Ecology

This book arose from recognition that the ecology of of Sublime Point south Leura had never been adequately documented. The companion book (Coleby 2021) includes mention of these topics, but does not canvass all aspects.

Ecology is all about interactions between various components of environment. All life forms need each other in a hundred different ways. Animals either eat or get eaten, flora adopt a range of defences against predation and encourage pollination by a variety of means.

The present volume covers flora, habitat, plant communities, soils and ecology, and examines changes over a quarter of a century. In doing so, the approach has been observational rather than analytic.

This is another way of saying that the author has no formal qualifications to write about ecology, merely thirty years or more of a passionate involvement in studying Australian native flora, eleven rewarding years of managing a native plant nursery in the Blue Mountains, and twenty-seven glorious years of leading a wonderful group of bushcarers dedicated to the restoration of the Reserve.

That said, the more that was uncovered about the ecology of the Reserve the more it became intriguing. In spite of poor soils the diversity of habitats was large, the range of plant species and their associations was surprising, and a number of rare or threatened plants were identified. Fauna, though not often seen, were everywhere, and contributing to the extensive food webs.

Not all ecological attributes could be encompassed in this one small volume but it is hoped that sufficient has been included to form the basis for future comparisons of now and then. Another person might have chosen a totally different range of topics.

Nonetheless, it is hoped that this volume will stimulate further investigations by someone in the next generation. I wish them well, and commend to them the perpetuation of the integrity of the Reserve as a public asset.