The Burrinjuck Nature Reserve is a

protected Protection is any measure taken to guard something against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although ...

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

on the

south west slopes The South Western Slopes, also known as the South West Slopes, is a region predominantly in New South Wales, Australia. It covers the lower inland slopes of the Great Dividing Range, extending from north of Dunedoo through central NSW and into ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. The reserve is located adjacent to the

Burrinjuck Dam Burrinjuck Dam is a gated, concrete-walled hydro-electric gravity dam at Burrinjuck, in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia. It has three spillways across the Murrumbidgee River and forms an impounded reservoir called La ...

, with of the reserve located on the northern side of the reservoir, and the remaining located on the southern side of the reservoir to the northeast of

Black Andrew Nature Reserve The Black Andrew Nature Reserve is a state park, protected nature reserve located on the South West Slopes, south west slopes of New South Wales, Australia. The reserve is situated on the southern shore of Burrinjuck Dam on the Murrumbidgee Riv ...

. It includes land formerly managed as the Burrinjuck State Forest and Burrinjuck State Recreation Area.

History

The reserve was established in 1984. Initially, it consisted of of land, but and about of the former Burrinjuck State Recreation Area were added in 2001 following the passage of the , and a further were added to the western side of the reserve in 2006. The entire reserve has been subject to

bushfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

, though some parts of the reserve have experienced fire more often than others. A particularly severe fire in the summer of 1972–1973 burnt around of land in the area. Recent work demonstrated that the vegetation communities in the reserve appear to be quite resilient to fire.

Public facilities

The only public facilities in the reserve are the Hume and Hovell Track and a track that leads to the summit of Mt. Barren Jack from Burrinjuck Waters State Park.

Ecology

Flora

Six different forest ecosystems are recognised in the reserve: * Apple box - Norton's box - moist grass forest. This is the dominant ecosystem in the eastern part of the reserve. Common plant species include Norton's box (''Eucalyptus nortonii''), apple box (''

Eucalyptus bridgesiana ''Eucalyptus bridgesiana'', commonly known as apple box, apple, apple gum or but-but, is a medium to large sized tree. It has rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and larger branches, smooth grey bark above, glossy green, lance-shaped adult leaves, f ...

''), red stringybark (''

Eucalyptus macrorhyncha ''Eucalyptus macrorhyncha'', commonly known as the red stringybark, is a species of medium-sized tree that is Endemism, endemic to eastern Australia. It has rough, stringy, grey to brown bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of ...

''), silver wattle (''

Acacia dealbata ''Acacia dealbata'', the silver wattle, blue wattle or mimosa, is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is native to southeastern Australia and widely introduced in other warm climates. Description It is a fast-growing ...

''), tick indigo (''Indigofera adesmiifolia''), stinking pennywort (''Hydrocotyle laxiflora''), native geranium (''Geranium solanderi'' var. ''solanderi''), Sheep's Burr ''

Acaena echinata ''Acaena echinata'', commonly known as sheep's burr, is a species of perennial herb, in the Rosaceae family, native to Australia. Description It grows to a height of 25–40 cm (9.84–15.75 in) and has shiny, green fern-like leaves 6–15 cm ( ...

'', native carrot ('' Daucus glochidiatus''), weeping grass (''

Microlaena stipoides ''Microlaena stipoides'', synonym ''Ehrharta stipoides'', is a species of grass. It occurs naturally in all states of Australia as well as in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Philippines.Poa meionectes ''Poa meionectes'', known as the fine-leaved snow grass, is a tufted grass native to south eastern Australia. It grows to 70 cm high, leaves are 0.3 mm wide. It occurs south of Orange, New South Wales. Flowering occurs in spring and ...

''), Austral bear’s ear (''Cymbonotus preissianus''), and ''Plantago varia''. * Wee Jasper Norton’s box – Poa grass forest. This ecosystem is dominant on steep slopes in the south west of the reserve. Common plant species include Norton's box (''Eucalyptus nortonii''), red stringybark (''Eucalyptus macrorhyncha''), shiny cassinia (''Cassinia longifolia''), hoary guinea flower ('' Hibbertia obtusifolia''), slender tea tree (''Leptospermum brevipes''), daphne heath ('' Brachyloma daphnoides''), clustered everlasting (''

Chrysocephalum semipapposum ''Chrysocephalum semipapposum'', commonly known as clustered everlasting is a perennial shrub native to Australia. Clustered everlasting belongs to the family Asteraceae. ''C. semipapposum'' produces terminal flowers heads in clusters, mainly be ...

''), ''Gonocarpus tetragynus'' and snow grass (''Poa sieberiana'' var. ''cyanophylla''). * Brittle Gum – Broad-Leaved Peppermint - Poa grass forest. This ecosystem is found on steeper slopes in the southern half of the reserve. Common plant species include brittle gum (''

Eucalyptus mannifera ''Eucalyptus mannifera'', commonly known as the brittle gum or red spotted gum, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has smooth, powdery white bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flowe ...

''), broad-leaved peppermint gum (''

Eucalyptus dives ''Eucalyptus dives'', commonly known as the broad-leaved peppermint or blue peppermint, is a species of tree that is Endemism, endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has rough, finely fibrous bark on the trunk and larger branches, smooth bark abo ...

''), Robertson's peppermint (''Eucalyptus robertsonii'' ssp. ''robertsonii''), red stringybark (''Eucalyptus macrorhyncha''), pea bush ('' Platylobium formosum'' ssp. ''formosum''), hoary guinea flower (''Hibbertia obtusifolia''), red-stemmed wattle (''Acacia rubida''), ''Monotoca scoparia'', ''Gonocarpus tetragynus'', grass trigger-plant (''

Stylidium graminifolium ''Stylidium graminifolium'', the grass triggerplant, is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the genus ''Stylidium'' (family Stylidiaceae). This species used to belong to the ''Stylidium graminifolium'' complex, but the name was conserved for t ...

''), ''Poa tenera'', ''Brachyscome spathulata'', silvertop wallaby grass (''

Joycea pallida ''Rytidosperma pallidum'' (syn. '' Joycea pallida''), commonly known as red-anther wallaby grass, is an Australian species of tussock grass found in Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. The grass has flowers in Decemb ...

'') and snowgrass (''Poa sieberiana'' var. ''sieberiana''). * Dwyer’s Gum heathy low open woodland. This ecosystem is found at the northern edge of the reserve. Common plant species include black cypress pine (''

Callitris endlicheri ''Callitris endlicheri'', commonly known as the black cypress pine, is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae that is native to eastern Australia. Distribution and habitat ''C. endlicheri'' is widespread in eastern Australia along the ...

''), white box (''

Eucalyptus albens ''Eucalyptus albens'', known as the white box, is a common tree of the western slopes and plains of New South Wales and adjacent areas in Queensland and Victoria (state), Victoria. It has rough, fibrous bark on the base of its trunk and smooth, ...

''), red stringybark (''Eucalyptus macrorhyncha''), inland scribbly gum (''

Eucalyptus rossii ''Eucalyptus rossii'', commonly known as inland scribbly gum or white gum, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It has smooth bark with insect scribbles, lance-shap ...

''), sticky everlasting (''

Xerochrysum viscosum ''Xerochrysum viscosum'' ( syn. ''Bracteantha viscosa'' (DC.) Anderb., ''Helichrysum viscosum'' Sieber ex Spreng., ''Helichrysum bracteatum'' var. ''viscosum'' Sieber ex DC., sticky everlasting) is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. The ...

''), ''Caladenia mentiens'', fringed spider orchid (''Caladenia tentaculata''), native carrot (''Daucus glochidiatus''), ''Gonocarpus elatus'', yellow pennywort (''Hydrocotyle foveolata''), ''Senecio'' species, spoon cudweed (''Stuartina muelleri''), annual bluebell (''Wahlenbergia gracilenta''), snowgrass (''

Poa meionectes ''Poa meionectes'', known as the fine-leaved snow grass, is a tufted grass native to south eastern Australia. It grows to 70 cm high, leaves are 0.3 mm wide. It occurs south of Orange, New South Wales. Flowering occurs in spring and ...

'') and wattle mat-rush ('' Lomandra filiformis'' ssp. ''coriacea''). * Long Leaved Box (Black Cypress Pine) heath shrub forest. This ecosystem is scattered throughout the central and western part of the reserve. Common plant species include long-leaved box ('' Eucalyptus goniocalyx''), red stringybark (''Eucalyptus macrorhyncha''), common fringe-myrtle (''

Calytrix tetragona ''Calytrix tetragona'', commonly known as common fringe-myrtle is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to all states of Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with linear to narrowly egg-shaped leave ...

''), lesser guinea flower (''Hibbertia calycina''), varnish wattle ('' Acacia verniciflua''), shiny cassinia (''Cassinia longifolia''), grass tree ('' Xanthorrhoea glauca'' ssp. ''angustifolia''), green wattle ('' Acacia deanei'' ssp. ''deanei''), woolly grevillea/crimson grevillea cross ('' Grevillea lanigera'' x ''polybractea''), ''Daviesia pubigera'', '' Persoonia rigida'', spotted doubletail ('' Diuris maculata''), '' Dampiera purpurea'' and ''Senecio anethifolius''. * Blue Gum – Broad-Leaved Peppermint dry grass shrub forest. This ecosystem is dominant on gentle slopes in the centre of the reserve. Common plant species include southern blue gum (''

Eucalyptus bicostata ''Eucalyptus globulus'' subsp. ''bicostata'', commonly known as the southern blue gum, eurabbie, blue gum or Victorian blue gum, is a subspecies of tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has mostly smooth bark with some persistent s ...

''), broad-leaved peppermint (''Eucalyptus dives''), red stringybark (''Eucalyptus macrorhyncha''), Robertson's peppermint (''Eucalyptus robertsonii'' ssp. ''robertsonii''), common bracken (''

Pteridium esculentum ''Pteridium esculentum'', commonly known as bracken fern, Austral bracken or simply bracken, is a species of the bracken genus native to a number of countries in the Southern Hemisphere. ''Esculentum'' means edible. First described as ''Pteris ...

''), silver wattle (''Acacia dealbata''), shiny cassinia (''Cassinia longifolia''), ''

Hovea linearis ''Hovea linearis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect or trailing subshrub with mostly narrowly linear to linear leaves with stipules at the base, and mauve and yellowish-g ...

'', honeypots (''Acrotriche serrulata''), '' Platylobium formosum'' ssp. ''formosum'', pale wedge pea ('' Gompholobium huegelii''), ''Monotoca scoparia'', twyning glycine ('' Glycine clandestina''), rough bedstraw (''Galium gaudichaudii''), native geranium (''Geranium solanderi'' var. ''solanderi''), ''Plantago varia'', ''Brachyscome spathulata'', pink fairy orchid (''

Caladenia carnea ''Caladenia carnea'', commonly known as pink fingers, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to eastern and south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania. It has a single thin, green leaf and one to five white or pink flowers ...

'' var. ''carnea''), kidneyweed (''

Dichondra repens ''Dichondra repens'', commonly known as kidney weed, Mercury Bay weed, tom thumb, or yilibili in the Dharawal language, is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae and is native to Australia, New Zealand, and the Indian Ocean is ...

''), cudweed (''Euchiton gymnocephalus''), nodding greenhood (''

Pterostylis nutans ''Pterostylis nutans'', commonly known as the nodding greenhood or the parrot's beak orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. Nodding greenhoods have flowers which "nod" or lean forwards strongly, have a deeply notched sinus ...

''), prickly starwort (''Stellaria pungens''), Australian bluebell (''

Wahlenbergia stricta ''Wahlenbergia stricta'', the Australian bluebell, tall bluebell or austral bluebell, is an Australian wildflower from the Campanulaceae family. It is considered the most commonly encountered of the Wahlenbergias. It is found in all Australian s ...

'' ssp. ''stricta''), common wheatgrass (''Elymus scaber'' var. ''scaber''), wattle mat-rush (''Lomandra filiformis'' ssp. ''filiformis'') and snow grass (''Poa sieberiana'' var. ''hirtella'' and ''Poa sieberiana'' var. ''cyanophylla'').

Threatened species

Two species listed on the are known to exist in the reserve. The Yass daisy is listed as vulnerable, and the crimson spider orchid is listed as endangered. There are thought to be about 100 crimson spider orchid plants in the reserve, which constitute one of four known populations of the species in New South Wales. ''

Grevillea iaspicula ''Grevillea iaspicula'', commonly known as Wee Jasper grevillea, is an endangered species of shrub that is Endemism, endemic to a restricted area of southern New South Wales. Description ''Grevillea iaspicula'' is a shrub that grows to a height ...

'' meets the criteria for listing as Critically Endangered in NSW under the . Seven sub-populations of the plant are known to occur in the Wee-Jasper–Burrinjuck area; one of these sub-populations is located in the reserve.

Fauna

3 amphibian species, 9 reptile species, 32 mammal species and 179 bird species have been recorded in the reserve since the late 1970s.

Threatened species

16 animal species known to exist in the reserve are listed under the . All are listed as vulnerable. They are the gang-gang cockatoo ('' Callocephalon fimbriatum''), turquoise parrot ('' Neophema pulchella''), superb parrot (''

Polytelis swainsonii The superb parrot (''Polytelis swainsonii''), also known as Barraband's parrot, Barraband's parakeet, or green leek parrot, is a parrot native to south-eastern Australia. It is a dimorphic species and one of three species in the genus ''Polytel ...

''), barking owl ('' Ninox connivens''), powerful owl ('' Ninox strenua''), brown treecreeper ('' Climacteris picumnus''), speckled warbler ('' Pyrrholaemus sagittatus''), black-chinned honeyeater ('' Melithreptus gularis'' ssp. ''gularis''), hooded robin ('' Melanodryas cucullata''), grey-crowned babbler ('' Pomatostomus temporalis'' ssp. ''temporalis''), olive whistler ('' Pachycephala olivacea''), diamond firetail (''

Stagonopleura guttata The diamond firetail (''Stagonopleura guttata'') is a species of estrildid finch that is endemic to Australia. It has a patchy distribution and generally occupies drier forests and grassy woodlands west of the Great Dividing Range from South Ea ...

''), spotted-tailed quoll (''

Dasyurus maculatus The tiger quoll (''Dasyurus maculatus''), also known as the spotted-tailed quoll, spotted quoll, spotted-tailed dasyure, or tiger cat, is a carnivorous marsupial of the quoll genus ''Dasyurus'' native to Australia. With males and females weigh ...

''), yellow-bellied glider ('' Petaurus australis''), squirrel glider ('' Petaurus norfolcensis'') and the eastern bent-wing bat (''

Miniopterus schreibersii ''Miniopterus'', known as the bent-winged or long winged bats, is the sole genus of the family Miniopteridae. They are small flying insectivorous mammals, micro-bats of the order Chiroptera, with wings over twice the length of the body. The genus ...

oceanensis'').

References

{{Nature reserves of New South Wales , state=autocollapse Protected areas established in 1984 Nature reserves in New South Wales 1984 establishments in Australia Yass Valley Council

History

Public facilities

Ecology

Flora

Threatened species

Fauna

Threatened species

See also

References