altered since settlement, and in disturbed areas invasion by weeds, including Senecio lautus, Chrysanthemoides monilifera and Lantana camara is prolific. On exposed sand dunes, Hydrocotyle bonariensis, Scaevola calendulacea and Spinifex hirsutus predominate.

Open-forest of Blackbutt and Banksia on the Quaternary sands behind Newcastle Bight

Angophora Open-forest north of Newcastle

On better soils a dense understory often occurs, as near Port Stephens

This sub-formation also includes a number of very different communities, e.g. on a headland north of Newcastle occurs this Leptospermum low closed-forest, and near Anna Bay is this closed-forest of Acacia binervia.

A. binerva near Anna Bay.

3B. To the south of Newcastle and in the Valley floor and low ranges to the east of Maitland and Cessnock, the open-forests have a similar structure but the shrub layer and ground cover are more sparse. The undulating to hilly country is of Permain clays and shales with a rainfall of 800 - 1000 mm and supports open-forests of Angophora, gum, ironbark and stringybark. Angophora costata, A. floribunda, E. acmenioides, E. maculata, E. pilularis, broad leafed ironbarks and stringybarks and Corymbia gummifera are the main tree species, with smaller trees of Allocasuarina, Exocarpus cupressiformis, Persoonia, Acacia and occasional Doryanthes excelsa. In the more exposed areas this alliance is replaced by the woodlands, while in the sheltered areas dry rainforest may occur. Extensive clearing of these tall open-forest has taken place.

Eucalyptus open-forest of on a protected site, near Lake Macquarie

Eucalyptus piperita open-forest on a dry site south of Newcastle

Eucalyptus - Angophora costata open-forest on low nutrient soil near Gateshead

3C. On the deeply disected Triassic sandstone southern mountains of the headwaters of the Doyles and Baerami Creeks and Widden Brook and to the west of Mt. Nullo, Mid, High- to Tall Mixed Eucalypt Open-forests are also found. Basically of Angophora floribunda, E. punctata, ironbarks and/or stringybarks they have a more open canopy and a sparse to dense shrub layer or with a ferny ground cover. This area ranges in altitude from 100 m in the east to 1000 m in the west, and has a rainfall ranging from 900 to 600 mm.

Within this alliance five sub-alliances may be recognised:

Mixed Eucalypt Open-forest is comprised of a variety of eucalypt canopy species with decreasing diversity westwards but at the same time the shrub layer becomes more complex. To the east occurs Angophora floribunda, A. euryphylla, E. agglomerata, E. deanei, E. eugenioides, E. sparsifolia, E. pilularis, E. punctata, E. saligna, E. sieberi and Syncarpia glomulifera. The E. agglomerata, E. eugenioides, E. oblonga, E. piperita and E. punctata continue westwards and are joined by Corymbia gummifera and C. eximia towards the central area but do not extend fully westwards. In the western parts E. multicaulis occurs.

An eucalypt open-forest of E. punctata and E.eugenioides in the headwaters of Apple Tree Ck.

A sub-alliance of E. deanei, E. piperita and E.saligna is found on the basalt caps and some of the better soils, occasional with Angophora floribunda and Allocasuarina torulosa. The shrub layer is usually poor, but a herbaceous, ferny or grassy ground cover is often present. The few grasses are mostly species of Poa. At higher altitudes on better soils, such as in this gully E. viminalis may occur.

E. viminalis

On the light sandy soils in the extreme west of this sub-formation, mid-high open-forests of E. multicaulis with a rich heath layer occur.

A sub-alliance of stringybarks occurs throughout the range, the dominants include E. agglomerata, E. eugenioides and E. sparsifolia. Towards the east, E. scias may be present. Associated species include Angophora floribunda, Allocasuarina, and E. punctata, with shrubs of Acacia, Cassinia, Persoonia, Hibbertia and Oxylobium and Themeda australis and Imperata cylindrica.

Ironbark sub-alliances also occur towards the west. Dominated by E. crebra or E. fibrosa with Angophora floribunda and E. punctata and with minor occurences of other ironbarks (E. nubila, E. sideroxylon and E. caleyi). Tall shrubs, such as Acacia species form a sub-canopy over a poor shrub layer and ground cover.