L. Forró szerk.: Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica 13. 2000 (Budapest, 2000)
Hangay, G., Fuisz, T. I.; Bankovics, A.: Notes on the Vertebrate fauna of Katandra Bushland Sanctuary, Sydney, Australia
MISCELLANEA Tomus 13. ZOOLOGICA HUNGARICA 2000 p. 123-135 Notes on the Vertebrate fauna of Katandra Bushland Sanctuary, Sydney, Australia by G. Hangay, T. I. Fuisz and A. Bankovics (Received July 26, 2000) Abstract: Katandra Bushland Sanctuary is an area designated for the conservation of its indigenous flora and fauna typical of Hawkesbury Sandstone country. During a two-year period (March 1998-April 2000) a study was carried out in order to survey the fauna of the Sanctuary. Notes regarding history and function, the environment, the flora and the faunal survey are given here. This project is considered as a continuation of the Australian faunal studies conducted by the authors in 1997. Keywords: vertebrate fauna-inventory, Katandra, NSW, Australia History and function The Sanctuary is a Crown Reserve administered by the Department of Land and Water Conservation, managed and supported by the Friends of Katandra Bushland Sanctuary Inc., by providing financial contribution, welcoming visitors on open days and assisting with weeding and general maintenance. The Sanctuary was established following a gift of land to the people of New South Wales by the late Mr. Harold Seymour, a highly respected local businessman, and dedicated on the 27 th of October 1967 to the promotion of the study and preservation of the native flora and fauna of the Hawkesbury Sandstone country. It is also an important educational resource for students and the general public. Geology and environment, site characterization The 11.5 hectares of land, known as Katandra Bushland Sanctuary, is part of a large, albeit partially subdivided heath- and woodland stretching from Warriwood to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. The Sanctuary covers a section of the rocky escarpment, which dominates the landscape in this area, and fbus the terrain differs in levels. The highest section is found along its western side, where a plateau and the escarpment create a natural boundary. Most of Katandra lies below this escarpment, mainly on the hillside facing East. The eastern boundary is the lowest part of the Sanctuary. The visible, major rock unit is Triassic Hawkesbury Sandstone. It is massive, highly cross-bedded, quartz sandstone containing occasional pebbly layers and relatively minor shale lenses. Many cliff sections and boulders show cross-bedding in varying thickness, from a few centimeters to over a meter. General weathering is evident on bare rock and where poorly cemented layers of sandstone and thin shale lenses have eroded at a faster rate than the more resistant sections of the rock, where overhanging cliffs and shallow caves have been formed. Some joint blocks of sandstone have fallen from the higher regions of the escarpment and now they are located as large, individual boulders below the cliffs. Weathering, washout and scour produced a variable sandy soil in most parts of the Sanctuary.
