Burrinjuck Nature Reserve
The Burrinjuck Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve on the south west slopes of New South Wales, Australia. The
History
The reserve was established in 1984. Initially, it consisted ofPublic 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, apple box, red stringybark, silver wattle, tick indigo, stinking pennywort, native geranium, Sheep's Burr Acaena echinata, native carrot, weeping grass, snowgrass, Austral bear’s ear, 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, red stringybark, shiny cassinia, hoary guinea flower, slender tea tree, daphne heath, clustered everlasting, Gonocarpus tetragynus and snow grass.
- 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, broad-leaved peppermint gum, Robertson's peppermint, red stringybark, pea bush, hoary guinea flower, red-stemmed wattle, Monotoca scoparia, Gonocarpus tetragynus, grass trigger-plant, Poa tenera, Brachyscome spathulata, silvertop wallaby grass and snowgrass.
- 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, white box, red stringybark, inland scribbly gum, sticky everlasting, Caladenia mentiens, fringed spider orchid, native carrot, Gonocarpus elatus, yellow pennywort, Senecio species, spoon cudweed, annual bluebell, snowgrass and wattle mat-rush.
- Long Leaved Box heath shrub forest. This ecosystem is scattered throughout the central and western part of the reserve. Common plant species include long-leaved box, red stringybark, common fringe-myrtle, lesser guinea flower, varnish wattle, shiny cassinia, grass tree, green wattle, woolly grevillea/crimson grevillea cross, Daviesia pubigera, Persoonia rigida, spotted doubletail, 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, broad-leaved peppermint, red stringybark, Robertson's peppermint, common bracken, silver wattle, shiny cassinia, Hovea linearis, honeypots, Platylobium formosum ssp. formosum, pale wedge pea, Monotoca scoparia, twyning glycine, rough bedstraw, native geranium, Plantago varia, Brachyscome spathulata, pink fairy orchid, kidneyweed, cudweed, nodding greenhood, prickly starwort, Australian bluebell, common wheatgrass, wattle mat-rush and snow grass.
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 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.