Nangwarry Native Forest Reserve

Where is it?: Nangwarry Native Forest Reserve is located on both sides of Tower Road, between Penola and Nangwarry, approximately 10 km south of Penola.

Owner: ForestrySA

Property summary: Total area 2201 hectares. Allotments 58, 60 (Deposited Plan 89620) Hundred of Penola and Allotments 64, 65 (Deposited Plan 89620) Hundred of Nangwarry.

Landscape Management Region: Limestone Coast

History:  Part Sections 343, 344 and 471 Hundred of Penola and part Sections 188, 189, 234 and 235 Hundred of Nangwarry were proclaimed on 15 March 2001 as Nangwarry Native Forest Reserve.¹

Habitat: The Reserve is the largest area of contiguous dry sclerophyll woodland south of Kingston in the Lower South East. Habitats include:

• Brown Stringybark (Eucalyptus baxteri) Association – is the dominant association and is found over the majority of the Reserve, often as pure stands on the better drained Nangwarry Sands (yellow podsols). Below the eucalypt canopy a few tall shrubs or small trees occur sporadically, mainly Silver Banksia (Banksia marginata), Native Cherry (Excocarpus cupressiformis), Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylonAcacia mearnsii).
• Brown Stringybark (E. baxteri) – Marsh Peppermint (Eucalyptus willisii) Association dominates on the shallow to marginal phases of the Nangwarry Sands on the lower slopes. E. willisii occurs as pure stands on the lower slopes with impeded drainage and shallow winter water table. Both E. baxteri and E. willisii occur as pure stands over relatively large areas. Below the open to sparse eucalypt canopy is a heathy understorey in particular Austral Bracken (Pteridium esculentum) and Yacca (Xanthorrhoea sp.).
• Brown Stringybark (E. baxteri) – Rough Barked Manna Gum (E. viminalis ssp. cygnetensis) Association – occurred over most of the Nangwarry area. Within the Reserve there is a limited occurrence of E. viminalis ssp. cygnetensis on the more fertile Nangwarry Sands and the Wandilo and Kalangadoo type meadow podsols and their transitions. It occurs in the transition zone marginal to swamps where better water relationships prevail. This association is more open and the sclerophyllous undershrubs are less abundant.

• Open Heath Land Association – Wet heath associations occur on low-lying swamp soils, and humus and meadow podsols. This association contains Silver Banksia (B. marginata), Swamp Oak-bush (Allocasuarina paludosa), Prickly Tea-tree (L. continentale), Sand-heath Yacca (Xanthorrhoea caespitosa), Mallee Honey-myrtle (Melaleuca brevifolia) and Dwarf Hakea (H. rugosa).
• Swamp Gum (Eucalyptus ovata) Association – relatively small areas occur around swamp margins and on shallow humus podsols subject to seasonal inundation or waterlogging.
• River Red Gum (E. camaldulensis) Association – small areas occur on swamp soils and meadow podsols subject to seasonal inundation or waterlogging.²

Total Species Recorded to Date:  82 (non-passerines 30, passerines 52)

Common Species:  Superb Fairywren, Grey Fanail, Crimson Rosella, Brown Thornbill, Striated Thornbill, White-throated Treecreeper, Red Wattlebird

Less Common Species: Common Bronzewing, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Black-faced Cuckooshrike, Southern Emuwren, Blue-winged Parrot, Black-capped Sittella

References:
 ¹ Government of South Australia. (2001). The South Australian Government Gazette 27: 885. (15 March). Forestry Act 1950 Section 3: Declaration of Native Forest Reserve. Penola Forest District. 7. Nangwarry Native Forest Reserve. 

 ² Horn, T, Thompson, R, & Haywood, B. (2016) Green Triangle Forest Management Plan. ForestrySA. Mount Gambier. South Australia. 

Updated: 26/07/2021