Blue Mountains Shale Cap Forest

The Blue Mountains Shale Cap Forest is a wet-sclerophyll temperate forest community predominantly found in the Blue Mountains, particularly in the Wollemi National Park, and parts of the Hawkesbury in New South Wales, Australia.

Ecology

Main tree species include Eucalyptus deanei, Eucalyptus cypellocarpa and Syncarpia glomulifera. Remainder tree species are Angophora costata, Angophora floribunda, Eucalyptus notabilis, Eucalyptus piperita and Eucalyptus punctata. The biome, now extensively cleared, was originally a tall open forest and now survives as woodland or as groups of remnant trees.
The Eucalyptus deanei is a leading supplier of tree hollows for owls, parrots, gliders and other hollow dependent animals including the threatened species Powerful Owl and Glossy Black-Cockatoo.

Geography

The community lies on deep fertile soils on the Wianamatta Shale, typically within damp sheltered areas at lower to middle altitudes of the Blue Mountains and Wollemi areas. Wollondilly also has a similar community. The biome supports diverse mammals and birds than the lower, drier eucalypt forests and woodlands of the Blue Mountains.