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by | Mar 16, 2018 | Hosta

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Nest Hill Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve, located in the South Western Slopes region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia.[1] The 759 ha (1,880-acre) reserve is located approximately 25 km (16 mi) north of Holbrook, and 35 km (22 mi) south of Wagga Wagga.[1]

History

The reserve lies within Wiradjuri country, however little is known about its historic significance to Aboriginal people.[1] The lack of permanent water within the reserve suggests that it may have been of low importance.[1]

The reserve was gazetted as Pulletop State Forest on 4 May 1917,[2] and managed by the Forestry Commission of NSW for logging and timber harvesting activities.[3] The state forest was reclassified as a nature reserve on 1 January 2001.[1] The name Nest Hill is derived from a dominant peak of the same name located 5 km (3.1 mi) south of the reserve.[1]

Environment

Nest Hill Nature Reserve is situated on the undulating slopes of County Ridge and is relatively flat in comparison to the surrounding landscape.[1] The reserve is generally dry for most of the year, with flowing water only usually accumulating after summer storms or during the wetter winter months.[1]

Flora

119 plant species have been recorded within the reserve, of which 91 were native, and 28 were introduced.[4] Large tree species present within the reserve include white box, red stringybark, red box and scribbly gum.[4]

Native plant species recorded within the reserve include chocolate lily, twining fringe-lily, bulbine lily, early nancy, dusky fingers, common onion orchid, purple burr-daisy, grass tree, box-leaf wattle, silver wattle, woolly wattle, hairy geebung and creamy candles.[4]

The reserve has limited native vegetation structure in the midstorey and understorey due to historic livestock grazing and ongoing grazing by kangaroos.[1]

Fauna

Four species of reptiles, 20 species of birds, and 7 species of mammals have been recorded within the reserve.[1] Four bird species listed under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 have been recorded within the reserve, including black-chinned honeyeater, brown treecreeper, diamond firetail and speckled warbler.[3]

Introduced pest species found within the reserve include European fox and European rabbit.[1]

View of the forest, Nest Hill Nature Reserve, 2020

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Nest Hill Nature Reserve: Plan of management (PDF) (PDF). Government of New South Wales. May 2006. ISBN 1-74122-065-3. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  2. ^ "National Park Estate (Southern Region Reservations) Act 2000- Schedule 1". New South Wales Consolidated Acts. Australasian Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  3. ^ a b Nest Hill Nature Reserve Fire Management Strategy (PDF) (PDF). NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service. September 2005. ISBN 1-74137-809-5. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Burrows, Geoff E. (1999). "A survey of 25 remnant vegetation sites in the South Western Slopes, New South Wales". Cunninghamia. 6 (2): 283–314.
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