More Questions than answers

 

The proposed Frenchs Forest hospital site is at the cross section of crucially important wildlife corridors.

 

 

The link over this parcel of land is used regularly by wallabies ( Walllabia bicolor)  to migrate from the Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment into the Manly Dam area and through to Garigal National Park. It provides habitat for an active sugar glider colony and many long nosed bandicoots. A powerful owl was seen regularly near the school boundary and in the past koalas and tiger quolls were recorded in this area. Fresh evidence of a tiger quoll has been found in the Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment and quolls need a huge foraging range. This makes wildlife corridor maintenance of highest importance.

 

The proposed hospital site in Frenchs Forest is environmentally unique. It belongs to a threatened ecological community: 'Duffy's Forest Ecological Community' ( DFEC).

 

An ecological community is and intricate biological association between the soils, plants, micro-organisms and its fauna. The community is maintained by meticulous and rhythmic interactions between all these components. Typically DFEC is only found on ridge tops, plateaus and upper slopes, where most of our roads and development were accommodated. Now only 15% of DFEC continues to exist on fragmented parcels of land and the threat DFEC becoming extinct has been recognised by it being declared  "endangered" under NSW legislation.

 

For more information visit: 

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/DuffysForestEcologicalCommunitySydneyEndComListing.htm

 

Here is a link to a blog that as been created by a memeber of the community http://thegreenmanly.blogspot.com.au/

 

 

Characteristic features of DFEC include:

 

1)  location high up in the catchments: Bantry Bay, Frenchs Forest

2) high trees rather than low shrubs: Angophora costata, Eucalypts ( E. sieberi , E.capitellata, E. gummifera, E  haemastoma)

3) special soils: lateritic soils and soil derivates from shale and laminate lenses. Iron stones are often visible.

4) a particular assemblage of vascular plants in the understorey including many species from the proteaceae family: Banksia serrata, Conospermum longifolium, Grevillea buxifolia, Grevillea caleyi, Hakea dactyloides, Hakea sericea, Lambertia formosa, Persoonia levis,Telopea speciosissima. Members from the pea family: Bossiaea heterophylla, Gompholobium grandiflorum, Phyllota phylicoides, Pultanea daphnoides, and others like Acacia linifolia, Acacia suaveolens, Bruoniella pumilo, Damperia stricta, Epacris pulchella, Lasiopetalum ferrugineum, Lomandra multiflora, Xanthorrhoea media to name a few that are often known.

 

The proposed site for Frenchs Forest hospital is a particular important part of DFEC as it contains species not presented on other parcels of DFEC. The site is in very good condition with no weed infestation centrally and only some parts on the periphery are invaded by weedy vegetation. Because of the 'hilltop' location no runoff has degraded the site, which results in its excellent condition and allows for easy preservation of the site as a viable ecological community and crucial wildlife corridor.