Rail Development Vegetation and Flora Survey
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JANUARY 2012 BROCKMAN RESOURCES LIMITED RAIL DEVELOPMENT VEGETATION AND FLORA SURVEY This page has been left blank intentionally BROCKMAN RESOURCES LIMITED RAIL DEVELOPMENT VEGETATION AND FLORA SURVEY Brockman Resources Limited Vegetation and Flora Survey Rail Corridor Document Status Approved for Issue Rev Author Reviewer Date Name Distributed To Date A Rochelle Renee 02/12/2011 Carol Macpherson Glenn Firth 02/12/2011 Haycock Tuckett Carol Macpherson B Carol 21.12.11 Carol Macpherson Glen Firth 23.12.11 Macpherson ecologia Environment (2011). Reproduction of this report in whole or in part by electronic, mechanical or chemical means including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, in any language, is strictly prohibited without the express approval of Brockman Resources Limited and/or ecologia Environment. Restrictions on Use This report has been prepared specifically for Brockman Resources Limited. Neither the report nor its contents may be referred to or quoted in any statement, study, report, application, prospectus, loan, or other agreement document, without the express approval of Brockman Resources Limited and/or ecologia Environment. ecologia Environment 1025 Wellington Street WEST PERTH WA 6005 Phone: 08 9322 1944 Fax: 08 9322 1599 Email: [email protected] December 2011 i Brockman Resources Limited Vegetation and Flora Survey Rail Corridor TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................................1 1.2 SURVEY OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................................2 2 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT.................................................................................................. 5 2.1 CLIMATE....................................................................................................................................5 2.2 GEOLOGY, LANDFORMS AND SOILS..........................................................................................6 2.2.1 Geology......................................................................................................................6 2.2.2 Landforms..................................................................................................................7 2.2.3 Soils............................................................................................................................8 2.3 BIOGEOGRAPHIC REGIONS .......................................................................................................8 2.3.1 Pilbara Bioregion .......................................................................................................8 2.4 LAND SYSTEM CLASSIFICATION...............................................................................................11 2.5 STATE AND NATIONALLY RECOGNISED THREATENED COMMUNITIES...................................17 2.5.1 Threatened Ecological Communities.......................................................................17 2.5.2 Priority Ecological Communities..............................................................................17 2.5.3 Environmentally Sensitive Areas .............................................................................19 2.5.4 Conservation Estates ...............................................................................................19 2.6 LAND USE HISTORY .................................................................................................................21 2.7 PREVIOUS BIOLOGICAL SURVEYS............................................................................................21 2.7.1 Vegetation Described within IBRA subregions of the Project Area ........................22 2.7.2 Vegetation Described By Beard/Shepherd within the Project Area ......................22 2.7.3 Vegetation Described by Van Vreeswyk et al. Within Land Systems of the Project Area .........................................................................................................................25 2.7.4 Vegetation and Flora Previously Recorded in survyes in the Vicinity of the Project Area .........................................................................................................................35 3 SURVEY METHODOLOGY................................................................................................. 37 3.1 GUIDING PRINCIPLES ..............................................................................................................37 3.2 DETERMINATION OF SURVEY SAMPLING DESIGN AND INTENSITY ........................................37 3.3 DATABASE SEARCHES..............................................................................................................40 3.4 VEGETATION AND FLORA ASSESSMENT .................................................................................40 3.4.1 Appropriateness of Survey Timing ..........................................................................41 3.4.2 Floristic Quadrats ....................................................................................................41 December 2011 ii Brockman Resources Limited Vegetation and Flora Survey Rail Corridor 3.4.3 Opportunistic Collections ........................................................................................42 3.4.4 Vegetation Mapping................................................................................................46 4 VEGETATION................................................................................................................... 47 4.1 VEGETATION CONDITION OF THE PROJECT AREA ..................................................................47 4.2 FIRE HISTORY OF THE PROJECT AREA .....................................................................................47 4.3 VEGETATION COMMUNITIES OF THE PROJECT AREA.............................................................48 5 FLORA............................................................................................................................. 69 5.1.1 Sampling Adequacy .................................................................................................71 5.1.2 Sampling Adequacy for the Project Area ................................................................71 5.2 FLORA OF CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE..............................................................................71 5.2.1 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999..........................71 5.2.2 Wildlife Conservation Act 1950...............................................................................72 5.2.3 Priority Flora with Potential to Occur in the Project Area.......................................72 5.2.4 Declared Rare and Priority Flora Recorded during Surveys Undertaken in the vicinity of the Project Area ......................................................................................79 5.2.5 Priority Flora Recorded During the Current Survey.................................................79 5.2.6 Flora of Potential Conservation Significance...........................................................85 5.2.7 Range Extensions Recorded in the Project Area .....................................................85 5.3 INTRODUCED FLORA ...............................................................................................................86 5.3.1 Declared Plants........................................................................................................87 6 SURVEY LIMITATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS ...................................................................... 95 7 VEGETATION COMMUNITIES CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT ........................................... 99 7.1 VEGETATION OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE ............................................................................99 7.2 VEGETATION OF STATE SIGNIFICANCE ...................................................................................99 7.3 VEGETATION OF REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE ............................................................................99 7.3.1 Land System Analysis...............................................................................................99 7.3.2 Regional Assessment Based on Shepherd et al Mapping..................................... 100 7.4 VEGETATION OF LOCAL SIGNIFICANCE................................................................................ 106 7.5 MULGA IN THE SURVEY AREA.............................................................................................. 106 8 CONSERVATION SIGNFICANCE OF FLORA ...................................................................... 107 8.1 FLORA OF NATIONAL AND STATE CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE...................................... 107 8.2 FLORA OF REGIONAL AND LOCAL CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE ..................................... 107 STUDY TEAM............................................................................................................................... 109 December 2011 iii Brockman Resources Limited Vegetation and Flora Survey Rail Corridor 9 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 111 TABLES Table 2‐1 – Geology of the Project Area. .................................................................................................6 Table 2‐2