TUART (Eucalyptus gomphocephala ) AND TUART COMMUNITIES Edited by BJ Keighery and VM Longman June 2002 A Perth Branch Wildflower Society of Western Australia (Inc.) Publication First published in June 2002 by Perth Branch Wildflower Society of Western Australia (Inc.) PO Box 837 Nedlands Western Australia 6909 Papers Individual Authors This compilation Perth Branch Wildflower Society of Western Australia (Inc.) Printed by Quik Impressions 55 Cheriton St East Perth WA 6004 ISBN 0-9587011-4-8 This book should be quoted in the following way Keighery BJ and Longman VM (Editors) 2002 Tuart ( Eucalyptus gomphocephala ) and Tuart Communities. Perth Branch Wildflower Society of Western Australia (Inc.), Nedlands, Western Australia. Individual papers should be referenced to the individual authors in this publication. Cover and opposite page 1: Tuart community in The Maidens (Tuart Area 73). Photographs: Bernhard Bischoff Tuart ( Eucalyptus gomphocephala) and Tuart Communities CONTENTS INTRODUCTION BJ Keighery and VM Longman 1 TUART – WHERE IT GROWS 5 CONTENTS 5 THE DISTRIBUTION AND CONSERVATION OF TUART 6 AND THE COMMUNITY WITH WHICH IT LIVES BJ Keighery, GJ Keighery and D Shepherd TUART – THE SPECIES 87 CONTENTS 87 GENETIC AND MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION, 89 AND THE MATING SYSTEM IN TUART DJ Coates, GJ Keighery and L Broadhurst THE BIOLOGY OF TUART KX Ruthrof, CJ Yates and WA Loneragan 108 FLORA OF TUART COMMUNITIES 123 CONTENTS 123 THE OCCURRENCE OF TUART IN PLANT COMMUNITIES 126 ON THE SWAN COASTAL PLAIN N Gibson, BJ Keighery and EA Griffin THE FLORA OF TUART WOODLANDS GJ Keighery 147 FLORISTICS OF THE TUART FOREST RESERVE GJ Keighery and BJ Keighery 180 FAUNA OF TUART COMMUNITIES 253 CONTENTS 253 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF TUART WOODLANDS 254 J Dell, RA How and AH Burbidge TUART AND MANAGEMENT 277 CONTENTS 277 TUART IN THE LANDSCAPE R Powell and BJ Keighery 279 TUART AT BUNBURY B Bischoff 287 THE TUART NATIONAL PARK C Broadbent 290 TUART ISSUES VM Longman and BJ Keighery 292 Tuart ( Eucalyptus gomphocephala) and Tuart Communities INTRODUCTION The Book: Tuart ( Eucalyptus gomphocephala) and Tuart Communities This book began as the proceedings of a workshop – Tuart - the tree and the community with which it lives , held in March 1998 (see below). At the Workshop the organizers gave a commitment to produce proceedings of the Workshop. Essentially it was intended that the proceedings would cover the talks and respond to the issues raised in discussion at the Workshop. It was planned that this would be done by the end of 1998. Over the next three years, a series of unforeseen events delayed the production of the proceedings. To some extent this delay was fortuitous as it allowed a series of topics and issues to be further researched. These are outlined below. • Work in progress at the time of the workshop could be completed and/or developed. This is particularly evident in the paper on variation in Tuart. At the time of the workshop David Coates was unable to reference specific genetic data for Tuart. Since the workshop David and Linda Broadhurst were able to begin this work and present their results in this publication. Other contributors were able to expand on their work, often in collaboration with others. An example of this is the paper by Robert Powell and Bronwen Keighery. • A more thorough response to the topics, issues and questions raised in the open discussion session was possible. This has been done through both - a direct response paper: ‘Tuart Issues - Responses to the Questions and Issues Raised at the Workshop’ and - the papers: ‘The Distribution and Conservation of Tuart and the Community with which it Lives’ and ‘Floristics of the Tuart Forest Reserve’. • Improved integration of the written papers. As a consequence, the publication is somewhat different than what was planned at the workshop, hence the name change. The Workshop : Tuart ( Eucalyptus gomphocephala ) - the tree and the community with which it lives On Saturday 21st March 1998 the Wildflower Society of Western Australia - Perth Branch, in co- operation with the Departments of Conservation and Land Management (Wildlife Research Centre) and Environmental Protection (Conservation Branch) organized a one day seminar/workshop on Tuart - the tree and the community with which it lives . The topic of the Workshop arose as: • Tuart is an endemic of the Swan Coastal Plain where most of the people in WA live; • Tuart is typical of many of the communities growing in coastal areas from Busselton to Jurien; • Tuart grows in a variety of communities from the forests of Busselton to scattered groves near Jurien; and • the conservation of Tuart and its community is vital to conservation on the Swan Coastal Plain. Several months before the Workshop, a flier was distributed to a variety of groups and state and local government bodies. This advertising was very successful and the Workshop was booked out a week in advance. Participants at the Workshop listed the following sources/contacts when they were asked how they had heard of the workshop - Ecoplan News, South West Environment Centre, 1 Tuart ( Eucalyptus gomphocephala) and Tuart Communities WA Naturalists Club, Wildflower Society Flier, Ecoplan Workshop, Landcare Magazine, Greening WA Leaflet, Swan Catchment Centre notice board, Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) volunteer newsletter and personal contact. The high level of response to the limited advertising indicated that there was a high interest in Tuart. Around seventy people registered for Workshop. These people are listed below. Several people were unable to attend on the day. George Babarskas Ric How Barbara Backhouse Brian James Bob Backhouse Bronwen Keighery Jim Barrow Greg Keighery Lin Barrow Jan King Bernhard Bischoff Ian Lantzke Marion Blackwell Patricia Lantzke Charles Broadbent Brendan Lepschi Kate Brown Janice Marshall Norma Calcutt Gary McMahon Don Cameron Neil McMulkin Cheryl Campbell Karen McRoberts Ben Carr Ellen Miguel Kevin Chia Tom Mitchell David Coates Brian Moyle Ann Cochrane Michael Norman Margaret Collins Margo O’Byrne Dianna Corbyn Dorothy Perret Jo Darbyshire Hywel Phillips Mitchell Davies Suzanne Robertson John Dell Robin Roe Glynne Dyer Katinka Ruthrof Charles Evans Lesley Shaw Eitan Friedman Carolyn Switzer Gerry Gauntlett Claire Thorstensen Judith Gauntlett Challis Tilbrook Keryn Gear Bill Tyler Neil Gibson Maxine Tyler Mary Gray David Wake Ann Gunness Neil Walker Claire Hall Rose Walker John Harris Andrew Webb Alison Hearn Beth Weir Griselda Hitchcock Nick Woolfrey Steve Hopper Colin Yates Participants came from across the range of Tuart, from Jurien to Busselton. Friends Groups, landholders, local government, industry, CALM, Kings Park, the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation and Land Management and the WA Museum were all represented at the Workshop. The Workshop went from 10am to 3.30pm and was held in the Tuart woodland at the CALM Wildlife Research Centre at Woodvale. Before lunch, expert speakers presented papers on the nature of variation in the Tuart species, the biology of Tuart, the variety of communities in which Tuart grows and the flora and fauna of Tuart communities. After lunch Tuart reserve managers from the community and government briefly addressed Tuart management issues. A workshop discussion session followed in which the participants of the workshop were invited to comment on issues raised by the speakers, present their own issues and question any of the speakers. Bronwen Keighery chaired the morning session and Margo O’Byrne the afternoon session. Displays on Tuart at Mt Henry, Bunbury and Bold Park were mounted in the Wildlife Research 2 Tuart ( Eucalyptus gomphocephala) and Tuart Communities Centre Library. The setting of the centre, a delightful day, delicious morning and afternoon teas and lunches, fine speakers and willing participants ensured that the workshop was a success. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS With such a long gestation, this publication has relied on the encouragement and support of many people. So, finally now that this book is published we wish to thank the following individuals and groups. • The people who registered for, and participated in the workshop. These people were listed on the previous page. • Presenters of the papers at the workshop. We are fortunate in this state, as there are many generous people in the community of biologists who are happy to share their areas of expertise with the interested community. All of the speakers at the Workshop enthusiastically responded to the initial request to prepare a talk and were erudite and knowledgeable on the day. The presenters are indicated on the Program over the page. • The authors of the papers The authors are listed on the Contents page. The papers also contain individual acknowledgment sections. • The Workshop Committee: Barbara and Bob Backhouse, Lin and Jim Barrow, Neil Gibson, Claire Hall, Alison Hearn, Bronwen, Greg, Kristin and Sarah Keighery, Brian Moyle and Beth Weir. A particular thanks to Barbara Backhouse who typed some of Bronwen’s Workshop notes and proof read most of the papers. • People were not involved in the workshop but have volunteered time and expertise to the project: David Longman, Kelly Rylander, Sandra Santich and Nick Casson. Special mention should be made of David Longman’s invaluable computer support. • The Departments of Conservation and Land Management and Environmental Protection who supported the workshop and the production of this book. • The Department of Conservation and Land Management