| Cumberland Plain Woodland | |
|---|---|
 Grassy plain with scattered eucalypts | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Australasia |
| Biome | Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands |
| Borders | |
| Geography | |
| Country | Australia |
| Elevation | 10–100 metres (33–328 ft) |
| Coordinates | 33°50′59″S 150°54′40″E / 33.84972°S 150.91111°E |
| Geology | Sandstone, shale, laminite and siltstone |
| Climate type | Humid subtropical climate (Cfa) |
| Soil types | Clay, sand (podsol, entisols, lithosols), loam |
The Cumberland Plain Woodland, also known as Cumberland Plain Bushland[1] and Western Sydney woodland,[2] is a grassy woodland community found predominantly in Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, that comprises an open tree canopy, a groundcover with grasses and herbs, usually with layers of shrubs and/or small trees.[3]
Situated in the Cumberland Plain, the Cumberland Plain Woodland (CPW) is a savanna that features dry sclerophyll woodlands, grasslands and/or forests, reminiscent of Mediterranean forests. According to Office of Environment and Heritage, the community falls predominantly within the Coastal Valley Grassy Woodlands region,[4] which are part of the Grassy Woodlands formation found in the eastern corridor of New South Wales.[5]
Currently, less than 6% of the Woodlands remain in small parts distributed across the western suburbs of Sydney, totaling only around 6400 hectares.[6] Cumberland Plain Woodland was listed as an Endangered Ecological Community under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 in June 1997. The greatest threats to the Cumberland Plain Woodland include land clearing for agriculture, urban sprawl and the introduction of harmful weed species.[7]
- ^ Recovering bushland on the Cumberland Plain: best practice guidelines for the management and restoration of bushland Sydney, N.S.W.: Dept. of Environment and Conservation (NSW), 2005 [4], 94 p. : ill., maps (some col.). Ruth Burton. National Library of Australia. 2 August 2005. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Western Sydney woodland Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, NSW Government. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- ^ Benson DH, Howell J (2002) Cumberland Plain Woodland ecology then and now: interpretations and implications from the work of Robert Brown and others. Cunninghamia 7, 631-650.
- ^ Coastal Valley Grassy Woodlands NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
- ^ Grassy woodlands NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
- ^ "Cumberland Plain Woodland - Woodlands vanishing from Sydney's outskirts". NSW Department of the Environment & Energy. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
- ^ Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 Archived 2017-07-31 at the Wayback Machine (NSW Act of Parliament, online edition).