Herb-rich Woodlands
| Herb-rich Woodlands occupy transitional areas between sandy areas carrying heathy woodlands or dry foothill forests and the vegetation of the plains. The development of Herb-rich Foothill Woodlands in these areas is generally in response to better water availability and as such most areas occur in southern parts of the region receiving higher rainfall or in association with upper tributaries of the major river systems. Typically these areas occur on coarse sands or sandy clay loams with an annual rainfall of 500-600 mm per annum. |  Silver Banksia (Tree Form) Banksia marginata Photograph is the property of Viridans Biological Databases (external link) |
The vegetation is characterised by an open woodland structure predominantly of Yellow Box Eucalyptus melliodora, Scent Bark E. aromaphloia and Long-leaf Box E. goniocalyx. Rough-barked Manna Gum E. viminalis ssp. cygnetensis may be more dominant in the higher rainfall areas near Edenhope. The understorey is almost devoid of shrubs although Black Wattle Acacia mearnsii and Silver Banksia (Tree Form) Banksia marginata are often present at low densities. The dominant ground covers include lilies such as Yellow Bulbine Lily Bulbine bulbosa, Nodding Chocolate Lily Arthropodium fimbriatum, Small Vanilla Lily Arthropodium minus, Yellow Star Hypoxis hygrometrica and Early Nancy Wurmbea dioica and a diverse array of perennial herbs such as Stinking Pennywort Hydrocotyle laxa, Magenta Stork’s-bill Pelargonium rodneyanum, Solenogynes Solenogyne spp., Austral Bear’s Ear Cymbonotus preissianus and Rock Ferns Cheilanthes spp. Grasses such as Kangaroo Grass Themeda triandra and Weeping Grass Microlaena stipoides may be locally dominant and there are usually a large number of small, annual species. Bracken Pteridium esculentum may dominate in frequently burned areas, particularly on sandy soils.
| Herb-rich Woodlands occur throughout the Black Range, south of Stawell and areas on the eastern edge of the Grampians in the Roses Gap area. Elsewhere in the region, they occur in association with sand dunes in the south-west of the region near Edenhope. Substantial areas on granitic sands are reserved in the Grampians National Park, while a number of areas associated with aeolian dunes are proposed for reservation in the south west of the region (VicRFASC, 2000). |  Yellow Box Eucalyptus melliodora Photograph is the property of Viridans Biological Databases (external link) |
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© The State of Victoria, 1996 - 2012.
This document was last reviewed on 30/10/2008