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Flora and Veg Survey Report Mantinea and Carlton Plain Project Level 1 Flora, Vegetation and Fauna Assessment KIMBERLEY AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENT PTY LTD NOVEMBER 2016 TEL. (08) 9315 4688 [email protected] PO Box 50, Applecross WA 6953 www.woodmanenv.com.au Kimberley Agricultural Investment Pty Ltd Mantinea and Carlton Plain Project Level 1 Flora, Vegetation and Fauna Assessment Mantinea and Carlton Plain Project, Level 1 Flora, Vegetation and Fauna Assessment Prepared for: Kimberley Agricultural Investment Pty Ltd Job Number: KAI16-33 Report Number: KAI16-33-01 Cover Photograph: Woodman Environmental; view of Houseroof Hill DOCUMENT REVISION AND STATUS Revision Status Originator Internal Internal Client Client Reviewer Review Date Reviewer Review Date A Draft report AS/BL; Jenny CG/GW 31/10/2016 Deb Pearce 3/11/2016 Wilcox 0 Final report AS/BL; Jenny CG/GW/ 8/11/16 Wilcox DW 1 Revised Report AS/BL; Jenny CG/GW/ 25/11/2016 Wilcox DW DISCLAIMER This document is prepared in accordance with and subject to an agreement between Woodman Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd (“Woodman Environmental”) and the client for whom it has been prepared (“Kimberley Agricultural Investment Pty Ltd”) and is restricted to those issues that have been raised by the Client in its engagement of Woodman Environmental and prepared using the standard of skill and care ordinarily exercised by Environmental Scientists in the preparation of such Documents. Any organisation or person that relies on or uses this document for purposes or reasons other than those agreed by Woodman Environmental and the Client without first obtaining the prior written consent of Woodman Environmental, does so entirely at their own risk and Woodman Environmental denies all liability in tort, contract or otherwise for any loss, damage or injury of any kind whatsoever (whether in negligence or otherwise) that may be suffered as a consequence of relying on this document for any purpose other than that agreed with the Client. Kimberley Agricultural Investment Pty Ltd Mantinea and Carlton Plain Project Level 1 Flora, Vegetation and Fauna Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS DEFINITIONS ....................................................................................................................... i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ i 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project and Assessment Description ............................................................. 1 1.2 Study Area Definition..................................................................................... 1 1.3 Level of Assessment....................................................................................... 3 1.3.1 Flora and Vegetation ..................................................................................... 3 1.3.2 Fauna ............................................................................................................. 3 1.4 Aims and Objectives ...................................................................................... 4 2 BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................ 5 2.1 Climate ........................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Geology, Soils and Landforms ....................................................................... 5 2.3 Flora and Vegetation ..................................................................................... 6 2.3.1 Regional Vegetation ...................................................................................... 6 2.3.2 Regional Flora ................................................................................................ 9 2.3.3 Local Flora and Vegetation Surveys ............................................................. 14 2.4 Fauna ........................................................................................................... 15 2.5 Summary of Environmental Factors ............................................................ 17 3 METHODS ..................................................................................................................... 18 3.1 Flora and Vegetation Survey ....................................................................... 18 3.1.1 Personnel and Licensing .............................................................................. 18 3.1.2 Field Survey Methods .................................................................................. 18 3.1.3 Plant Collection and Identification .............................................................. 19 3.1.4 Vegetation Mapping .................................................................................... 19 3.1.5 Vegetation Condition Mapping ................................................................... 20 3.1.6 Significant Flora and Vegetation ................................................................. 20 3.2 Fauna Survey ................................................................................................ 20 3.2.1 Habitat Mapping .......................................................................................... 21 3.2.2 Field Studies ................................................................................................. 21 3.2.3 Targeted bird and hand-searching surveys ................................................. 21 3.2.4 Spotlighting and Head-torching................................................................... 21 3.2.5 Bat Survey .................................................................................................... 23 3.2.6 Camera traps ............................................................................................... 23 3.2.7 Targeted Searches for Conservation Significant Fauna ............................... 23 Kimberley Agricultural Investment Pty Ltd Mantinea and Carlton Plain Project Level 1 Flora, Vegetation and Fauna Assessment 3.2.8 Assessment of Conservation Significance ................................................... 24 4 LIMITATIONS OF SURVEY .................................................................................................... 27 4.1 Flora and Vegetation Survey Limitations .................................................... 27 4.2 Fauna Survey Limitations ............................................................................. 28 5 RESULTS – FLORA AND VEGETATION .................................................................................. 30 5.1 Vegetation ................................................................................................... 30 5.1.1 Conservation Significance ............................................................................ 35 5.1.2 Vegetation System Associations .................................................................. 35 5.1.3 Vegetation Condition ................................................................................... 35 5.2 Flora ............................................................................................................. 36 5.2.1 Conservation Significant Flora ..................................................................... 36 5.2.2 Introduced Taxa ........................................................................................... 39 6 RESULTS - FAUNA ................................................................................................................ 48 6.1 Fauna Habitats ............................................................................................. 48 6.1.1 Sandstone Hills ............................................................................................ 50 6.1.2 Stony Plains .................................................................................................. 51 6.1.3 Savannah Woodlands .................................................................................. 51 6.1.4 Floodplains ................................................................................................... 52 6.1.5 Grasslands .................................................................................................... 52 6.1.6 Seasonal Wetlands ...................................................................................... 54 6.1.7 Creeklines .................................................................................................... 55 6.2 Vertebrate Fauna Assemblages ................................................................... 56 6.2.1 Amphibians .................................................................................................. 56 6.2.2 Reptiles ........................................................................................................ 57 6.2.3 Birds ............................................................................................................. 59 6.2.4 Mammals ..................................................................................................... 66 7 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................ 69 7.1 Flora and Vegetation ................................................................................... 69 7.1.1 Vegetation Types ......................................................................................... 69 7.1.2 Conservation Significance of Vegetation types ..........................................
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