KwonganMatters NEWSLETTER OF THE KWONGAN FOUNDATION : 4 July : 2014 1 The Kwongan Foundation for the Conservation of Australian Native Biodiversity School of Plant Biology University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 6009 www.plants.uwa.edu.au/alumni/kwongan Vision The patrons of the Kwongan Patrons Foundation look forward to a Professor Hans Lambers time when Western Australians are proudly Dr Marion Cambridge committed to the Dr Rob Keogh management and conservation of the State’s Dr Cleve Hassell unique native biodiversity. Mr Jock Clough Objectives Professor John Pate 1. provide resources for research Lady Jean Brodie-Hall and study at UWA; Professor Richard Hobbs 2. implement the gathering and sharing of knowledge; Assoc/Prof William Loneragan 3. enable long-term planning; Honorary Patrons 4. attract world-class researchers; Professor Alan Robson Mr. Peter Cundell 5. achieve tangible improvements in Ms Marion Blackwell the long-term conservation prospects of endangered species Professor Steve Hopper and associations. Ms Philippa Nikulinsky The Kwongan Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation within the University of Western Australia’s Hackett Foundation, a Deductible Gift Recipient organisation (ABN:37 882 817 280) Cover photo is of Verticordia grandis taken on Marchagee Rd Nov 2013 by Sue Radford 2 financial gains. The book will be published three decades after the book that John Pate and John Beard edited, entitled “Kwongan. Plant Life of the Sandplain”, published by University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands. That book is now out of print and out of date, because of a wealth of discoveries made by numerous people, including many who contributed to our new book. Whilst editing our book and Hans Lambers contributing some of the chapters, Founder and Patron of the one realises how much we have Kwongan Foundation learned in the past 30 years about our precious kwongan, which continues to be under threat. This is the fourth issue of Kwongan Having visited the cerrado in Brazil, Matters, and the third that has been produced under Susan Radford’s Verticordia grandis editorship. Sue continues to Marchagee Road Nov 2013 (Kim Sarti) compile issues of Kwongan Matters and I am most grateful for her efforts. In my contribution in the previous Kwongan Matters, I showed how the biodiversity in our global biodiversity hotspot increases as soils become poorer, with phosphorus being the key factor. Last year, a group of authors has explored this issue in much greater depth, working towards a new book on the kwongan, for which I acted as editor. It is entitled “Plant Life on the Sandplains in Southwest Australia, a Global Biodiversity Hotspot”. It will be published 1st Sept 2014 by University of Western Australia Publishing, Crawley, and made available at an affordable price. Everyone who contributed towards this book has done this out of love for the kwongan, without any 3 another biodiversity hotspot, which Our recent activity, our fourth functions in a very similar way to our Kwongan Workshop on WA’s Arid own sandplains, one notices one Zone, was on 22 July 2014, at major difference. In Brazil, many UWA’s University Club. large areas in the biodiversity hotspot comprising the sandplain Kwongan Matters aims to ensure vegetation are world-heritage-listed, that far more people will become whereas in south-western Australia proudly committed to what our only there are none. A significant Global Biodiversity Hotspot in achievement, which may well be the Australia has to offer and ensure first step towards heritage-listing of that our natural heritage will be our kwongan, is having southern conserved. This Kwongan Matters proteaceous kwongkan listed as is, again, full of stories, based on threatened by the Federal careful research. Knowledge of our Government. As far as I am aware, unique system is essential, if we are this is the first widespread plant and to manage our biodiversity. We animal community so protected need solid background information within the Southwest Australian to advise with mining operations, Floristic Region. It is noteworthy development, and agricultural that the word “kwongkan” is used, procedures, that do not destroy our instead of “kwongan”. In a fascinating chapter Kwongan near Frenchman’s in our new book on Peak with pink Verticordia Photo by Graham Zemunik our sandplain flora, S t e v e H o p p e r explains why we s h o u l d p r e f e r kwongkan, rather than kwongan. O u r n e w b o o k s u m m a r i s e s current knowledge of our global b i o d i v e r s i t y hotspot, aiming to make that knowledge available to natural heritage. That is why the those who care and those who make Kwongan Foundation sponsors decisions. That is why we need the research with a focus on our native Kwongan Foundation, which we biodiversity. The next issue will established in 2006. To get the focus on our department research at message out, we have organised the University of Western Australia. Kwongan Colloquia, Kwongan Field Trips, and Kwongan Workshops. 4 Plant life on the Sandplains in Southwest Australia A Global Biodiversity Hotspot Hans Lambers: Editor Preface 7G. You are what you eat: plant-insect synergies in the kwongan Plant life on the sandplains in southwest Animals providing ecosystem services Australia, a global biodiversity hotspot - 7H. Ecosystem services of digging Introduction mammals Chapter 1: Kwongan, from geology to Chapter 8: Conservation of the kwongan linguistics flora: threats and challenges 1A: On the origins, geomorphology and Chapter 9: Human relationships with and soils of the sandplains of south-western use of kwongan plants and lands Australia 1B: Sandplain and kwongkan: historical Epilogue spellings, meanings, synonyms, geography and definition The book can be ordered for as little as $69.99 (Including postage within Australia) Chapter 2: Biogeography of kwongan: at http://uwap.uwa.edu.au/books-and- origins, diversity, endemism and authors/book/plant-life-on-the-sandplains- vegetation patterns in-southwest-australia/ Chapter 3: A diverse flora - species and genetic relationships Chapter 4: Plant mineral nutrition Chapter 5: Carbon and water relations Chapter 6: Plants and fire in kwongan vegetation Chapter 7: Plant-animal interactions Pollination 7A. Evolution of pollination strategies 7B. The beguiling and the warty – pollination of kwongan orchids 7C. Pollination vectors: invertebrates 7D. Pollination vectors: vertebrates Herbivory 7E. The Honey Possum, Tarsipes rostratus, a keystone species in the kwongan 7F. Fluoroacetate, plants, animals and a biological arms race 5 In the above book the spelling of kwongan is changed in the chapters by Prof Steve Hopper to kwongkan to reflect more closely the way it is pronounced in Aboriginal dialects. There is no emphasis on syllables in Aboriginal pronunciation, so I have chosen to keep the name of the newsletter the same for purposes of continuity. I urge the reader to pronounce the word kwongan as kwon-gan, with equal emphasis on the 2 syllables. As you can see in this issue, there are flowers to be seen at all times of the year in the kwongan and everywhere. The everlastings are wonderful but there is so much more. Editor Verticordia nitens (Graham Zemunik) Verticordia lining road near Hawks Head (Graham Zemunik) 6 The Avon Wheatbelt : an Underrated Biodiversity Hotspot Greg & Bronwen Keighery government reserves of generally less than 4 hectares; and more than Overview 20,000 private remnants typically Biologically the ‘wheatbelt’ is an very small being less than 1 hectare. artificial area in that it is the major Most large reserves are on the agricultural zone of wool and row margins of the Agricultural Zone. cropping for Western Australia. The Unfortunately this has led people to Agricultural Zone extends south believe that the Agricultural Zone from north of Kalbarri to east of has less biological or scenic Esperance. The ‘clearing line’ is the treasures than the sandplains or the landward boundary well east of the goldfields. 600 mm rainfall isohyets, at about 300 mm. The Western boundary is In 2004 the results of a major the Jarrah forest. Within this area of biodiversity survey of the plants and 230,000 sq km about 74% is cleared animals of the Agricultural Zone was of native vegetation. published (Keighery, G.J., Halse, The remaining 26% of native S.A., Harvey, M.S. and McKenzie, vegetation is found scattered in: 612 N.L. (2004) A biodiversity survey of nature reserves with a median size the western Australian agricultural of 116 hectares; 5000 miscellaneous zone. Records of the Western Wheatbelt Eucalyptus Wandoo woodland Insert : Rhyncharrhena linearis Bush bean : Summer (Bronwen Keighery) 7 Australian Museum Supplement no. Avon Wheatbelt is a key part of the 67). This study highlighted the Southwest Land Division. biological richness, past and present The Avon Wheatbelt contains a very and the issues facing the flora and rich flora of over 5,000 species of fauna in this highly fragmented flowering plants of which landscape. approximately 80% are endemic to the Southwest. The Avon Wheatbelt The most natural part of the is the centre of diversity for a Agricultural Zone is the Avon number of iconic groups including Wheatbelt Bioregion (Map 1). Acacia and Verticordia. Map 1 Verticordia nitens The Avon Wheatbelt is divided into (Graham Zemunik) two subregions: the Avon Wheatbelt 1 to the east where the drainage is Even though the Avon Wheatbelt is very ancient and towards the east; flat it has a great diversity of major and the Avon Wheatbelt 2 where ancient habitats ranging from granite more recent geological changes rocks, fresh and saline wetlands, have caused uplift, the rivers are sandplains, dunes, loam and clay more incised and flow to the west.