The Perth Regional Plant Biodiversity Project Jarrah Forest Reference Sites
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The Perth Regional Plant Biodiversity Project Jarrah Forest Reference Sites Supplementary information for the interpretation of reference site data Shaun Molloy November 2007 Index Introduction....................................................................................................................3 Vegetation condition scales for natural area assessment ...............................................4 Vegetation Complexes of the PMR ...............................................................................5 Descriptions of vegetation complexes. ..........................................................................6 Ecological Vegetation Systems......................................................................................8 Vegetation Site Types..................................................................................................12 Nomenclatural Code for Ecological Vegetation Systems............................................13 Northern Darling Scarp Floristic Community Types...................................................14 Vegetation structure classification scheme for natural area assessment......................15 References....................................................................................................................16 2 Introduction Bush Forever is a 10 year strategic plan instigated by the Western Australian Government in conjunction with the general community and appropriate Local Government organisations to protect some 51,200 hectares of regionally significant bushland in 287 Bush Forever Sites, representing, where achievable, a target of at least 10 percent of each of the original 26 vegetation complexes of the Swan Coastal Plain portion of the Perth Metropolitan Region. Subsequent to Bush Forever, the Perth Biodiversity Project identified the need to catalogue and describe a series reference sites to facilitate consistency in the assessment of local natural areas and to further enhance the capacity of relevant people to undertake site recording tasks. To this end 40 reference sites were established based on Bush Forever on the Swan Coastal Plain part of the Perth Metropolitan Region (PMR) as part of the Perth Region Plant Biodiversity Project (PRPBP), a collaborative project between the WA Local Government Association’s Perth Biodiversity Project and the Department of Environment and Conservation. The PRPBP recognises a need to provide a fuller appreciation of the diversity of native vegetation found within the PMR. To that end, it was decided to establish reference sites within, or in close proximity to, Darling Plateau part of the PMR. It is proposed that these reference sites are established so as to represent major variations found in the plant communities found within this area. The purpose of this document is to provide supplementary information on the codes and terminology used in the Jarrah Forest photo reference site recording process and to thereby allow the reader an adequate understanding of the information provided in the photo site records. 3 Vegetation condition scales for natural area assessment As taken from Del Marco et al (2004) Keighery Condition Scale Kaesehagen Condition Scale (Keighery 1994) (Kaesehagen 1995) Pristine Pristine or nearly so, no obvious signs of disturbance Excellent Very good to excellent Vegetation structure intact; disturbance • 80% to 100% native flora composition affecting individual species; weeds are non- • Vegetation structure intact or nearly so aggressive species • Cover/abundance of weeds <5% • No or minimal signs of disturbance Very good Fair to good Vegetation structure altered; obvious signs of • 50% to 80% native flora composition disturbance • Vegetation structure modified or nearly so For example, disturbance to vegetation • Cover/abundance of weeds 5% to 20%, structure caused by repeated fires; the any number of individuals presence of some more aggressive weeds; • Minor signs of disturbance dieback; logging; grazing Good Vegetation structure significantly altered by very obvious signs of multiple disturbances. Retains basic vegetation structure or ability to regenerate it. For example, disturbance to vegetation structure caused by very frequent fires; the presence of some very aggressive weeds at high density; partial clearing; dieback; grazing. Degraded Poor Basic vegetation structure severely impacted • 20% to 50% native flora composition by disturbance. Scope for regeneration but not • Vegetation structure completely modified to a state approaching good condition without or nearly so intensive management. • Cover/abundance of weeds 20% to 60%, For example, disturbance to vegetation any number of individuals structure caused by very frequent fires; the • Disturbance incidence high presence of very aggressive weeds; partial clearing; dieback; grazing Completely Degraded Very Poor The structure of the vegetation is no longer • 0% to 20% Native flora composition intact and the area is completely or almost • Vegetation structure disappeared completely without native species. • Cover/abundance of weeds 60% to 100%, These areas are often described as ‘parkland any number of individuals cleared’ with the flora comprising weed or • Disturbance incidence very high crop species with isolated native trees or shrubs. 4 Vegetation Complexes of the PMR VEGETATION COMPLEX COUNT SUM_HECTARE Dwellingup 2 (D2) 34 64210.041 Murray 2 (My2) 38 33061.760 Yarragil 1 (Yg1) 175 20623.496 Dwellingup 4 (D4) 12 20095.763 Murray 1 (My1) 26 18974.827 Helena 2 (He2) 3 14895.465 Darling Scarp (DS) 5 12758.810 Yarragil 2 (Yg2) 15 12491.428 Dwellingup (D1) 22 11494.255 Pindalup (Pn) 60 11396.877 Yalanbee (Y5) 15 4783.810 Swamp (S) 29 3967.935 Dwellingup 3 (D3) 7 3892.871 Helena 1 (He1) 4 3428.871 Yalanbee (Y6) 8 2493.983 Cooke (Ce) 32 2310.413 Goonaping (G) 6 1483.220 Coolakin (Ck) 3 918.891 The vegetation complexes found within the Jarrah Forest part of the PMR. Vegetation complexes were described and mapped in Havel and Mattiske (2000). Count refers to the number of occurrences within the PMR and Sum Hectare refers to the area of each vegetation complex within the PMR. 5 Descriptions of vegetation complexes. As taken from Havel and Mattiske (2000) Code Name Description 6 Cooke (Ce) Mosaic of open forest of Eucalyptus marginata subsp. marginata- Corymbia calophylla (subhumid zone) and open forest of Eucalyptus marginata subsp. thalassica-Corymbia calophylla (semiarid and arid zones) and on deeper soils adjacent to outcrops, closed heath of Myrtaceae-Proteaceae species and lithic complex on granite rocks and associated soils in all climate zones, with some Eucalyptus laeliae (semiarid), and Allocasuarina huegeliana and Eucalyptus wandoo (mainly semiarid to perarid zones). 3 Coolakin (Ck) Woodland of Eucalyptus wandoo with mixtures of Eucalyptus patens, Eucalyptus marginata subsp. thalassica and Corymbia calophylla on the valley slopes in arid and perarid zones. 25 Darling Scarp (DS) Mosaic of open forest of Eucalyptus marginata subsp. marginata- Corymbia calophylla, with some admixtures with Eucalyptus laeliae in the north (subhumid zone), with occasional Eucalyptus marginata subsp. elegantella (mainly in subhumid zone) and Corymbia haematoxylon in the south (humid zone) on deeper soils adjacent to outcrops, woodland of Eucalyptus wandoo (subhumid and semiarid zones), low woodland of Allocasuarina huegeliana on shallow soils over granite outcrops, closed heath of Myrtaceae-Proteaceae species and lithic complex on or near granite outcrops in all climate zones. 33 Dwellingup (D1) Open forest of Eucalyptus marginata subsp. marginata-Corymbia calophylla on lateritic uplands in mainly humid and subhumid zones. 27 Dwellingup 2 (D2) Open forest of Eucalyptus marginata subsp. marginata-Corymbia calophylla on lateritic uplands in subhumid and semiarid zones. 17 Dwellingup 3 (D3) Open forest of Eucalyptus marginata subsp. thalassica-Corymbia calophylla on lateritic uplands in the arid zone. 18 Dwellingup 4 (D4) Open forest to woodland of Eucalyptus marginata subsp. thalassica- Corymbia calophylla on lateritic uplands in semiarid and arid zones. 29 Goonaping (G) Mosaic of open forest of Eucalyptus marginata subsp. marginata (humid zones) and Eucalyptus marginata subsp. thalassica (semiarid to perarid zones) on the sandy-gravels, low woodland of Banksia attenuata on the drier sandier sites (humid to perarid zones) with some Banksia menziesii (northern arid and perarid zones) and low open woodland of Melaleuca preissiana-Banksia littoralis on the moister sandy soils (humid to perarid zones). 32 Helena 1 (He1) Mosaic of open forest of Corymbia calophylla-Eucalyptus patens- Eucalyptus marginata subsp. marginata with some Eucalyptus rudis on the deeper soils ranging to closed heath and lithic complex on shallow soils associated with granite on steep slopes of valleys in humid and subhumid zones. 20 Helena 2 (He2) Mosaic of open forest of Eucalyptus marginata subsp. thalassica- Corymbia calophylla and woodland of Eucalyptus wandoo with some Eucalyptus accedens and Eucalyptus rudis on the deeper soils ranging to closed heaths and lithic complex on shallow soils associated with granite on steep slopes of valleys in semiarid and arid zones. 31 Murray 1 (My1) Open forest of Eucalyptus marginata subsp. marginata-Corymbia calophylla-Eucalyptus patens on valley slopes to woodland of Eucalyptus rudis-Melaleuca rhaphiophylla on the valley floors in humid and subhumid zones. 6 15 Murray 2 (My2) Open forest of Eucalyptus marginata subsp. thalassica-Corymbia