Biodiversity Strategy - Gosford City Council - NSW Government

However, few that provide systematic data that enable a comparison of fauna composition over
time. Many threatened species are hard to survey for and, for many, little is known about them.
In addition fungi, invertebrates and microorganisms have not been well studied and remain
poorly understood. Table 5.1 provides a brief overview of the status of vegetation communities
and flora and fauna species in the local government area.
Table 5.1 Quick Snapshot of Gosford City’s Natural Features
QUICK SNAPSHOT GOSFORD LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
How much of the local government area (LGA) contains native vegetation?
Almost 74,700 hectares of native vegetation remain. This represents around 72.6% of the
LGA. Of this 31.7% is within national park and nature reserves. 6.9% in state forests and
around 1.8% in the COSS.
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83 distinct vegetation communities have been identified as occurring in Gosford City, this
includes 28 local variants.
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There are 11 endangered ecological communities listed for Gosford City.
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Of the 1400 or so plant species indentified in Gosford City over 330 are introduced plants
know to occur as weeds in bushland areas.
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4 plants are listed as endangered at the Commonwealth level and 8 plants listed as
endangered at the State level.
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8 plants are listed as vunmerable at the Commonwealth level and 13 plants listed a
vulnerable at the State level.
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There are at least 430 native vertebrate animals and 20 introduced vertebrate animals found
in the Gosford LGA.
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8 animals are listed as endangered at the Commonwealth level and 16 animals are listed as
endangered at the State level.
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13 animals are listed as vulnerable at the Commonwealth level and 58 animals are listed as
vulnerable at the State level.
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Of the 60 known native terrestrial mammals, 23 are listed as vulnerable (i.e. at risk of
becoming endangered in the next fifteen years.
A - 5.2
A - 5.2.1
Native Vegetation Communities
Distribution of Native Vegetation
Gosford City contains diverse vegetation communities, from woodlands, dry forest and hanging
swamps to rainforest, moist forest, heath and coastal and riverine wetlands and saltmarsh. The
natural vegetation of the area is described by Bell (2004) in accordance with the five
physiographic regions described in Chapter 4. The most northerly parts that occur on the
rugged hills of the MacDonald Ranges contain exposed woodlands on Hawkesbury sandstone
characterized by Eucalyptus haemastoma (Scribbly Gum), Corymbia gummifera (Red
Bloodwood) and Angophora costata (Smooth Barked Apple). This community is also
widespread across Kulnura, Mangrove Mountain, Somersby and southwards to the Hawkesbury
River on the Somersby Plateau landscape. Somersby Plateau Forest as described by Bell and
is characterised by E. sieberii (Silver-top Ash) in the canopy and Doryanthes exelsa (Gymea
Biodiversity - Technical Report Page 97