plains. Since European settlement in the 1830s the distribution and condition of Natural Temperate Grassland has declined, initially due to extensive use for pastoral and agricultural activities and more recently as a result of a wide range of disturbances including grazing, application of fertilisers, introduction of exotic weed species, changed burning patterns, soil disturbance, changed drainage patterns, clearing for agriculture, plantation forestry, urban infrastructure and rural residential development. As a consequence, in 2000 Natural Temperate Grassland of the Southern Tablelands of NSW and the Australian Capital Territory was listed as Endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Throughout its range, only 3% of the Natural Temperate Grassland remains in high ecological integrity, relative to its pre-European settlement extent. Natural Temperate Grassland at Queanbeyan Nature Reserve occupies most of the larger, southern section but in the smaller, northern section occurs only as small patches. The remnant community at Queanbeyan Nature Reserve has been classified as Wallaby-grass - Tall Speargrass – Common Everlastings Tussock Grassland of the South Eastern Highlands bioregion. The community includes grass species such as Wallaby Grasses Austrodanthonia spp., Red Grass Bothriochloa macra, Tall Speargrass Austrostipa bigeniculata, Kangaroo Grass Themeda australis, and Poa Tussock Poa labillardierei, and herbaceous species such as Hoary Sunray Leucochrysum albicans var. tricolor, Blue Devil Eryngium ovinum, Leafy Daisy Brachycome rigidula, Tufted Bluebell Wahlenbergia communis, and Lemon Beautyheads Calocephalus citreus. Among weeds recorded are St John's Wort Hypericum perforatum, Serrated Tussock Nassella trichotoma, African Lovegrass Eragrostis curvula, Phalaris Phalaris aquatica, Cocksfoot Dactylis glomerata, Sweet Briar Rosa rubiginosa, Tree Lucerne Tagastaste sp., Paterson's curse Echium plantagineum, Monterey Pine Pinus radiata and a variety of thistles. Box-Gum Woodland The Queanbeyan Nature Reserve protects remnant White Box Yellow Box Blakely's Red Gum Woodland, which is commonly referred to as Box-Gum Woodland. The distribution of this community within NSW is from the Queensland border to the Victorian border, occurring in the tablelands and western slopes. In an intact state, Box-Gum Woodland is characterised by the presence of White Box Eucalyptus albens, Yellow Box E. melliodora and / or Blakely's Red Gum E. blakelyi occurring with a range of other species. The groundcover is characterised by native grasses and a high diversity of herbs, while understorey shrubs are generally sparse or absent, though they may be locally common. Since European settlement, Box-Gum Woodland has been drastically reduced in area and highly fragmented because of clearance for