Booyong Flora Reserve - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Booyong Flora Reserve is a 13 hectare sub tropical jungle remnant of the Big Scrub

Big Scrub

The Big Scrub was the largest area of subtropical lowland rainforest in eastern Australia. It was intensively cleared for agricultural use in the 19th century by colonists...

. Far less than one percent of the original Big Scrub now remains. This remnant is situated 18 kilometres north east of Lismore

Lismore, New South Wales

Lismore is a subtropical town in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. Lismore is the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area. Lismore is a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the State.-History:...

in New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

, Australia.

The red-brown soil is derived from a basaltic flow from the nearby Mount Warning

Mount Warning

Mount Warning is a mountain west-south-west of Murwillumbah, near the border with Queensland in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia...

and later volcanic flows from the Nightcap Range

Nightcap National Park

Nightcap National Park is in New South Wales, Australia, 35 km north of Lismore. It is classed by the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas as Category II...

. Average annual rainfall at Lismore is 1340 mm.

90 species of rainforest trees have been recorded in this small area.

Significant rainforest

Rainforest

Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...

tree species include White Booyong, Small-leaved Fig, Olivers Sassafras, Black Bean, Grey Walnut

Beilschmiedia elliptica

Beilschmiedia elliptica, known as the Grey Walnut is a rainforest laurel growing in eastern Australia. The range of natural distribution is from Forster, New South Wales to Fraser Island in south eastern Queensland. Beilschmiedia elliptica grows in warm temperate and sub tropical rainforests...

, Blush Walnut, Koda

Ehretia acuminata

Ehretia acuminata is a deciduous tree found in Japan, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, New Guinea and Australia. Fossil evidence suggests an ancient Laurasian origin...

, Red Cedar

Toona ciliata

Australian Red Cedar , Toona ciliata is a forest tree in the family Meliaceae which grows throughout southern Asia from Afghanistan to Papua New Guinea and Australia. In Australia its natural habitat is now extensively cleared subtropical rainforests of New South Wales and Queensland...

, White Beech, Pepperberry

Cryptocarya obovata

Cryptocarya obovata is a large laurel growing on basaltic and fertile alluvial soils in eastern Australian rainforests. It is found from Wyong in New South Wales to Gympie in the state of Queensland. Extinct in the Illawarra region , seen in the Illawarra in 1818 by Allan Cunningham...

and Hard Quandong

Elaeocarpus obovatus

Elaeocarpus obovatus is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It grows from near Wyong in New South Wales to Proserpine, Queensland in the tropics....

. Rainforest myrtles

Myrtaceae

The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...

at Booyong reserve are well represented. The most striking are the large Francis Water Gum

Syzygium francisii

Syzygium francisii is a native Australian tree, common on the eastern sea board, between Morisset, New South Wales and Gladstone, Queensland . Common names include Giant Water Gum, Rose Satinash, and Francis Water Gum...

s. One of which has a 4 metre wide girth.

A sealed road divides the reserve, with a grassy area in the western corner, surrounded by rainforest. Another grassy area to the north by the railway line also abuts onto the rainforest. After the success of regeneration of areas around Victoria Park Nature Reserve

Victoria Park Nature Reserve

Victoria Park Nature Reserve is a 17.5 hectare sub tropical jungle remnant of the Big Scrub. Situated on an undulating high rainfall plain near Alstonville, New South Wales. The red-brown soil is derived from a basaltic flow from the nearby Mount Warning. 8 hectares of the reserve is original...

, it is hoped these grassy areas at Booyong will also be regenerated back to their original vegetation.

A colony of Grey-headed Flying Fox

Grey-headed Flying Fox

The Grey-headed Flying-Fox, Pteropus poliocephalus, is a megabat native to Australia.Members of the genus Pteropus include the largest bats in the world. The Pteropus genus has currently about 57 recognised species....

lives in this reserve. The spectacular Richmond Birdwing butterfly may be seen here, as its food plant

Pararistolochia praevenosa

Pararistolochia praevenosa is an Australian vine in the Birthwort family. The Richmond Birdwing Butterfly Vine grows in subtropical rainforest in coastal areas north from Wollongbar, in far north eastern New South Wales and adjacent areas in south eastern Queensland. It has been recorded as far...

grows in this rainforest.

See also