Grey Box Grassy Woodland

Project aim

The “Preserving Grey Box Grassy Woodlands in Central West NSW” project aims to stabilise or improve the trajectory of the Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) Grassy Woodlands and Derived Native Grasslands by 2023. The Grey Box Grassy Woodlands and Derived Native Grasslands are listed as a nationally endangered ecological community.

Species overview

Commonly, the ecological community comprises a tree layer and a native understorey with a varying proportion of shrubs, grasses and herbs.

This grassy woodland has a tree canopy that is dominated by Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa).  It has a shrub layer that is comprised of wattles (Acacia species), sweet bursaria (Bursaria spinosa), Cassinia species, hop-bushes (Dodonaea species), emu bushes (Eremophila species) and blue-bushes (Maireana species).

The grass layer is generally made up of wallaby grasses (Rytidosperma species), spear grasses (Austrostipa species), wheat-grass (Elymus scaber), windmill grasses (Enteropogon species), flax-lilies (Dianella species) and mat-rushes (Lomandra species).

Predominantly occurs on the drier edge of the temperate grassy eucalypt woodland belt (375-700 mm rainfall) ranging from central New South Wales through northern and central Victoria into South Australia.

Why is it threatened?

• Much of the Grey Box Grassy Woodland has disappeared or become degraded. More than 85% of the endangered ecological community has disappeared since European settlement.
• Remains at risk from land clearing, changing land use and weed invasion.

How you can help

• Get involved in our community field days to learn more about the Grey Box Grassy Woodlands

This project is supported by Central West Local Land Services, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

Further information

Stephen Pereira
Phone: 0409 814 182
Email: stephen.pereira@lls.nsw.gov.au