Vegetation of the Bellata, Gravesend, Horton and Boggabri 1:100 000 Map Sheets, New South Wales VIS_ID 2132

The extant native vegetation in the region covered by the Bellata, Gravesend, Horton and Boggabri 1:100 000 topographical map sheets was surveyed and mapped. The survey effort supplemented 15 pre-existing surveys which resulted in 18 distinct surveys contributing to the floristic data set. The mapped area incorporates considerable topographical and geological variation. Much of the Bellata and Boggabri map sheet areas include low relief of the Moree and Liverpool Plains. The Horton map sheet includes the Nandewar Range, which rises over 1500 m above sea level to Mount Kaputar. The assembled data set represented 919 sites and 1350 plant taxa of which 257 were exotic species. ; ; Exploratory numerical analysis examined alternative subsets of the data in which various combinations of exotic, annual and uncommon taxa were removed. All exotic taxa and those with single records were eliminated, reducing the data set to 856 taxa. Numerical analysis indicated 23 community groups existed. An expert review differentiated sites within one of these groups to extend the number to 24. The spatial distribution of these groups was determined with the aid of aerial photographic interpretation (API). A total of 24 vegetation units were identified and mapped. (VIS_ID 2132)