Shale-Sandstone Transition Forest
Overview
There are two kinds of Shale Sandstone Transition Forest, low sandstone influence and high sandstone influence. High Sandstone influence sites occur on poor rocky soils. In the Blacktown area, the high sandstone influence type is more common.
Shale-Sandstone Transition Forest occurs where shale rock and clay soils gradually change to sandstone. As a result of this, the boundaries of this vegetation community are indistinct. Originally, it covered over 40, 000 Hectares. Today, about 20 % of this remains. It is listed as a threatened ecological community under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.
Dominant Plant Species
Use the links next to the photo below to view the dominant plant species of this community.
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Canopy Species |
| Understory Species | |
| Ground Species |
Surrounding Vegitation Communities
Shale-Sandstone Transition Forest occurs on the transitional area between shale and sand soils. In the areas where the soil becomes shale based, usually clay soils, the vegetation changes to the Cumberland Plain Woodland community (Shale Hills and Shale Plains Woodland). Where the soil becomes sandstone based and thus has more sand present, the vegetation changes to the Sydney Sandstone Complex community.
Major Impacts
As with many of the vegetation communities in the Sydney Basin, the major factor responsible for the reduction of its original distribution is clearing for urban and rural development. This is still one of the biggest threats for the remaining stands of this community.
As it now exists only in isolated pockets and often in disturbed conditions, invasion by weeds is also a threat to the remaining areas of this community.