Plant Communities
Plant communities are defined by their structure. E.g. grassland, heath, woodland, open forest and closed forest. Their differences are not always well defined - one person's woodland is another's forest. Subtle gradation between species frequency and associations also make classification difficult.
Soil type and aspect are the two main influences on the vegetation types found in different locations.
This section of the website is our own take on the best way to present the variety of plant communities. They have been classified according to soil type and location. This is very much a work in progress and we welcome any additions, corrections photos. Just use the contact link on the menu bar. For links to information about specific species go to the species page or work through the menu on the pages listed below.
There are three groups of communities based on soil type and geology. These are the Hawksbury sandstone communities on the ridgetops, the Narabeen series communities on the slopes and the communities on the alluvial flats and sand dunes adjacent to the water's edge.
Hawksbury sandstone on the ridgetops
(i) Heathland on Box Head -
(ii) Wards Hill Rd and Killcare Heights
(iii) Closed Forest on either side of the Scenic Rd
Narabeen series on the slopes
(i) Rileys Bay to Hardy’s Bay – slopes
(ii) Rileys Bay to Hardy’s Bay – creek gullies. These contain rainforest remnants and regrowth of which the best example is Fletchers Glen.
(iii) Hardys Bay to Wagstaffe point – contains more Spotted gum, tends to be a little drier. Alluvial soils along the foreshore and beaches
(iv) Western part of Box head facing Broken Bay
(v) Exposed slopes above the beaches. Box Head to Maitland Bay
(vi) Deeper gullies in Bouddi NP
Alluvial soils along the foreshore and beaches
(i) The inter-tidal zone: Saltmarsh and Mangroves
(ii) The flats above the high tide level
Use the links to get to the page with a description of each community.
Soil type and aspect are the two main influences on the vegetation types found in different locations.
This section of the website is our own take on the best way to present the variety of plant communities. They have been classified according to soil type and location. This is very much a work in progress and we welcome any additions, corrections photos. Just use the contact link on the menu bar. For links to information about specific species go to the species page or work through the menu on the pages listed below.
There are three groups of communities based on soil type and geology. These are the Hawksbury sandstone communities on the ridgetops, the Narabeen series communities on the slopes and the communities on the alluvial flats and sand dunes adjacent to the water's edge.
Hawksbury sandstone on the ridgetops
(i) Heathland on Box Head -
(ii) Wards Hill Rd and Killcare Heights
(iii) Closed Forest on either side of the Scenic Rd
Narabeen series on the slopes
(i) Rileys Bay to Hardy’s Bay – slopes
(ii) Rileys Bay to Hardy’s Bay – creek gullies. These contain rainforest remnants and regrowth of which the best example is Fletchers Glen.
(iii) Hardys Bay to Wagstaffe point – contains more Spotted gum, tends to be a little drier. Alluvial soils along the foreshore and beaches
(iv) Western part of Box head facing Broken Bay
(v) Exposed slopes above the beaches. Box Head to Maitland Bay
(vi) Deeper gullies in Bouddi NP
Alluvial soils along the foreshore and beaches
(i) The inter-tidal zone: Saltmarsh and Mangroves
(ii) The flats above the high tide level
Use the links to get to the page with a description of each community.
