An invasive species of tree is setting up roots in the Dungog Common threatening the growth of other species in the area.
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Dungog-based ecologist Bill Dowling said there are currently thousands of Cadaghi Gumtrees in the Dungog Common.
Tha Cadaghi tree has a dense canopy which can create heavy shade over the other native plants below to prevent them from growing which presents the potential for it to alter the diversity and structure of native forests
"The main impact is with native bees. When this tree flowers and produces fruit, there's a resin inside the fruit which coats the seeds. The bees love that and take it into the hive system to build the hives," he said.
"Once it reaches 40 degrees it melts. You can imagine that the bees have gone to all the trouble of making the interior hive and it gets hot and they can't cool it down and all of a sudden their home starts melting.
"It just destroys their home and the bees themselves because they get stuck in the liquid resin."
Mr Dowling said that beginning in the 19th century the Cadaghi Gumtree was recognised and sold by nurseries across Queensland and NSW as a street and general purpose tree as well as being used to create wildlife corridors.
However he sees this oversight as being a potential disaster.
"On one hand this has been good but on the other hand it has been a potential disaster," he said.
"It has been found that given the right conditions these trees will produce large numbers of seedlings and are capable of taking over an area and crowding out all other plant species.
"This has already taken place in parts of southern Queensland and north eastern NSW. It's native to north Queensland but they didn't realise just how much they would take off down here.
"We've got thousands out in the Common."
To try to deal with the rise in numbers of these trees Mr Dowling and a group of people who look after the Dungog Common go out and dig them up in an attempt to stop the spread.
However, because of the trees' fast growing nature, growing to full size in 10 years, he said that it's difficult to keep on top of their spread.
"You go back in six months time and there's just as many there again," he said.
"You go into an area that you haven't been to in a while and you might get one that's two metres tall."
Cadaghi trees are still sold by nurseries across NSW, however Mr Dowling sees this as a practise that should be discouraged.
Angus Michie
Angus Michie is a reporter with the Dungog Chronicle. He has an interest in community and council reporting.
Angus Michie is a reporter with the Dungog Chronicle. He has an interest in community and council reporting.
