Fitzgerald River National Park Improvement Project Culham Inlet to Hamersley Inlet Vegetation and Flora FITZGERALD RIVER NATIONAL PARK IMPROVEMENT PROJECT CULHAM INLET to HAMERSLEY INLET VEGETATION & FLORA Gillian F Craig A report prepared for Main Roads Western Australia Great Southern Region Chester Pass Road, PO Box 503, Albany WA 6331 July 2010 Dr G F Craig Environmental Consultant ABN: 96 108 756 719 PO Box 130, Ravensthorpe 6346 T 08 9838 1071 © GF Craig 2010. Reproduction of this report in whole or in part by any means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system is strictly prohibited without the express approval of the authors, Main Roads Western Australia (Albany) and/or the Department of Environment and Conservation (Albany). In undertaking this work, the author has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information. Any conclusions drawn or recommendations made in the report are done in good faith and the consultant takes no responsibility for how this information is used subsequently by others. Cover photos: Clockwise from top left: Microcorys longiflora, Anthocercis fasciculata, Kunzea similis, Pimelea physodes (Qualup Bell), view west from East Mt Barren, Adenanthos ellipticus (Oval-leaf Adenanthos), Napolean Skink, Stylidium galioides (Yellow Mountain Triggerplant), Hibbertia papillata (©G.F.Craig 2010). FRNP Improvement Project: Culham Inlet to Hamersley Inlet GF Craig– July 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................iii Vegetation .......................................................................................................................................... iii Vegetation condition .............................................................................................................................. iii Declared Rare and Priority flora............................................................................................................. iv Threatened Ecological Communities...................................................................................................... iv Recommendations .................................................................................................................................. iv 1. Introduction............................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose ............................................................................................................................... 1 Background ............................................................................................................................... 1 Study Area ............................................................................................................................... 1 2. Methods ............................................................................................................................... 3 Desktop ............................................................................................................................... 3 Field survey ............................................................................................................................... 3 Analysis of data....................................................................................................................................... 5 Digitising ........................................................................................................................................... 5 3. Desktop Assessment ............................................................................................................... 5 Physical Environment.................................................................................................................... 5 Climate ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Geology and Soils ................................................................................................................................... 6 Previous biological surveys........................................................................................................... 7 Fitzgerald Biosphere Reserve.................................................................................................................. 7 Vegetation Classification............................................................................................................... 7 Threatened Ecological Communities ............................................................................................ 8 Declared Rare and Priority Flora................................................................................................... 8 4. Field Investigation .................................................................................................................... 9 Vegetation ............................................................................................................................... 9 Declared Rare and Priority Flora................................................................................................. 11 Declared Rare flora (Figure 2)............................................................................................................... 11 Priority Three flora (Figure 3)............................................................................................................... 16 Priority Four flora (Figure 4)................................................................................................................. 16 Significant flora............................................................................................................................ 20 Threatened Ecological Communities .......................................................................................... 23 Significant Ecological Community ....................................................................................................... 23 Vegetation Condition Assessment .............................................................................................. 23 Fire ......................................................................................................................................... 23 Climate change...................................................................................................................................... 23 Plant disease ......................................................................................................................................... 24 Weeds ......................................................................................................................................... 24 5. Requirement for Referral or Other Clearances ...................................................................... 25 6. Conclusions and Recommendations...................................................................................... 26 Stage 1 ......................................................................................................................................... 26 Stages 2 & 3 ......................................................................................................................................... 26 Stage 4 ......................................................................................................................................... 27 Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... 28 References and Further Reading................................................................................................ 28 i FRNP Improvement Project: Culham Inlet to Hamersley Inlet GF Craig– July 2010 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1.1 Rare flora legislation and guidelines for gazettal..................................................31 Appendix 1.2 DEC's Priority Species List...................................................................................32 Appendix 1.3 Declared Rare and Priority Flora recorded in Fitzgerald River National Park survey area....................................................................................33 Appendix 2 Muir’s Vegetation Classification...........................................................................35 Appendix 3 Vegetation maps and unit descriptions............................................................... 37 Appendix 3.1 Coverage of vegetation maps..............................................................................37 Appendix 3.2 Vegetation units adjacent to the Hamersley Drive upgrade ................................37 Appendix 3.3 Attributes used for the description of vegetation units.........................................38 Appendix 4 Declared Rare, Priority and Significant flora........................................................63 Appendix 5 Plant species list ................................................................................................103 Appendix 6 Location of relevés and monitoring quadrats.....................................................117 Appendix 6.1 Location of author’s releves and Ken Newbey vegetation sites included in the PRIMER analysis......................................................................................... 117 Appendix 6.2 GPS locations of Chapman and Newbey (1995) permanent