Records ofthe Western Australian Museum Supplement No. 67: 1-6 (2004).

State Salinity Strategy biological survey of the Western Australian wheatbe1t: background

G.J. Keighery Department of Conservation and Land Management, Science Division, P.O. Box 51 Wanneroo, Western Australia 6946, Australia

INTRODUCTION • Using the results of the biological survey and Dryland salinity was first recognised as a following discussions with peak advisory significant threat to agriculture in the Western bodies and affected community groups, the Australian wheatbelt in the early twentieth century Government will select an additional three or (Mann, 1907; Patterson, 1917; Wood, 1924). four key recovery catchments by the end of However, it was not until the early 1970s that rising 2000;" saline groundwaters were identified as a major • Funding of $0.5 million per year to be provided threat to wetland biodiversity at Lake Toolibin for CALM to undertake this work, commencing (NARWC, 1987). The severity and widespread in late 1997." nature of the threat to biodiversity, both in Western Three Natural Diversity Recovery Catchments Australia and elsewhere in Australia, received little varying in size from 50,000 to 130,000 ha were attention in the scientific literature until the late nominated in the original Salinity Action Plan. They 1980s when papers on wetland (Halse, 1988, Hart et were centred on Toolibin Lake (east of Narrogin), al. 1990; Halse et al. 1993a,b) and terrestrial effects the Lake Muir wetland complex (east of Manjimup) (George et al., 1995) were documented. Soon after a and the Lake Warden complex at Esperance. whole of Government approach was announced to Preliminary results from the survey have already combat dryland salinisation in Western Australia. been used: Initially called the Salinity Action Plan • To identify a further three recovery catchments (Government of Western Australia, 1996), through around Lake Bryde, (south of Lake Grace), a process of review and public consultation it between Buntine and Marchagee in the northern became the Western Australian Salinity Strategy wheatbelt and around Drummond Nature (State Salinity Council, 2000). Reserve (west of Bolgart). During the development of the Salinity Action • Incorporated in the 1998 Draft Plan update Plan it was recognised that the natural biodiversity (State Salinity Council, 1998) and the of the south-west agricultural region was poorly subsequent Salinity Strategy (State Salinity documented. As a consequence, it was essential to Council, 2000). survey the biological resources of the area to • Provided to the review of the Strategy (Frost et provide a basis for planning a systematic response al., 2001) and the Wallace (2001) review of to salinisation. Specifically, it was stated that CALM's role in salinity management. (Government of Western Australia, 1996, page 24): The reviews led to some enhancement of the Biological Survey Program. These included the "Much better biological data are required to: following actions. It was proposed that the results Select further recovery catchments, and provide of the biological survey be combined with those of ecological advice for catchment management; the SS2020 project to help define biodiversity Understand and develop the resource base of conservation priorities (Salinity Strategy, 1998; page species for use in land conservation and for 31). This resulted from a report to the State Salinity commercial development." Council by Clarke et al. (1999) dealing with the The accompanying Action Statement was: effect of recharge management on the extent of "CALM will: dryland salinity, flood risk and biodiversity in • Conduct a biological survey, in the agricultural Western Australia. Subsequently these data were region, with an emphasis on low-lying areas combined into a separate report to the State Salinity that are vulnerable to salinity, to identify nature Council (George et al., 1999). The use of the conservation priorities and to identify plant Biological Survey Program to identify species that species that are likely to be of value in should, as a matter of priority, be collected for revegetation for both commercial production germplasm storage was also identified in the and land conservation; Salinity Strategy (page 32 and page 8 of the action 2 G. J. Keighery statements). Lists of vascular plant species corporate databases to provide advice on particularly at risk have been provided to CALM's actual or likely areas of occurrence, and Seed Storage Unit, and a detailed list is being provide information for updating of REX prepared separately. Also, with the higher profile (Revegetation manual), etc. given to management of saline lands in the Salinity In order to have predictive value the survey Strategy, the need for the Biological Survey needed to be site based, describing the physical and Program to identify saline areas of high biodiversity biological attributes of each sampling site. Previous for improved management was also noted. approaches used to select areas of high conservation A final change was that CALM would identify at value in the agricultural zone have been non­ least six more natural diversity recovery catchments quantitative; for example: using large-scale by 2005 based on survey findings by 2003. A vegetation maps (Beard, 1990) or have been applied preliminary list of 24 potential recovery catchments to limited areas. To support the Salinity Action was provided to the Salinity Council by CALM in Plan, there was a need for a data set that provided 2001 (Keighery and Lyons, 2001). both a broad picture and site-based information to Thus by 2000, the key recommendations within allow predictive modeling and interpolation into the Salinity Strategy (Salinity Actions, page 8) were: areas that have not been surveyed. This one to one • "Complete and publish the results of the link between the physical and biological data is biological survey of the agricultural region essential to provide a basis for predicting the begun in 1997, with an emphasis on low-lying presence of species or species assemblages beyond areas that are vulnerable to salinity, to identify the actual sampling points. In addition, a site based nature conservation priorities and to identify approach is essential to provide an explicit basis for plant species that are likely to be of value in monitoring. revegetation for both commercial production and land conservation; The study area - "The Wheatbelt" • Use the results of the biological survey and, The specified study area as defined in the Salinity following consultation with peak advisory Action Plan extended from the 600 mm annual bodies and affected community groups, rainfall isohyet inland to the eastern edge of land progressively select additional recovery clearing, an area of approximately 25 million catchments and develop and implement hectares. The study area is central to temperate recovery plans; and south-western Australia, an area that is recognized • Conduct more detailed biological surveys internationally as a mega diverse area for flowering needed at catchment and local scales." plants. Significant parts (including virtually all of To underpin management initiatives in the the Avon-Wheatbelt) of sixl of the eight Salinity Action Plan and the State Salinity Strategy, biogeographic zones recognized in south-western the area covered by the biological survey was Australia (Thackway and Creswell, 1995) are found mostly between the 300 and 600 mm isohyets. This in the wheatbelt. Thus the study area includes a encompasses what is loosely referred to as the high degree of biological diversity and wheatbelt and the more eastern parts of the south biogeographical complexity. coast. There was an emphasis on low-lying areas However, the wheatbelt had no previous that are vulnerable to salinity. Specific aims of the comprehensive systematic survey of the survey are listed below: distribution and diversity of the biota of the region. (1) Document and assess patterns in species Under the umbrella of the Salinity Action Plan, and composition across the south-western subsequently the State Salinity Strategy, the CALM agricultural zone using a wide range of Biological Survey Group with Greg Keighery as organisms, Project Leader undertook a four-year field survey (2) Identify and prioritise potential recovery (1997-2000). catchments (with respect to nature The survey was structured into three themes. The conservation values), large number of knowledgeable and experienced (3) Provide a regional perspective on nature specialists in each of these areas, from a variety of conservation priorities to help determine and institutions allowed the survey to address the prioritise management actions, particularly in diversity of a wide variety of organisms at the regard to salinity, species level. The themes and key participants are (4) Provide baseline data and a regional listed below: framework for future monitoring, (5) In collaboration with appropriate groups/ individuals (a) draw up lists of plant species that are likely to be of value in revegetation for

commercial production and/or land 1 These are the Geraldton Sandplains, Swan Coastal Plain, Avon­ conservation and (b) use survey data and other Wheatbelt, Jarrah Forest, Mallee and Esperance Sandplains zones. Introduction 3

Terrestrial Communities Uncleared sites were chosen on typical examples of Flora: Greg Keighery, Neil Gibson and Andrew each unit and preferably within a conservation Webb (CALM). reserve. Subsequently trapping systems were Fauna: Vertebrates - Norm McKenzie, Allan installed at the sites so ground-dwelling arachnids Burbidge, Jim Rolfe and Bill Muir; Invertebrates (spiders, scorpions, centipedes), some other (CALM) - Nadine Guthrie, Paul Van Heurck, invertebrates (carabid beetles and millipedes) and Lisa King, Elisha Ladhams, Bethea Loudon and small vertebrates (mammals, reptiles and frogs) Bradley Durrant; Invertebrates (WA MusE:um) ­ could be sampled. Julianne Waldock, Barabara York Main and Mark Harvey; and Frogs (University of Western Soils Australia) - Dale Roberts. Bulked surface soil samples from all terrestrial Soils: Trevor Stoneman. sites were collected for chemical analysis and the soil profile was described and sampled for chemical Wetland Communities analysis. At each of the 304 biodiversity sites a Flora: Mike Lyons and Simon Lyons (CALM) description, sampling and chemical analysis of soil Fauna: Stuart Halse, Dave Cale, Winston Kay, Jane profiles was made. In conjunction with BIOCLIM McRae, Melita Pennifold, Adrian Pinder data, these data allow modelling of species' (CALM), Russell Shiel (University of Adelaide) "environmental envelopes", including their salinity and Dean Blinn (Northern Arizona University). responses.

SITE SELECTION AND SAMPLING Wetland Communities The study area was divided into four zones for Flora and Fauna the purposes of the survey - a northern, central, Two hundred and thirty-two wetlands were southern and Dandarragan Plateau band. sampled for aquatic invertebrates, waterbirds and Large bushland areas within the higher rainfall wetland associated plants (vascular plants growing zone comprising State forest, the Swan Coastal in or around wetlands and macroalgae). Diatoms Plain and other areas of the west and south coast were sampled in about a third of the wetlands, with were not covered by the survey as it was considered a bias towards saline sites (these results have been they were comparatively well documented by the published separately, Blinn et al., 2004). Swan Coastal Plain Survey, work under the Regional Forests Agreement and the Warren Flora Study (Gibson et al., 1994, Gibson and Keighery, Data Storage and analysis 2000 and Lyons et al., 2000). Many of these areas are Data were entered into MS ACCESS databases. not threatened by salinity. Generally presence-absence matrices for site by species were generated for analysis. Data analysis Terrestrial communities pathways are as discussed under each paper. All sites were photographed and are archived on Flora CD in selected libraries. A complete library of all Overall approximately 700 terrestrial quadrats soil samples is held at Woodvale. were established and scored, of which 304 were within the terrestrial fauna sites creating the Outputs and activities terrestrial biodiversity sites. Additional sites were The clear directive from the State Salinity Council established to quantify variation observed on the was to share knowledge from the survey as quickly geomorphic units. Another 130 quadrats were and widely as possible, some of these actions are established by Mattiske and Associates and the outlined in the introduction. botanical survey team in all vegetation types of six Perhaps the most substantial output is the large reserves previously mapped structurally by development and enhancement of participants' Anne Coates to compare structure and floristics. expertise. Members of the study have now seen Another 200 sites have been established as part of most of the reserves of the agricultural zone and a the community survey on private and local significant amount of expert knowledge has government lands. These sites will be reported on accumulated on the region's biodiversity and the elsewhere. threats to its persistence. Unlike most regional surveys there was a Fauna continual call for outcomes of the survey during its The 304 sampling sites were positioned on a course. This resulted in participants being involved minimally disturbed example of each of the 11 in the continual production of publications, reports, principal geomorphic units in the landscape, as well seminars and workshops during the progress of the as on a salt-affected example of two of the units. survey. 4 G. J. Keighery

Reports included quarterly updates on progress ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of the survey provided to the State Salinity The State Salinity Council for interest In and Council which were frequently used in their support to the project and its continuance. The newsletter. Over 50 presentations at seminars and CALM regions (Swan, Mid West, Central Forest, workshops were made during the survey to bodies Southern Forests and South Coast) and their as diverse as the National Biodiversity Lecture in districts where the survey was undertaken for Canberra, Greening Australia, Naturalist Clubs, assistance with site selection and logistics. CALM CWA annual conference, CALM regions and Information Management Branch for assistance districts and catchment groups, including an provision of cadastral information to aid in site international conference on biodiversity effects of selection. salination. Most of these presentations involved The numerous landholders, both State Local handouts of information and many of these have Government and private who facilitated access to been published as proceedings or papers study sites. The volunteers who assisted in (Keighery, 2000, 2003, Keighery et al., 2000, 2001; sampling. Nicholas Hall for site establishment and Davis et al., 2003; Halse et al., 2003; McKenzie et al., databasing. Further details of these persons are 2003). There have also been a wide variety of included in the individual papers. popular articles ranging from newspapers, web Funding for the survey was provided as a special pages, books, newsletters and natural history allocation by the Government of Western Australia magazines (Keighery, 2001a,b). to the Department of Conservation and Land Some natural diversity recovery catchments have Management as part of the Salinity Action Plan and been surveyed as requested in the Salinity Action subsequently the State Salinity Strategy. Permanent Plan Review and subsequent State Salinity Strategy. staff and infrastructure were allocated to the survey A major publication on the vegetation and flora of from the Department of Conservation and Land the Lake Muir Natural Diversity Recovery Management and the Western Australian Museum; Catchment has been published in CALMScience funding was used to employ additional staff on (Gibson and Keighery, 2000). The floral values of contract as well as cover operating costs. Drummond Nature Reserve (now a natural diversity recovery catchment) were documented and published (Keighery et al., 2002). The five year REFERENCES monitoring program for Lake Muir Recovery Beard, J.S. (1990). Plant life ofWestern Australia. Kangaroo Catchment is in press (Gibson et al., 2004). Press, Sydney. Aquatic invertebrate and waterbird species lists Blinn, D.W., Halse, S.A, Pinder, AM., Shiel, RJ. and for some of the major wetlands in recovery McRae, J.M. (2004). Diatom and zooplankton catchments have been provided by Halse et al. communities and environmental determinants in the (2000) and Cale et al. (2004). Western Australia wheatbelt: a response to secondary There has also been a high level of community salinization. Hydrobiologia 528: 229-248. involvement ranging from field day, seminars and Cale, D.J., Halse, S.A and Walker, C.D. (2004). 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