The vegetation of the Ravensthorpe Range, Western Australia: I. Mt Short to South Coast Highway G.F. Craig E.M. Sandiford E.J. Hickman A.M. Rick J. Newell The vegetation of the Ravensthorpe Range, Western Australia: I. Mt Short to South Coast Highway December 2007 by G.F. Craig E.M. Sandiford E.J. Hickman A.M. Rick J. Newell © Copyright. This report and vegetation map have been prepared for South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc and the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC Albany). They may not be reproduced in part or whole by electronic, mechanical or other means, including photocopying, recording or any information storage system, without the express approval of South Coast NRM, DEC Albany or an author. In undertaking this work, the authors have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information used. Any conclusions drawn or recommendations made in the report and map are done in good faith and the consultants take no responsibility for how this information is used subsequently by others. Please note that the contents in this report and vegetation map may not be directly applicable towards another organisation’s needs. The authors accept no liability whatsoever for a third party’s use of, or reliance upon, this specific report and vegetation map. Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................................................................................................. I SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................................... III Recommendation....................................................................................................................................................... iii INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................................1 BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................................................................1 PURPOSE OF THE SURVEY.................................................................................................................................................1 THE SURVEY AREA...........................................................................................................................................................1 Land tenure .................................................................................................................................................................2 REGIONAL SETTING ....................................................................................................................................................5 HISTORICAL .....................................................................................................................................................................5 CLIMATE..........................................................................................................................................................................5 GEOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................................................6 GEOMORPHOLOGY AND SOILS .........................................................................................................................................7 REGIONAL VEGETATION...................................................................................................................................................7 Fitzgerald Biosphere...................................................................................................................................................7 Beard’s Ravensthorpe System .....................................................................................................................................8 Species Diversity and Endemism...............................................................................................................................10 Threatened Ecological Communities ........................................................................................................................10 Declared Rare and Priority Flora ............................................................................................................................11 METHODS ......................................................................................................................................................................12 Field work .................................................................................................................................................................12 Plant identification....................................................................................................................................................14 Analysis of data.........................................................................................................................................................14 Map production.........................................................................................................................................................15 RESULTS ........................................................................................................................................................................17 Vegetation Units........................................................................................................................................................17 Beard’s vegetation system.........................................................................................................................................17 Species diversity........................................................................................................................................................17 Declared Rare and Priority Flora ............................................................................................................................17 Threatened Ecological Communities ........................................................................................................................17 Health........................................................................................................................................................................17 DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................................................................................76 Field work .................................................................................................................................................................76 Data analysis.............................................................................................................................................................76 Imagery .....................................................................................................................................................................77 Digitizing...................................................................................................................................................................79 Linking of datasets ....................................................................................................................................................79 RECOMMENDATIONS......................................................................................................................................................79 Methodology..............................................................................................................................................................79 Future mapping.........................................................................................................................................................81 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................................................82 REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................................82 The vegetation of the Ravensthorpe Range, WA: I. Mt Short to South Coast Hwy TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1. Location of project area in the northern sector of the Ravensthorpe Range ...................................................... 3 Figure 2. Land tenure and management tracks.................................................................................................................. 4 Figure 3. Pre-European vegetation, based on J.S. Beard’s ‘Vegetation of Western Australia’......................................... 9 Figure 4. Tracks of botanists in the project area............................................................................................................... 13 Figure 5. Example of dendogram output from PRIMER® analysis of vegetation types found on granites................................... 15 Figure 6. Attributes used for the description of vegetation units..................................................................................... 19 Figure 7. Fire history of the Ravensthorpe Range project area ....................................................................................... 78 TABLE