Sandstone Geology Vegetation

Coastal Enriched Sandstone Dry Forest - Coastal Enriched Sandstone Moist Forest - Coastal Sandstone Gallery Rainforest - Coastal Sandstone Gully Forest - Coastal Sandstone Foreshores Forest - Coastal Shale-Sandstone Forest - Hornsby Enriched Sandstone Exposed Woodland 

Hawkesbury Sandstone occurs on steep slopes, ridges, rocky outcrops and shallow soils. This type of sandstone breaks down over time to create nutrient poor and porous soils. The vegetation communities growing above Hawkesbury Sandstone have adapted to the low nutrient soil and high mean annual rainfall. 

Coastal Enriched Sandstone Dry Forest

This native vegetation community thrives in a warm habitat and grows on moderately fertile soil. Found in dry gullies or upper slopes in Sydney with Eucalyptus species, shrubs, ferns and herbaceous flowering plants.

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Coastal Enriched Sandstone Moist Forest

A tall open eucalypt forest with distinctive mesic shrubs - a mesic habitat is a type of habitat with moderate and balanced supply of moisture - and small trees. Threats to this native vegetation community are weed infestation and fire.

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Coastal Sandstone Gallery Rainforest

This community grows in sheltered gullies, slopes and hillsides on Hawkesbury Sandstone. In Ryde the remaining pockets of Coastal Sandstone Gallery forest can be found along Terrys Creek, Kittys Creek and the Lane Cove River.

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Coastal Sandstone Gully Forest

The Coastal Sandstone Gully Forest is likely to be found wherever deep gullies have been eroded into sandstone. Within the Ryde Local Government Area, this forest type mainly occurs along the Lane Cove River and its tributary creeks.

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Coastal Sandstone Foreshores Forest

Found on the foreshores of major waterways and coastal escarpments the flora in these communities have a maritime influence due to the constant exposure to prevailing sea breezes.

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Coastal Shale-Sandstone Forest

A native vegetation community throughout Ryde, the Coastal Shale-Sandstone Forest offers a diverse range of plants and trees including grasses, rushes and herbs which provide continuous ground cover.

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Hornsby Enriched Sandstone Exposed Woodland 

Hornsby Enriched Sandstone Exposed Woodland is found along ridgetops in soils that are sandy and shallow. Along the ridgetops are exposed slopes of Hawkesbury Sandstone, such as those found on Sugarloaf Hill (opposite the Field of Mars Reserve).

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