Flora at risk Western Australian flora is arguably some of the most unique in the world and has fascinated wildflower enthusiasts for generations. 78 flora species are threatened (DBCA, 2018) in the SWCC Region i.e: flora species which are declared as rare or likely to become extinct under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950. There are 13,903…
Vegetation cover change since 2000 From European settlement to the year 2000 vegetation cover on the Swan Coastal Plain (the area between the ocean and the scarp) had been reduced by 80%, leaving only a small proportion remaining (35,727 ha).1 (Ecotones, 2018). In the short 17 years since, a further 28.5% of remaining vegetation cover…
Land for Wildlife Land for Wildlife is a voluntary conservation program to encourage and assist private landholders to provide habitat for wildlife on their property. Within the SWCC Region, 1,516 properties are under Land for Wildlife covering a total of 26,364 hectares. In May 2016, the Department of Parks and Wildlife entered a Partnership Agreement…
Vegetation fragmentation Vegetation fragmentation is caused by clearing which separates vegetation into smaller patches of vegetation. These patches are therefore no longer continuous and are disconnected by barriers such as roads, urban development, agriculture and mining, plantations. This can isolate species and restrict the movement of flora, fauna and genetics across the landscape, making species…
Fish Kill Events The number of fish kill events appears to be stable between 2000 and 2017 with between zero and three events per year in rivers and estuaries across the South West NRM region. The exception to this was 2015 when six events occurred, however no events were recorded in the last two years…
Wetlands of international importance The South West NRM region supports 3 wetlands of International importance, listed under the Ramsar convention. Covering an area of 12,239 ha. The Vasse Wonnerup Wetlands abutting Busselton, Toolibin Lake is 40 km east of the town of Narrogin, and Muir Byenup systems is 55 km east-south-east of the town of…
How we use water About 63% of the South West region’s total water use is by the agriculture sector. 14% is used in urban areas for households, commercial and parks and gardens; while heavy industry and mining make up 12% and 11% of the region’s total water use respectively. Case Studies Seagrasses in the Leschenault…
Effects of rainfall decline to date Rainfall in the south-west of Western Australia is now around 16 per cent below the long-term average. Less rainfall results in less water flowing into rivers and aquifers and to date there has been up to a 50% reduction in average run-off into rivers and streams, and up to…
How serious is Soil Acidity? More than 70% of agricultural topsoils and 50% of sub-surface soils are more acidic than they should be, and such soils affect agricultural production negatively as plants are less able to take up nutrients from the soil. This is a key issue affecting agriculture across Australia, and is also an…
Soil nutrient management On average, farm soils (i.e. pasture and arable) are over fertilised. They contain 1.3 – 1.6x as much phosphorus as is required for optimal production. Reducing the amount of phosphorus to optimal levels could lead to economic benefits (reduced fertiliser costs or redirection of fertiliser costs to removing other constraints), and reducing…