LIGHTNING SWAMP BUSHLAND MANAGEMENT PLAN Prepared by The City of Bayswater and the Friends of Lightning Swamp October 2002 LIGHTNING SWAMP BUSHLAND MANAGEMENT PLAN Prepared by The City of Bayswater and The Friends of Lightning Swamp Original Management Plan prepared by Students of N319: Environmental Management, Environmental Science, Murdoch University, 1996 Edited by: Sarah Dawson, Kim Grace, Linda Taman and John Williams Cover : Lightning Swamp Eastern Wetland (Photo - Sarah Dawson) 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS MANAGEMENT PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................................6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY....................................................................................................... 10 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......................................................................................................... 12 SECTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................ 14 1.1 SPECIAL NATURE OF PERTH’S BUSHLAND AND WETLANDS .............................. 14 1.2 CURRENT STATUS OF PERTH’S BUSHLAND AND WETLANDS............................. 14 1.3 LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF LIGHTNING SWAMP BUSHLAND (LSB) .......... 15 1.4 CURRENT STATUS OF LIGHTNING SWAMP BUSHLAND...................................... 15 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF LIGHTNING SWAMP BUSHLAND............................................ 15 1.6 NEED FOR A MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR LIGHTNING SWAMP BUSHLAND............ 17 1.7 ADMINISTRATION OF THE LIGHTNING SWAMP BUSHLAND MANAGEMENT PLAN17 1.8 OBJECTIVES OF THE LIGHTNING SWAMP BUSHLAND MANAGEMENT PLAN ....... 17 1.9 RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................... 17 SECTION 2.0 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ................................................................... 18 2.1 ABORIGINAL HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE ....................................................... 18 2.2 EUROPEAN HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE.......................................................... 20 2.3 PAST MANAGEMENT AND USE ........................................................................ 20 2.4 RECOMMENDATION........................................................................................ 20 SECTION 3.0 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT..................................................................... 22 3.1 CLIMATE........................................................................................................ 22 3.2 GEOLOGY........................................................................................................ 22 3.3 EROSION......................................................................................................... 24 3.4 FIRE................................................................................................................ 25 3.5 RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................... 26 3.6 GLOSSARY FOR SECTION 3 ............................................................................... 27 SECTION 4.0 HYDROLOGY.............................................................................................. 28 4.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 28 4.2 WETLANDS..................................................................................................... 29 4.3 GROUNDWATER .............................................................................................. 30 4.4 DRAINAGE...................................................................................................... 30 4.5 WATER QUALITY............................................................................................ 33 4.6 RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................... 34 SECTION 5.0 FLORA ......................................................................................................... 38 5.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 38 5.2 VEGETATION COMMUNITIES IN LIGHTNING SWAMP BUSHLAND ...................... 38 5.3 DOMINANT WEED SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION...................................... 44 5.4 WEED CONTROL. ............................................................................................ 42 5.5 THE EFFECTS OF INTRODUCED FAUNA ON FLORA............................................. 43 5.6 EFFECTS OF FIRE ON VEGETATION ................................................................... 46 5.7 DIEBACK ........................................................................................................ 46 5.8 RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................... 51 SECTION 6.0 FAUNA ......................................................................................................... 52 6.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 52 6.2 BIRDS............................................................................................................. 52 6.3 AMPHIBIANS................................................................................................... 54 6.4 REPTILES ........................................................................................................ 54 6.5 MAMMALS ..................................................................................................... 54 3 6.6 FISH................................................................................................................ 55 6.7 INVERTEBRATES.............................................................................................. 55 6.8 IMPACTS OF INTRODUCED FAUNA ................................................................... 56 6.9 CONTROL OF INTRODUCED FAUNA .................................................................. 53 6.10 REINTRODUCTION OF NATIVE FAUNA.............................................................. 54 6.11 EFFECTS OF FIRE ON FAUNA............................................................................ 58 6.12 EFFECTS OF ROADS AND VEHICLES ON FAUNA ................................................. 54 6.13 RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................... 55 SECTION 7.0 LAND USE AND COMMUNITY................................................................ 56 7.1 CURRENT SITUATION ...................................................................................... 56 7.2 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................. 62 SECTION 8.0 RECREATION............................................................................................. 63 8.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 63 8.2 IMPACTS OF RECREATIONAL USE..................................................................... 67 8.3 PROPOSED FUTURE RECREATIONAL USES......................................................... 70 8.4 ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND MONITORING ................................................... 72 8.5 RECOMMENDATIONS:...................................................................................... 72 SECTION 9.0 CONSERVATION AND REHABILITATION........................................... 74 9.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 74 9.2 EXCLUSION FENCING....................................................................................... 74 9.3 REGENERATION AND REHABILITATION PRACTICES .......................................... 75 9.4 FIRE MANAGEMENT........................................................................................ 78 9.5 RUBBISH REMOVAL AND MANAGEMENT ......................................................... 78 9.6 MONITORING.................................................................................................. 78 9.7 RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................... 79 SECTION 10 EDUCATION AND INFORMATION ....................................................... 80 10.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 80 10.2 STRATEGIES .................................................................................................... 80 10.3 ON-SITE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES AND PUBLIC INFORMATION ....................... 81 10.4 FRIENDS GROUPS............................................................................................. 82 10.5 PROGRESS REPORTS AND DISPLAYS.................................................................. 82 10.6 EDUCATION AND INFORMATION FOR SCHOOL GROUPS.................................... 82 10.7 RECOMMENDATIONS:...................................................................................... 83 SECTION 11 REFERENCES............................................................................................ 84 4 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 - FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN ................................................................................ 86 APPENDIX 2 - DIEBACK REPORT..............................................................................................103 APPENDIX 3 - FLORA LIST.........................................................................................................107 APPENDIX 4 - FAUNA LIST ........................................................................................................109