Landscape design for bird conservation in
Buntine-Marchagee Catchment,
Western Australia
CSIRO report on Component 1 of Project CSE9: Testing approaches to
landscape design in cropping lands
for Land & Water Australia and
WA Department of Conservation and Land Management
June 2004
Landscape design for bird conservation in
Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western
Australia
Component 1 Report
Andrew Huggett
Blair Parsons
Lyn Atkins
John Ingram
CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems
Private Bag 5, PO
Wembley WA 6913
Andrew.Huggett@csiro.au
© CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, 2004
Photographs courtesy of CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems and WA Department of
Conservation and Land Management
Cover photographs (clockwise from top left):
Western Yellow Robin – the focal species for remnant condition in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment (Photo
courtesy Bert and Babs Wells, CALM); Malleefowl – a threatened species recorded during CSIRO surveys
in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment (Photo courtesy Bert and Babs Wells, CALM); Southern Scrub-robin – a
species that prefers large areas of shrubland that are well connected and is most sensitive to shrubland patch
size and isolation distance in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment; Centre map – suggested sites (shown in red)
for habitat linkages in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment.
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This document reports on Component 1 (focal bird species analysis and landscape design)
of Project CSE9 (Testing approaches to landscape design in cropping lands). This was
commissioned and funded by Land & Water Australia (Native Vegetation R&D Program)
and Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM).
The CSIRO Component 1 study team comprised Dr Andrew Huggett, Blair Parsons, Lyn
Atkins, and John Ingram. Andrew managed the project, undertook statistical analyses,
contributed text and prepared this report. Blair performed the focal species analysis from
bird survey data collected by John, Andrew and Blair, developed the landscape design,
and contributed associated text. Lyn carried out and supervised field vegetation surveys,
contributed associated text, and photographed vegetation associations shown in Appendix
3. John prepared report appendices.
We acknowledge the cooperation and assistance of many individuals and organisations in
the preparation and communication of this report. They include Alison & John Doley,
Vern Muller, the Crago family, Helen Nankivell, Michael O’Callaghan, Neil and Joanne
Diamond, Alan Barnes, John & Robyn Stacy and other farming families in the study area.
We especially thank Alison & John Doley and the Diamonds for their hospitality during
fieldwork. Jodie Watts (Buntine-Marchagee Recovery Catchment Officer), Kelly Gillen,
Anthony Desmond, Stuart Halse, Susie Murphy-White, Ken Atkins, and Ken Wallace of
CALM provided key biophysical data, management insights, practical advice to, and
stimulating discussions on, the project. Fiona Falconer advised on community
consultation issues. Ted Griffen, Mike Clarke and Russell Speed of WA Department of
Agriculture provided some helpful insights and useful data. WA Department of Land
Administration supplied salinity hazard data.
We also thank CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems’ Drs David Freudenberger (Principal
Investigator, Project CSE9), Ted Lefroy and Jeff Short (project proposal development and
advice), Lesley Brooker (spatial analysis and landscape design advice), Michael Brooker
(some bird surveys), Drs A.O. (Nick) Nicholls and Mike Austin (statistical analysis and
advice), and Margaret Cawsey (database development). To all we are grateful.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
GLOSSARY
Autecology: The study of the individual organism in relation to its environment (Krebs
1985).
Connectedness, Connectivity: The degree to which remnants are linked to one another
by intervening native or other perennial vegetation such as road verges, vegetation
linkages, corridors, windbreaks, etc.
Core habitat, Core habitat patch: An area of habitat within a single remnant that is
sufficiently large or well connected for a focal bird species to have a 10% chance of
occurrence.
Corridor: Linear strip of vegetation in fragmented landscapes used by animals as habitat
and/or travel routes (Sieving et al. 2000) typically featuring structurally complex and
floristically diverse vegetation and microhabitat.
Declining species: Bird species identified by Saunders and Ingram (1995) as "decliners"
in the Western Australian wheatbelt.
Farmland species: Bird species identified by Saunders and Ingram (1995) as "farmland
species" in the Western Australian wheatbelt.
Focal species candidate: For the purposes of this report, a resident, declining bird
species, that is not a farmland, water or nocturnal bird species.
Isolation distance: The minimum straight-line distance between remnants, measured
from the edge of the remnant.
Key habitat: All habitat of sufficient size or connectedness in which the focal bird
species least sensitive to a specific threat has a 10% chance of occurring.
Linkage: A linear strip of vegetation that connects two or more remnants; this strip may
in time provide a corridor function to facilitate the movement of animals between
remnants providing adequate structural complexity and habitat diversity is available.
Neighbourhood: A set of habitat patches falling within a given radius of core habitat, as
defined by the requirements of the focal species
Occupied remnant: A remnant of native vegetation in which a bird species was recorded
at least once during survey.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Patch: A discrete area of bird habitat type, vegetation association, or vegetation sub-type
within a remnant of native vegetation.
Proximity: The minimum straight-line distance between remnants, measured from the
edge of the remnant.
Reconstruction: The re-building of a landscape involving the planting of native
vegetation to re-connect remnants, usually for the purposes of biodiversity conservation,
soil conservation and/or water management.
Remnant: A discrete or semi-discrete area of native vegetation surrounded by cleared or
otherwise alienated land.
Resident species: For the purposes of this report, a sedentary bird species that usually
lives within a relatively small area of bush (home range).
Restoration: The gradual return of ecological structure and function to bushland or
wetland previously fragmented by clearing, habitat modification, etc, and usually
involving the protection of existing habitat and the planting and maintenance of new
habitat
Sedentary: For the purposes of this report, a bird species that lives its whole life within a
relatively small area of bush, usually no more than 1-10 ha.
Study area: The study area referred to in this report is Buntine-Marchagee Catchment
(as shown in Figures 1 and 2).
iii
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This is a study of the spatial and habitat requirements of sedentary birds occupying
remnant native vegetation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment. The study presents a
landscape design for the conservation of this avifauna based on a modified focal species
approach (Lambeck 1997). This study is Component 1 of the Testing approaches to
landscape design in cropping lands project. It has been undertaken by CSIRO Sustainable
Ecosystems for Land & Water Australia and WA Department of Conservation and Land
Management (CALM).
Buntine-Marchagee Catchment (181,008 ha) is situated in the northern wheatbelt of
Western Australia, approximately 280 km north of Perth. Farmed principally for wheat
and sheep, this catchment consists of sandplain shrubland, heath and Banksia woodland
and shrubland, York Gum, Gimlet and Salmon Gum woodlands and mallee on valley
slopes and lateritic ridges, and Acacia/Melaleuca shrubland and samphire-dominated
wetland (13,500 ha) in the saline valley floors. Buntine-Marchagee Catchment was
identified as one of six Natural Diversity Recovery Catchments by CALM in 1999
because of significant biodiversity values associated with its system of saline braided
channels.
This study used presence/absence bird data for a focal species analysis obtained from 316
remnants in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment studied by CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems
from 2001 to 2002. Resident bush birds identified as ‘decliners’ (Saunders and Ingram
1995) were treated as focal species candidates (42 species) and divided into generalists,
heath/shrubland/mallee specialists and woodland specialists. Point-count surveys were
conducted across saline drainage lines to evaluate focal bird species’ use of these zones. A
total of 18,068 individual birds from 110 species were recorded during this study.
Detailed vegetation surveys were conducted in all 503 remnants in the catchment.
Five bird species were selected as focal species based on their sensitivity to key landscape
attributes: Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus (remnant area), Southern Scrub-robin
Drymodes brunneopygia (heath/shrub/mallee habitat patch size and isolation), Red
Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata (woodland patch size), Brown-headed Honeyeater
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Melithreptus brevirostris ssp. leucogenys (woodland patch isolation), and Western Yellow
Robin Eopsaltria griseogularis (remnant condition).
Focal bird species knowledge gained from the analysis was used in a comprehensive 10step landscape design procedure aimed at retaining existing avifauna and enhancing and
re-connecting their habitat. The design recommends:
•
A total of 1,361.5 ha of new native vegetation in the catchment, equating to 6.1%
of existing remnant native vegetation (22,340 ha);
•
Of this new vegetation, 1,093 ha of ‘stepping stone’ habitat should be planted to
link neighbourhoods. This comprises 712 ha of heath/shrub/mallee habitat (see
map below) and 381 ha of woodland habitat;
•
A total of 268.5 ha of new 60 metre-wide linkages to increase the connectedness
of habitat within neighbourhoods; and
•
Priority habitat protection and management of 4,568 ha of existing remnants.
This study has contributed several new elements to the design of Western Australian
farming landscapes for bird conservation. These include innovative field survey and
spatial and focal species analyses (including an assessment of remnant condition), and the
provision of a practical, ‘road-tested’ landscape design for habitat restoration.
There have also been some important collective lessons learnt from these catchmentbased studies in Western Australia. These include understanding the importance of spatial
and temporal variation in scale on the identification of focal species and the development
of effective landscape designs, avoidance of heavily prescriptive landscape designs,
recognition of the need to assess other threats (and interactions between these threats) to
the survival of declining sedentary birds, and reiteration of the need for ongoing
monitoring and evaluation of the performance of landscape designs.
Regional scale focal species analysis offers some potential advantages over catchmentbased studies. These include accounting for the effects of spatial and temporal scale on
especially bird-based applications of the focal species approach, estimation of long-term
population and metapopulation viability of focal species, timely provision of regional
scale focal species knowledge for on-ground use by catchment groups, and utility as a
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
regional conservation planning tool to help prioritise action and efficiently allocate scarce
conservation management resources.
A suite of recommendations for the conservation of avian diversity and sustainable
management of Buntine-Marchagee’s natural resources are put forward. These utilise the
results of the landscape design procedure together with stakeholder consultations
conducted during development of the design. They include general guidelines for
understanding the importance of landscape management planning in the conservation of
natural resources and a suite of monitoring and review actions. In addition, a number of
priority actions are recommended for adoption in the catchment. These focus on
protecting and retaining existing native bird assemblages while also improving their
prospects of survival and possible long-term recovery. Finally, this study presents some
directions for future research in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment. These include focusing
the landscape conservation effort, new ecological research, landholder participation and
training, and working together with other organisations.
Suggested heath/shrub/mallee ‘stepping stones’ to link neighbourhoods in Buntine-Marchagee
Catchment.
0
5
±
10
Suggested "stepping stones"
Core heath/shrub/mallee habitat
Heath/shrub/mallee neighbourhoods
20 km
Catchment Boundary
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
i
GLOSSARY
ii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
vii
1.
2.
INTRODUCTION
9
1.1.
OBJECTIVES
9
1.2.
STUDY AREA
10
1.3.
STAKEHOLDERS
13
1.4.
CSIRO IN THE WA WHEATBELT
14
METHODS
17
2.1.
BIRD SURVEYING
17
2.2.
VEGETATION SURVEYING AND MAPPING
20
2.3.
THE FOCAL SPECIES APPROACH
23
2.3.1.
Development and application of the focal species approach
23
2.3.2.
Focal species analysis procedure
24
2.3.3.
Statistical analysis
28
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
28
2.4.1.
Designing landscapes for birds and people
28
2.4.2.
The landscape design procedure
29
COMMUNITY CONSULTATION
33
2.4.
2.5.
3.
RESULTS
36
3.1.
CHARACTERISTICS OF REMNANTS
36
3.2.
BIRD SURVEYS
37
3.2.1.
Area searches
37
3.2.2.
Point-count transects
37
3.2.3.
Birds of conservation significance
40
3.3.
3.4.
VEGETATION OF THE STUDY AREA
43
3.3.1.
Vegetation association classes and floristics
43
3.3.2.
Conservation status
44
FOCAL SPECIES ANALYSIS
46
3.4.1.
46
Candidate focal bird species
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
3.5.
4.
5.
3.4.2.
Remnant area
48
3.4.3.
Habitat patch size
50
3.4.4.
Habitat patch isolation
53
3.4.5.
Remnant condition
56
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
58
3.5.1.
Design overview
58
3.5.2.
Creation of habitat ‘stepping stones’
58
3.5.3.
Creation of habitat linkages within neighbourhoods
65
3.5.4.
Habitat protection and management
69
DISCUSSION
72
4.1.
CATCHMENT-BASED STUDIES
72
4.2.
REGIONAL SCALE ANALYSIS
75
RECOMMENDATIONS
77
5.1.
LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT PLANNING
77
5.2.
PRIORITY ACTIONS
79
5.2.1.
Overview
79
5.2.2.
Priority 1: Protect and enhance existing habitat and species of conservation
significance through on-ground action
79
5.2.3.
Priority 2: Prioritise habitat protection and management activities
81
5.2.4.
Priority 3: Create habitat ‘stepping stones’ to link neighbourhoods
81
5.2.5.
Priority 4: Establish linkages to improve the connectedness of habitat within
neighbourhoods
82
5.3.
MONITORING AND REVIEW
83
5.4.
DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
85
6.
REFERENCES
87
7.
APPENDICES
93
APPENDIX 1:
Communication activities completed during this study
94
APPENDIX 2:
Land birds found in the Western Australian wheatbelt
97
APPENDIX 3:
Descriptions of native vegetation associations recorded in
Buntine-Marchagee Catchment
APPENDIX 4:
Perennial plant species recorded in quadrat-based floristic
surveys of selected remnants in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment
APPENDIX 5:
101
115
Native vegetation associations and bird species recorded in each
remnant surveyed in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment
viii
129
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
1.
INTRODUCTION
1.1. OBJECTIVES
This report presents a landscape design for conserving native birds in Buntine-Marchagee
Catchment. This design provides an improved “focal species” (sensu Lambeck 1997)
approach for determining where to strategically revegetate this catchment to assist the
long-term survival of bird species considered to be most at risk of decline and local
extinction in this fragmented agricultural landscape.
The specific objectives of this study are therefore to:
•
Construct logistic regression models to identify focal bird species using data from
bird and vegetation surveys undertaken in this project;
•
Use these models to assess the predicted probability of occurrence of focal bird
species according to the key variables of remnant area, habitat patch size, habitat
patch isolation, and remnant condition;
•
Develop a landscape design for bird conservation in the study area based on
ecological information provided by the focal species analysis;
•
From this design and community consultation, provide practical recommendations
for strategic revegetation within the catchment that seek to retain the existing
complement of native avifauna, protect, enhance and, where possible, re-connect
their habitat, and promote their long-term recovery.
This study is Component 1 in a series of three reports prepared under Project CSE9 –
Testing approaches to landscape design in cropping lands. Components 2 (Habitat
neighbourhoods for conserving viable populations of birds – Brooker and Lefroy 2004)
and 3 (Application of the focal species approach to other taxa) are reported separately.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
1.2. STUDY AREA
The study area comprises two sub-catchments – Buntine and Marchagee – situated within
the Moore River Catchment in the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia,
approximately 280 km north of Perth (Figures 1 and 2). These catchments cover an area
of 181,008 ha (181 km2) and together are approximately 40 km long and 60 km wide. A
series of braided channels featuring salt lakes drain Buntine-Marchagee Catchment. These
saline drainage lines mildly incise broad valleys separated by gently undulating rises and
breakaways. The catchment lies about 65 km east of the Darling Fault on the Archaean
granite and granitic gneisses of the Yilgarn block (Kitchener 1979). Main soil types are
sands underlain by laterite in places, grey clays (on decaying granite), and red soils of
colluvial origin or formed on granite (see Kitchener 1979).
Figure 1: Location of the study area within the Western Australian wheatbelt, showing a total of
nine sub-catchments used in focal species studies by CSIRO (Landsat TM satellite image courtesy
CSIRO Mathematical & Information Sciences)
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figure 2: Location of the study area showing towns, remnant native vegetation, and the chain of
braided lakes (Landsat TM satellite image courtesy CSIRO Mathematical & Information
Sciences)
Coorow
Buntine
Marchagee
Wubin
Gunyidi
¯
0
Watheroo
5
10
Dalwallinu
Remnant Vegetation
Buntine Marchagee Catchment
20
km
Mean annual rainfall in the study area is 362 mm of which 225 mm falls in May-August
(Anon 1975). Mean daily maximum temperature is 25.8°C while the mean daily
minimum temperature is 12°C with frost possible from May-September (Anon 1975).
Winds are generally light (1-10 kph) and from the south-east in summer but directionally
variable in winter (Anon 1975).
The native vegetation of Buntine-Marchagee Catchment is floristically diverse,
comprising 24 associations from six broad formations - heathland, shrubland, sedgeland,
grassland, woodland and wetland (Section 3.3.1). The current conservation status of this
vegetation is discussed in Section 3.3.2. There are at least six CALM reserves (Buntine
Nature Reserve [NR], Nugadong NR, Bryant Park NR, NR 21175, NR 28669, and NR
38401), two large shire reserves (Wubin townsite and Wubin Rocks), and several smaller
shire reserves set aside for sand and gravel extraction in the study area. Much of the
native vegetation in the catchment however occurs on privately owned land, especially in
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
the southwest and northwest of the catchment (see Section 3.1). Approximately 12.3%
(22,340 ha) of the study area supports native vegetation.
In biogeographical terms, native vegetation of the study area can be divided into two
distinct groups that correspond with the Interim Biogeographical Regions of Australia
(IBRA – Environment Australia 2000) classification. Vegetation of the Avon Wheatbelt
IBRA occurs within the Avon Botanical District (Beard 1990) on Archaean granites of the
Yilgarn Block. The uplands feature yellow sands and laterite with Tamma (Allocasuarina
spp.), Wodjil (Acacia spp.), and Melaleuca shrublands occurring on the shallower lateritic
soils. The deeper sands typically support Acorn Banksia (Banksia prionotes) and Woody
Pear (Xylomelum angustifolium). Granite outcrops occur in parts of the catchment with a
mosaic of tamma, Acacia shrubland and York gum/Jam woodland. Woodlands of
commonly Salmon Gum, York Gum or Gimlet occur on the red loamy soils of midslopes
and ridges. Mallee vegetation of typically Eucalyptus subangusta over Melaleuca shrubs
usually occupies the transition zone between shrublands and woodlands on shallow
duplex soils (Beard 1990). In the valley floors, saline grey sandy soils support salttolerant samphires (Halosarcia spp.), sedges, Melaleuca and Acacia species, often with
adjacent York Gum woodlands.
Vegetation of the second IBRA group, the Geraldton Sandplain bioregion, is situated
within the Irwin Botanical District (Beard 1990). This occurs in a broad arc from the
study area’s northwest corner to its central southern boundary. Soils supporting this
vegetation are deep yellow aeolian sands deposited higher in the landscape and greyish
sands in the lower parts (Beard 1990). The yellow sands feature Banksia woodlands,
commonly of B. prionotes, Candle Banksia B. attenuata, and Firewood Banksia B.
menziesii, and often in association with Woody Pear, Sandplain Cypress Actinostrobus
arenarius, and Adenanthos strictus. Mixed stands of Pear-fruited Mallee Eucalyptus
pyriformis over Eremaea and Melaleuca dominated shrub and heathlands also occur on
these soils. Along interconnected lakes and playas low in the landscape the vegetation is
characterised by Halosarcia communities, Swamp Sheoak Casuarina obesa fringing
Melaleuca thyoides stands in saline areas, and River Red Gum E. camaldulensis in
brackish or less saline zones.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
The first recorded European exploration of Buntine-Marchagee catchment was by the
Gregory brothers in 1846 (Beard 1976). From 1894 settlers arrived in the western part of
the district upon completion of the Midland Railway which linked Perth with Geraldton
(Kitchener 1979). From 1913 the Government Railway through Wubin and Perenjori
brought settlers to the eastern part of the catchment (Kitchener 1979). The last phase of
clearing native vegetation for wheat and sheep farming in the catchment was the 1970s
(Kitchener 1979) and probably the early 1980s. In recent years, a number of new farming
systems aimed at mitigating the loss of productive agricultural land to salinity such as oil
mallees and lucerne cropping have been pursued in the parts of the study area.
A major initiative to protect and recover the natural biodiversity values of the study area
commenced in 1999. This project – Buntine-Marchagee Natural Diversity Recovery
Catchment – began under the WA State Salinity Strategy and is run by a steering
committee of government agencies, universities, and landholder groups. Principal partners
include CALM, WA Department of Agriculture, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, CSIRO
Plant Industry, WA Department of Environment, Marchagee Catchment Group, Waddy
Forest LCDC, Liebe Group, Moore Catchment Council, University of Western Australia
and Murdoch University. A range of specialist hydrological, agronomic, farm forestry and
biodiversity studies are being undertaken as part of this initiative, together with intensive
community consultation and planning for strategic on-ground revegetation and habitat
restoration programs (see Section 5).
1.3. STAKEHOLDERS
There are approximately 106 landholders in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment with an
average property size of 1,879 ha (CALM 2003). Privately owned property covers 93.7%
(169,527 ha) of the catchment and there are 2,225 ha (1.2% of the catchment) of land
managed by CALM, principally as nature reserves (CALM 2003). There are also 1,726 ha
of unallocated crown land which comprises mostly salt lakes and 4,888 ha of ‘other’ type
reserves in the study area (CALM 2003). These ‘other’ reserves include parcels of land
managed by Coorow, Dalwallinu and Moora Shires, water reserves managed by WA
Water Authority, road reserves (Main Roads WA) and old railway reserves. Several of
these reserves contain remnants of native vegetation that provide important habitat for
sedentary bush birds and other fauna (see Sections 3 and 4).
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Mixed cropping and sheep grazing are the main agricultural enterprises in the study area.
Some farms have commenced investigating the use of other crops such as oil mallees and
lucerne.
1.4. CSIRO IN THE WA WHEATBELT
CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Rangelands Research (now CSIRO Sustainable
Ecosystems) commenced studying the biology of Western Australian wheatbelt lands in
1969. Ian Rowley started working on the Galah Cacatua roseicapilla at Manmanning in
the north-central wheatbelt and on Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo C. leadbeateri (with
Graeme Chapman) at Mukinbudin in the north-eastern wheatbelt (Rowley, pers comm).
The emphasis on cockatoo biology continued through the 1970s largely in response to the
agricultural ‘pest’ status of cockatoos in the wheatbelt. Denis Saunders studied the
reproductive biology of the Short-billed Black-Cockatoo (Carnaby’s Cockatoo)
Calyptorhynchus latirostris at Manmanning and Coomallo Creek near Jurien Bay. Denis
also commenced a study of the reproductive and foraging biology of Red-tailed BlackCockatoo C. banksii ssp. samueli in 1975 at Three Springs in the northern wheatbelt. In
1978, this study was extended to four other cockatoo species in remnant Salmon/York
Gum woodland in this part of the wheatbelt and at Kirwan, south-east of Dalwallinu, by a
number of CSIRO wildlife biologists including Ian Rowley, Denis Saunders, Graeme
Smith and John Ingram.
In 1985, the emphasis shifted to landscape-based ecological research. Denis Saunders and
colleagues - Richard Hobbs, Graham Arnold and Graeme Smith – studied the effects of
habitat loss and fragmentation on native plant and animal communities at and near
Durokoppin Nature Reserve north of Kellerberrin in the central wheatbelt. They
investigated the conservation potential of native vegetation remnants and ways of
integrating nature conservation into agricultural land management. Their ground-breaking
research applied ecological theory to the management of fragmented ecosystems based on
the retention of existing biota and inclusion of conservation farming practices.
By 1998 the first of several catchment-based studies of the spatial and ecological
requirements of birds and their habitat was underway at Wallatin Creek in the central
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
wheatbelt. These studies sought to apply the principles and practices of landscape
ecology, spatial analysis and landscape design for nature conservation to the management
of declining woodland, shrubland and heathland birds by farmers on their properties.
Denis Saunders, Robert Lambeck, Richard Hobbs, Lesley Brooker, Lyn Atkins, John
Ingram and Greening Australia (WA) were involved in this work. A total of nine
catchments, including Dongolocking (Lambeck 1998), Wallatin Creek (Lambeck 1999;
Parsons et al. 2003), South Tammin (Frost et al. 1999), Tin Dog Creek/Dowerin Lakes
(Frost et al. 1999), Wyalkatchem (Brooker et al. 2001b), Morbinning (Brooker et al.
2001a), Gabbi Quoi Quoi (Brooker et al. 2001b), Latham (Brooker et al. 2002), and
Buntine-Marchagee (current study) have now been studied in this way.
Central to these studies has been the development of the focal species approach, an
extension of the umbrella species concept (see Simberloff 1998). Robert Lambeck
introduced the focal species approach (Section 2.3 this study) to help develop
recommendations for the conservation of woodland birds and their habitat in the
Dongolocking, Wallatin Creek, and South Tammin and Dowerin Catchments. Lesley
Brooker modified the focal species approach and used spatial analysis of simulated and
field data and modeling techniques to develop landscape designs for bird conservation in
Morbinning (Brooker et al. 2001a), Gabbi Quoi Quoi (Brooker et al. 2001b), and Latham
Catchments (Brooker 2002; Brooker et al. 2002). It is important to note that CSIRO focal
species studies have not yet examined all threats to the conservation of bird and other
fauna in agricultural landscapes. Thus, these studies represent an incomplete application
of the focal species approach (see Section 2.3).
Other CSIRO wildlife ecology projects undertaken in the Western Australian wheatbelt
have included work on plant populations and communities (Colin Yates, Lyn Atkins, Joe
Leone), mammals (echidnas - Max Abensperg-Traun; kangaroos - Graham Arnold, Dion
Steven, John Weeldenburg), reptiles (geckoes – Stephen Sarre), and invertebrates
(scorpions - Graeme Smith, Jana Ross; ants and termites - Max Abensperg-Traun, Lisa
Lobry de Bruyn, H.C. Park).
Recent ornithological research and landscape design studies have been undertaken in the
northern and central wheatbelt zones by Andrew Huggett and Blair Parsons (Buntine15
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Marchagee and Wallatin Creek Catchments). This work has further refined the bird-based
focal species approach and provided practical guidelines for farmers to strategically
protect, enhance and re-connect remnant native vegetation on their properties (see Parsons
et al. 2003; Section 5 of this study).
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
2.
METHODS
2.1. BIRD SURVEYING
Bird data used in the focal species analysis for Buntine-Marchagee Catchment were
obtained from extensive surveys carried out between August 2001 and October 2002. The
first round of surveys sampled 149 remnants (over 12,700 ha) in spring/early summer
(late-August to early-November 2001). Surveys conducted during autumn 2002 (AprilMay 2002) sampled 99 remnants (over 2,600 ha). The final round of surveys was
conducted during spring (September-October) 2002 in 213 remnants (over 16,000 ha). A
total of 316 or 62.8% of the 503 remnants (18,500 ha) of native vegetation in the study
area was surveyed for birds over 25 weeks of field effort. These remnants were selected
from two spatially and geographically discrete zones of remnant native vegetation in the
study area – the eastern and western sectors. Time and associated cost constraints did not
permit all 503 remnants to be surveyed for birds.
Remnant native vegetation was surveyed for birds using the area search technique (see
Shields and Recher 1984; Loyn 1987; Huggett 2000). Satellite images were used to
identify the boundaries of different vegetation communities present in remnants before
surveys were undertaken. A survey route was planned that comprehensively sampled the
avian diversity of each major vegetation community in remnants (Figure 3). A
proportional rather than fixed survey effort was undertaken. This involved the expenditure
of more survey time in large remnants covering a greater area than undertaken in smaller
remnants. The presence or absence of bird species was recorded for each sampled
remnant. In the spring 2002 surveys, the relative abundance of sampled bird populations
was also recorded.
Transect-based point-count surveys (see Shields and Recher 1984) were conducted across
saline drainage lines in spring 2002 to determine if focal bird species were using these
areas as habitat or conduits for movement. Saline wetlands, braided channels and
associated samphire vegetation cover 13,500 ha of the study area and so represent
important potential bird habitat. Four 1-2 km long transects were positioned across a
major saline drainage channel in the centre of the catchment (Figure 4). Ten-minute point-
17
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
counts were made of all birds observed or heard within a 100 m radius in each compass
direction of each count station located at 200 m intervals along each transect. The
transects started in upland vegetation communities adjacent to the saline channel (e.g.
York Gum woodland, Melaleuca/Acacia shrublands), moved through saline communities
such as samphire vegetation, descended into salt pans in the centre of the channel and then
emerged into upland vegetation on the other side.
Figure 3: An example of a bird survey route undertaken during an area search in BuntineMarchagee Catchment. The remnant shown in this example is Nugadong Nature Reserve, situated
in the south-east of the catchment.
Melaleuca/Acacia shrublands
Mixed woodland
Tamma/Wodjil/Melaleuca shrublands
Mallee (with understorey)
±
0
0.25
0.5
1
km
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figure 4: Location of point-count transects across a saline drainage channel within BuntineMarchagee Catchment. Note the salt pans in the centre of the channel.
!!
!!
!
!!
!!
!!
!!
!
!!
!
!!
!!
!
!!
!!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
1.25
2.5
!!
!
Transect 1
0
Transect 3
Transect 2
!
±
Transect 4
5
km
19
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Previous focal species studies conducted by CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems (e.g. Brooker
et al. 2002; Parsons et al. 2003) used combined presence/absence data from several
catchments. In this study only data from Buntine-Marchagee Catchment were used in the
focal species analysis because of compositional differences between the avifauna of this
catchment and those of the other catchments. A possible reason for this contrast is that
Buntine-Marchagee Catchment comprises mainly shrubland/mallee communities while
the other catchments support mostly woodland communities (Section 3.3). BuntineMarchagee Catchment also contains substantial areas of Banksia woodland which are
generally absent from the other catchments studied.
2.2. VEGETATION SURVEYING AND MAPPING
Two different sampling approaches were used to survey and map the native vegetation of
the study area – vegetation association surveying and quadrat-based floristic surveys.
Both methods provided information about the attributes and spatial configuration of
remnant native vegetation which was needed to undertake the focal bird species analysis
and landscape design components of this study (Sections 3.4 and 3.5).
The vegetation associations of all 503 remnants of native vegetation were surveyed and
association boundaries mapped by CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems (Lyn Atkins) and
CALM contractors from September 2001 to December 2002. Landsat TM satellite images
and aerial photographs were used to identify and map the boundaries of a suite of plant
communities or patches present in each remnant (see Figures 5 and 6). Each remnant was
visited to confirm the accuracy of patch boundaries assigned from Landsat images and
describe the vegetation associations present. Patch boundaries were then digitised using
hand-drawn maps prepared during this ground-truthing process. The different associations
(patches) identified were assigned to broader vegetation association classes (Section
3.3.1).
Bird habitat boundaries of heath/shrub/mallee and woodland were derived from
vegetation association boundaries. Landscape variables of remnant area, habitat patch
area, and distance to nearest bird-occupied remnant were obtained from GIS calculations
of the digitised remnants (ArcView GIS version 8.2, 2002). Bird and vegetation survey
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
data were linked to the remnant vegetation dataset which facilitated spatial analysis of all
data (Figure 7).
A range of other data were collected during these surveys, including dominant plant
species present, topographic position, soil type and disturbance, vegetation strata
(percentage projective foliage cover and shrub height), ground microhabitat (fallen
timber, leaf litter, rocky outcrops), weediness, tree health, logging and grazing history,
and intactness of understorey (Figure 8). This information enabled a remnant condition
score to be calculated for most surveyed remnants (Section 3.4).
Figures 5 (left) and 6 (right): Figure 5 shows a Landsat TM image of a remnant (BM313 – 140
ha) - the dark areas are shrubland and the bright green areas are mallee/ mixed woodland; contrast
this with Figure 6 - an aerial photograph of the same remnant but with less distinct delineation
between woodland and shrubland associations.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figure 7: An example of the bird and vegetation survey data as applied to a specific remnant
(BM428 – 56 ha of Gimlet woodland, mallee and shrubland, Wubin-Gunyidi Road).
Bird List
Vegetation Association
Gimlet Woodland
Mallee with understorey
Tamma Wodjil Melaleuca shrublands
±
0
0.25
0.5
1 km
Common Bronzewing
Crested Pigeon
Galah
Long-billed Corella
Australian Ringneck
Variegated Fairy-wren
Striated Pardalote
Weebill
Western Gerygone
Inland Thornbill
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
Yellow-throated Miner
Singing Honeyeater
Brown-headed Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
White-fronted Honeyeater
Red-capped Robin
Southern Scrub-robin
White-browed Babbler
Rufous Whistler
Grey Shrike-thrush
Willie Wagtail
White-winged Triller
Pied Butcherbird
Tree Martin
Figure 8: A sample vegetation survey datasheet used in the Buntine-Marchagee Catchment study.
22
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
The second vegetation sampling approach used in this study was quadrat-based floristic
surveys. A total of 162 quadrats (10x10 m) were placed in 66 bird-surveyed remnants
across the catchment. All perennial plant species present in each quadrat were recorded,
together with data on percentage projective foliage cover, shrub height, soil type, and
vegetation strata attributes. This information was collected to help characterise the
structural complexity and floristic composition of bird habitat in the study area.
2.3. THE FOCAL SPECIES APPROACH
2.3.1. Development and application of the focal species approach
In Australia, the focal species approach has been principally applied in agricultural
landscapes such as the Western Australian wheatbelt (Lambeck 1998, 1999; Frost et al.
1999; Brooker et al. 2001a, b; Brooker et al. 2002; Parsons et al. 2003; current study),
ACT/NSW southern tablelands (Freudenberger 1999; Watson et al. 2001) and NSW
southwest slopes (Freudenberger 2001). Birds have been the target taxon for these
applications, primarily because they are relatively easy to detect, identify and
systematically survey.
The focal species approach as used in this project has been refined from Lambeck’s
earlier work conducted by CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems (see Lambeck 1997; Lambeck
1998; Brooker et al. 2001a, b; Brooker et al. 2002; Parsons et al. 2003). The original aim
of the approach was to “define the attributes required to meet the needs of the biota in a
landscape” (Lambeck, 1997). There have been several in-depth reviews of the focal
species approach and its application in both eastern and western Australian landscapes
(see Brooker 2002; Lambeck 2002; Lindenmayer et al. 2002; Lindenmayer and Fischer
2003; Maron and Lill submitted ms).
The focal species approach involves assessing the threatening processes for a given area
and then selecting a number of “focal species” that are most sensitive to these threats.
Commonly these threats include habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, habitat degradation
from livestock grazing, predation from introduced predators and fire (in this study, we
consider the loss of remnant condition or quality – see below). By focusing on the most
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
sensitive species, it is assumed that the needs of all other species (i.e. those who are less
sensitive to the given threats) present in the landscape are also met. The group of species
selected whose combined needs address the threats identified have been termed a “focal
community” (sensu Brooker 2002).
2.3.2. Focal species analysis procedure
Identify threats
In agricultural landscapes of Western Australia the major threats to the persistence of
native plants and animals are the loss, modification and fragmentation of habitat, the loss
of critical resources, and inappropriate rates and intensities of ecological processes such
as fire, nutrient cycling and predation (Saunders et al. 1991; Lambeck 1997). In BuntineMarchagee Catchment three threats that apply specifically to birds were addressed during
the focal species analysis. These are:
•
Insufficient habitat size;
•
Isolation of habitat and lack of habitat connectivity; and
•
Degradation of habitat (ie. loss of condition).
Insufficient habitat size: Each breeding unit of animals requires some minimum area of
habitat in which to obtain essential life cycle resources. Fragmentation of the agricultural
landscape in Western Australia has drastically reduced the amount of habitat available for
fauna breeding, foraging and refuge over the past century to a point where single blocks
of remnant bushland are not sufficient to support a viable population of some animal
species (see Arnold and Weeldenberg 1998; Cale 1999, 2003; Brooker and Brooker
2003).
For some taxa such as invertebrates, the minimum required area of habitat may be small
and consequently they may be relatively unaffected by habitat fragmentation. For others
such as mammals, their total area requirements may be considerably larger. However, if
fauna are able to move over greater distances they may be able to utilise several remnants
to satisfy their daily requirements and therefore tolerate higher levels of habitat
fragmentation (see, for example, Loyn 1987; Lindenmayer 1993; Radford et al. submitted
ms). Species between these two extremes will be most affected by habitat fragmentation.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
That is, species that are greater in size than invertebrates and require more resources but
are unable or unwilling to move between remnants to access these resources (see St. Clair
et al. 1998; Cale 1999; Huggett 2000). The daily resource requirements of these smalland medium-sized sedentary species often need to be obtained from within a single
remnant (see Huggett 2000; Lambeck 2002). Therefore, focal species limited by habitat
size will be those organisms with an insufficient area of intact habitat to meet their daily
resource requirements.
Isolation of habitat and lack of habitat connectivity: Although some species may have
sufficient habitat for their daily resource requirements, this habitat can be too isolated to
support a viable population in the long-term. That is, the population may be too far away
from others for recruitment of new dispersing individuals into the breeding stock. Focal
species limited by isolation will be those with the least ability to travel long distances (see
Brooker et al. 1999). Other species may be able to travel long distances between remnants
only if those remnants are not separated by a matrix that is too hostile to permit movement
(Law and Dickman 1998; St. Clair et al. 1998; Fahrig 2001), such as pasture or cropping
land. Dispersal-limited species will require increased connectivity between habitat patches
through the provision of native vegetation of suitable configuration and structure to
facilitate their movement between these patches (Ford et al. 1995; Bennett 1999; van der
Ree 2002; van der Ree et al. 2004).
Degradation of habitat: Prime causal factors implicated in the degradation of habitat in
agricultural landscapes include grazing, inappropriate fire regimes and secondary salinity
(Saunders and Briggs 2002). These factors often result in the modification of habitat in a
way that is deleterious to many species. Signs that a remnant is in poor condition may
include the absence of a natural understorey and fallen timber, disturbed soil without a
significant litter cover, high weed density, and absence of regeneration of native species.
Identify the focal species
Birds were used as the target taxon for identifying focal species in this study. The reasons
birds were selected in preference to other taxa include:
•
A relatively diverse and abundant avifauna is still present within the wheatbelt,
unlike other taxa such as mammals (Woinarski and Braithwaite 1990);
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
•
Birds are relatively easy to survey compared to other taxa (Watson et al. 2001)
and can often be readily identified by the non-scientific community;
•
Many birds are placed toward the top of the food chain and should theoretically
encompass the needs of a wide range of lower order taxa (Freudenberger 1999).
However, there is a need for further evaluation of the applicability of the focal species
approach to other fauna (see Parsons et al. 2003; Section 5 of this study). In this study we
assume only that satisfying the habitat requirements of the focal bird species will also
meet the needs of the associated (heath/shrub/mallee and woodland) bird communities.
Whether the resultant landscape design will benefit birds of other habitats such as
farmland and water bodies or nocturnal birds or birds that were too scarce to include in
the analysis is unknown.
Bird species used in the analysis involved only strictly resident species identified by
Saunders and Ingram (1995) as "decliners", excluding farmland species, waterbirds and
nocturnal birds (Section 3.2). This group of 42 bird species are termed "focal species
candidates". All focal species candidates were then divided into generalists,
heath/shrub/mallee specialists, and woodland specialists for the purposes of the analysis.
This division was based largely on expert opinion with presence/absence data from
Buntine-Marchagee Catchment assisting in this process where the species preference was
ambiguous.
Quantify their requirements
To complete the focal species analysis three key landscape attributes were calculated for
each remnant within the study area. These are remnant area, habitat patch size, habitat
patch isolation, and remnant condition. Calculation of habitat patch isolation distance (ie.
distance to nearest bird-occupied patch) was species-specific and involved four steps:
•
All 316 remnants surveyed for birds were mapped for the presence of each of 18
candidate focal bird species selected from the original list of 42 species (see
above);
•
A visual assessment of the spatial distribution of remnants and habitat patches was
undertaken to determine the location of remnants and patches in the eastern and
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
western sectors of the study area relative to other native vegetation bordering these
zones;
•
Distance to nearest bird-occupied habitat patch was calculated from GIS data for
all remnants surveyed for birds in the study area;
•
These isolation values were used to plot predicted probability of occurrence curves
for the focal bird species.
Remnant condition was estimated using a scoring system that recorded the percentage
projective foliage cover of trees, shrubs, herbs, and weeds, percentage litter cover,
presence of fallen timber, and grazing history in each remnant (Table 1). This was
undertaken for woodland, heathland/shrubland, and mallee habitats. Cover values were
estimated in the field using ‘Muir’ classes for each of these habitat patch types in each
remnant. Field data was therefore obtained at patch level and condition was assessed on a
remnant basis using total patch area proportionate to remnant size. Weightings were
applied to reflect the relative importance of specific attributes such as tree and shrub
cover, litter and fallen logs as habitat for birds. Three classes of condition were used –
poor (0-9.9 points), moderate (10-12.9 points), and good (13-22 points).
Table 1: Estimation of remnant condition using a weighted scoring system in BuntineMarchagee Catchment. Weightings are applied as multipliers to primary scores for
attributes.
Attribute
Primary score
Secondary score
(weighting)
0
1
2
3
Tree cover
<2%,
2-10%
10-30%
30-70%,
stressed
or dead
30-70%,
healthy
X2 (woodland)
Shrub cover
<2%
2-10%
10-30%
30-70%,
>70%
X2 (shrub/heath)
Litter cover
<2%
2-10%
10-30%
30-70%,
>70%
X2 (all associations)
Fallen timber
Perennial
grasses/herbs
Weed cover
Absent
<2%
Some
2-10%
Present
10-30%
>50%
10-50%
<10%
Grazing history
current
Past
(+15 yr)
nil
27
30-70%,
>70%
X1.5 (all associations)
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
2.3.3. Statistical analysis
The effects of landscape attributes (remnant area, habitat patch size, patch isolation
distance, and remnant condition) on the occurrence of individual bird species were
analysed using generalised linear models (Aitkin et al. 1990; GenStat® 2002). The
presence/absence of each bird species was modeled using multiple logistic regression
(logit link function), assuming binomially distributed errors (Aitkin et al. 1990). In order
to quantify the requirements of the focal species, the variable of interest was modeled
independently. Change in deviance from the mean was obtained for each variable
modeled to indicate the spread or dispersion of results around the centre of the distribution
(see Zar 1999). Change in deviance from the mean was used to assess the significance of
the effect of adding a variable to the model.
The regression models for each bird species were then used to generate probability of
occurrence curves, from which the most critical species (the focal species) was identified
and its requirements quantified. For all threats, a 10% probability of occurrence was
defined as a target or benchmark. Focal species were excluded from analysis if they
occurred in less than ten remnants (i.e. less than 10 records) within the study area.
2.4. LANDSCAPE DESIGN
2.4.1. Designing landscapes for birds and people
Identifying focal bird species and acquiring knowledge of their landscape, biology,
ecology and habitat requirements provide one basis for habitat restoration and landscape
re-construction efforts in fragmented agricultural systems (Parsons et al. 2003;
Freudenberger and Brooker 2004). In Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, this information
was used to develop a landscape design to protect and enhance existing habitat and
increase its connectedness and condition at the property and catchment scales.
A key criterion for the landscape design was practicality. The design needed to be capable
of being adopted and implemented by Buntine-Marchagee farmers under sustainable farm
business management principles and practices (see NACC 2004; Bennett and Mac Nally
in press). This required the design to be flexible, innovative and considerate of existing
economic, social and environmental factors and the interplay between these elements,
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
especially in a landscape of increasing secondary salinity and ongoing loss of productive
agricultural land (see Cocks 2003; Halse et al. 2003; NACC 2004). Therefore, newly
gained focal species knowledge was applied in such a way that was appropriate to the
expectations and goals of the local community. This knowledge has produced a landscape
design that builds on the achievements of earlier revegetation efforts in the catchment
through relatively simple actions that are capable of being translated into environmental
and farm productivity benefits (Section 5).
Figure 9 presents a schematic overview of the landscape design process undertaken in this
study. This procedure suggests rather than prescribes a landscape design for configuring
the Buntine-Marchagee landscape using knowledge of the requirements of the focal bird
species. In doing so, the design recognises that a landscape may be organised in countless
ways to cater for a wide range of different land management objectives, values and
outcomes. This design deals with a selected number of threats for a specific group of bird
species. It aims to deliver spatially explicit recommendations to protect and enhance
remnant native vegetation and improve habitat connectedness and condition.
2.4.2. The landscape design procedure
The landscape design procedure used in this study comprises ten key steps modified from
Brooker (2002). These encompass four domains of landscape design using the focal
species approach – focal species analysis, landscape design, community consultation, and
implementation. These are outlined below:
Step 1: Determine the aim of revegetation and habitat protection
The aim of revegetation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment was to retain the avian
diversity (species richness) that currently occurs in the catchment.
Step 2: Identify threats
Three specific threats were targeted in this study: insufficient habitat, habitat isolation and
habitat degradation (condition).
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Step 3: Quantify the requirements of the focal species candidates
This step involved investigating how each focal species candidate was affected by the
above threats. Minimum habitat requirements for candidate focal species were defined as
the remnant area, habitat patch size, habitat patch isolation, and remnant condition at
which each species had a modelled 10% probability of occurrence.
Step 4: Select focal species for each threat
The focal species chosen were those that were most sensitive to the threats operating
within the catchment at a 10% probability level. Note that only species that are still
present within the catchment were selected.
30
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figure 9: The focal species approach used to design a landscape for bird conservation in
Buntine-Marchagee Catchment.
Focal
Species
Analysis
Determine the aim of revegetation and habitat protection
To retain the existing bird fauna of Buntine-Marchagee Catchment
Identify threats
Insufficient habitat size
Isolation of habitat and lack of habitat connectivity
Degradation of habitat (condition)
Quantify the requirements of focal species candidates
Select focal species for each threat
Heath/shrub/mallee birds
Patch size
Patch isolation
Condition
Landscape
Design
Woodland birds
Patch size
Patch isolation
Condition
Generalist birds
Remnant area
Condition
Assess remnant areas
Assess habitat patch sizes and isolation
Complete each of these three procedures
Stepping Stones
Corridors
Remnant management
Create patch
neighbourhoods
Create patch
neighbourhoods
Choose core remnants
Select neighbourhoods
within close proximity
to each other for
joining
Assess patch
connectedness within
neighbourhoods
Join neighbourhoods
using stepping stones
of new habitat; where
possible, enlarge small
(<31 ha) remnants
Identify remnants with
inadequate habitat
condition scores
Select areas with poor
connectedness
Increase connectedness
using corridors
Prioritise remnants for
habitat management
Formulate draft landscape design
Community
Consultation
Implementation
‘Road-test’ the landscape design. Use feedback from
landholders and land managers to “fine-tune” design
Implement final design
31
Audit and review
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Step 5: Assess habitat patch sizes
The patch size requirements of the habitat specialist focal species were used to identify
suitable patches to act as core habitat used in the formation of neighbourhoods. The
remnant size requirements of the habitat generalist focal species were used to identify
suitable remnants to target for habitat management. For each habitat patch type
(heath/shrub/mallee and woodland), neighbourhoods were created by extending a buffer
around core habitat at a distance specified by the requirements of the focal species most
sensitive to isolation.
Step 6: Create stepping stones
Stepping stones were created to link neighbourhoods within the study area. The area or
size of these stepping stones was greater than or equal to the minimum size requirement
for the focal species most sensitive to habitat patch size. They were placed in areas where
neighbourhoods could be linked using one stepping stone only. The stepping stones were
also preferentially placed in areas that built on existing habitat, made use of fence-lines
and were not at risk to salinity.
Step 7: Create potential corridors
A computer dispersal simulation model was used to assess connectedness between all
nearest-neighbour patches (see Brooker et al. 2001a, b). Linkages where dispersal success
of the ‘hypothetical’ bird was less than 50% and less than 750 m in length (length
determined using expert opinion) were targeted for corridor creation. The objective of the
planned corridors was to increase the connectedness of existing remnants within each
neighbourhood. The corridors were also preferentially placed in areas that built on
existing habitat and made use of fence-lines and roadside vegetation.
Step 8: Protect and manage existing remnants
Remnants targeted for habitat management were those that formed core habitat for the
most sensitive generalist focal bird species. These remnants were then prioritised based on
the requirements of the focal species most sensitive to habitat degradation. All remnants
with a condition score less than that required by the focal species were identified as being
of highest priority for management. Remnant management may include actions such as
fencing, weed control and rehabilitation of rubbish dumps.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Step 9: Use feedback from landholders and land managers to ‘road-test’ the
landscape design
Catchment landholders and land managers were encouraged to assess and contribute to
the draft landscape design (Section 2.5). This aimed to ensure the inclusion of stakeholder
issues and concerns regarding the impact of the draft landscape design on farm production
costs, water use, roading, capital costs associated with new fencing, tree and shrub
planting, pest control, and long-term biodiversity conservation and sustainable farm
management planning.
Step10: Implement final design
A plan for implementing the landscape design was formulated that contained stepping
stones, corridors and remnants identified for habitat management. These suggestions were
developed using the requirements of focal bird species as well as practical information
offered by landholders and land managers. Provisions for auditing and review of the
performance of this plan were made.
2.5. COMMUNITY CONSULTATION
Effective participatory involvement by communities in the design, implementation and
performance monitoring of biodiversity conservation plans is an essential feature of
sustainable natural resource management (ANZECC 2001; Environment Australia 2001).
However, the uptake of landscape designs and indeed most decision support tools
formulated by research agencies for landholders has been poor (McCown et al. 2002). We
therefore sought to engage landholders and land managers in the formulation of the
Buntine-Marchagee draft landscape design. Previous landscape designs derived from the
focal species approach have been heavily theoretically based. Also, they have not
provided examples of specific suggested sites for strategic revegetation or the opportunity
to negotiate these with the landholders being asked to implement them.
The landscape design for Buntine-Marchagee Catchment sought to provide landholders
with actual examples of where to consider undertaking revegetation on their properties.
Emphasis was placed on supplying landholders with a flexible yet strategic suite of
revegetation and habitat restoration options to achieve biodiversity benefits for their
enterprise and address pressing land management issues such as habitat loss and
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
fragmentation, salinity mitigation, pest management, and soil erosion control. The design
had to be easy to understand, implement and modify according to changing farm
management priorities.
To facilitate this process, we held a workshop and field day for landholders in conjunction
with CALM’s Buntine-Marchagee Recovery Catchment team in October 2003 at Coorow.
Each landholder had the opportunity to inspect the draft landscape design as it applied to
their property and suggest practical improvements in line with farm operational
constraints, biodiversity conservation goals, and other sustainable land management
planning initiatives. Landholders were able to contribute to the landscape design and their
ideas were captured at the workshop, using SMART Board™ technology (Smart
Technologies Inc. 2003; Figure 10). These ideas and suggestions were later incorporated
into the final landscape design.
An important feature of the draft landscape design was the reason behind the making of a
specific recommendation. Provided this was clearly understood by the landholder, viable
alternatives could be suggested that may still fulfil the objective. In the example below,
the goal of the proposed potential corridor was to increase connectivity among existing
remnants for dispersal-limited bird species. An alternative site was suggested and
included in the final design that connected remnants of approximately equal size and
condition with less impact on the effective operation of the farm.
A comprehensive range of other communication activities and products were delivered
during this study. These are detailed in Appendix 1.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figure 10: Capturing landholder input to improve the draft landscape design – re-locating a
proposed potential corridor. The red corridor in the centre of the image was deemed unsuitable by
the landholder on cost and livestock water access grounds. An alternative location for the
proposed corridor was suggested on the right of the image. Notes on fencing are also illustrated.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
3.
RESULTS
3.1. CHARACTERISTICS OF REMNANTS
A total of 503 remnants of native vegetation were delineated in Buntine-Marchagee
Catchment. These varied in size from 1 ha to 3,808 ha (Buntine Nature Reserve). The
median size of remnants was 11 ha, with a mean of 44.5 ha, or 37 ha if Buntine Nature
Reserve was excluded. Figure 11 shows the distribution of remnant size classes within the
catchment.
Figure 11: Distribution of remnant size classes in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment.
8000
Total area of size class (ha)
n=5
6000
4000
n = 13
n = 365
n = 19
n = 64
2000
n = 20
n = 17
0
0-25
26-50
51-75
76-100
101-200
201-500
501-4000
Remnant size class (ha)
Remnant native vegetation comprised about 12.3% of the total catchment area (181,008
ha). Of this, shrubland bird habitat (i.e. heathland, shrubland and mallee associations)
occupied about 71% (15,775 ha) of total remnant area (22,340 ha), and woodland bird
habitat (mainly York Gum, Salmon Gum, Gimlet and Banksia/woody pear vegetation
associations) comprised about 26% (5,770 ha). In addition, 13,500 ha of land in the
catchment was saline wetland. This consisted of saline flats, samphire vegetation, and
saline and brackish lakes.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
3.2. BIRD SURVEYS
3.2.1. Area searches
Bird presence/absence data was obtained for all of the 316 remnants that were surveyed in
Buntine-Marchagee Catchment. A total of 110 bird species were recorded in the
catchment during this study. Eighteen of the 42 focal species candidates were present
while 17 candidate species were not recorded (Appendix 2). These included several
woodland birds used as focal species for other catchments such as Jacky Winter Microeca
fascinans, Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera, and Rufous Treecreeper
Climacteris rufa. A further seven species were unable to be used in the focal species
analysis because less than ten records of each of these species were obtained during the
surveys. These are Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata, Blue-breasted Fairy-wren Malurus
pulcherrimus, Shy Heathwren Hylacola cauta, Rufous Fieldwren Calamanthus
campestris,
White-eared
Honeyeater
Lichenostomus
leucotis,
Golden
Whistler
Pachycephala pectoralis, and Grey Currawong Strepera versicolor.
A total of 18,068 individual birds were recorded during area searches and point-count
transects (see below) undertaken in September and October 2002 (Table 2). The most
common species recorded were the Galah Cacatua roseicapilla followed by the Redcapped Robin Petroica goodenovii (Plate 1). On five occasions, more than 100 galahs
were counted in a single survey in woodland. The next highest count was the Brown
Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta with 91 records for a remnant consisting largely of
Banksia woodland on the western side of the catchment.
3.2.2. Point-count transects
Transect-based point-count surveys across a major saline drainage channel suggested that
in spring/summer few bird species were using these areas as habitat or for moving
between remnants in the northern and southern sectors of the catchment. However,
increased replication of point-count survey effort across all seasons, under different
rainfall regimes, and in different parts of the saline drainage network is needed before
conclusions can be drawn on the utility of these systems to birds in the study area.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Table 2: Relative abundance of selected bird species recorded in September-October 2002 in the
study area. Mean count includes records where the species was present only.
Status
Species
Increasers
Galah
Cacatua roseicapilla
Red-capped Robin
Petroica goodenovii
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Acanthiza chrysorrhoa
Australian Ringneck
Barnadius zonarius
Brown-headed Honeyeater
Melithreptus brevirostris
Southern Scrub-robin
Drymodes brunneopygia
Grey Butcherbird
Cracticus torquatus
Red Wattlebird
Anthochaera carunculata
Shy Heathwren
Hylacola cauta
Malleefowl
Leipoa ocellata
Rufous Fieldwren
Calamanthus campestris
Decliners
Rare
Total count
Mean count
Max. count
2,874
21
190
1,064
6
22
1,012
6
24
918
6
35
129
3.5
12
67
2
7
32
1.5
3
24
2
5
5
1
1
4
1
1
1
1
1
A comparison of the species richness and relative abundance of focal bird candidates
along transects through the saline channel revealed that, relative to survey effort (ie.
number of points surveyed), York Gum with Jam or mallee, shrublands, and mallee with
understorey were occupied by more focal bird species candidates than other vegetation
communities in the study area (Figure 12). These communities also supported more
individuals of focal and non-focal bird species from a wider taxonomic range than other
communities such as samphire vegetation and salt pans.
Of the 18 focal bird species surveyed in the study area, only one (Red-capped Robin) was
found in salt pan vegetation. Five different focal bird species candidates were observed in
samphire communities however none of these species are threatened, rare or sparsely
distributed in the catchment. These species represented a subset of birds recorded in
nearby shrubland, mallee and woodland habitats. No wading birds were recorded in the
salt pans or samphire vegetation. The birds selected as the focal species for the study area
(see Section 3.4) were absent from both samphire and salt pan vegetation. This contrasted
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
with other vegetation communities such as Mallee with understorey which contained two
of the four focal species (Brown-headed Honeyeater Melithreptus brevirostris ssp.
leucogenys [Plate 2] and Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus), and shrublands (Grey
Butcherbird). It was not possible to determine from the results of these surveys whether
there are bird species threatened by the spread of secondary salinity.
Plate 1: A pair of Red-capped Robins Petroica goodenovii at nest. This species was one of the
most abundant birds in the catchment during 2001-2002. The adult male is to the right of the
female. Photograph courtesy Bert and Babs Wells, CALM.
Plate 2: A Brown-headed Honeyeater Melithreptus brevirostris ssp. leucogenys tending to its
young. This species was observed in mallee with understorey during point-count surveys in the
study area in 2002. Photograph courtesy Bert and Babs Wells, CALM.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
3.2.3. Birds of conservation significance
Several birds of conservation significance were recorded in Buntine-Marchagee
Catchment during this study. Of these, a single Rufous Fieldwren was observed in a large
privately owned remnant of intact heathland and shrubland in the southwest of the
catchment (BM448, about 1,400 ha). This species has not been recorded in the catchment
since 1976 (Dell 1979) and is known to be patchily distributed across its geographical
range (Barrett et al. 2003). The Shy Heathwren was observed in five remnants of mostly
low heathy shrubland, including Buntine Nature Reserve and four privately owned
remnants. The nationally endangered Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata was observed in 11
different remnants in mainly the north/northeastern and southwestern parts of the
catchment, with most birds located in Melaleuca and Allocasuarina shrubland (Plates 3
and 4).
Other species of local and regional conservation significance observed in the study area
belong to a cohort of birds that are declining or at risk of population decline across the
WA wheatbelt (Saunders and Ingram 1995; Johnstone and Storr 1998). These include
Southern Scrub-robin, Redthroat, Crested Bellbird, Western Yellow Robin, Grey
Butcherbird, Brown-headed Honeyeater, Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis, Redtailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii, Short-billed Black-Cockatoo C.
latirostris, Blue-breasted Fairy-wren Malurus pulcherrimus, Red Wattlebird, Tawnycrowned Honeyeater Phylidonyris melanops, White-fronted Honeyeater P. albifrons, and
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Plate 3: An active Malleefowl mound. This mound was discovered in dense Melaleuca shrubland
in the northern part of the catchment.
Plate 4: Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata – a nationally threatened species that can be found in parts of
Buntine-Marchagee Catchment. Photograph courtesy Bert and Babs Wells, CALM.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figure 12: Variation in the relative abundance and species richness of land birds surveyed along transects across a saline drainage channel in September
2002 in the study area. Note that the only focal species candidate observed in salt pan was the Red-capped Robin, the second most abundant bird species
surveyed in the study area. The number in brackets beside each species is the total number of individuals of the species that was recorded in the habitat
type.
Shrublands
(Melaleuca/Acacia/Tamma/Wodjil)
19 points surveyed
28 species (171 individuals)
including :
Mallee with understorey
4 points surveyed
Common Bronzewing (1)
York gum with Jam or Mallee
Red-capped Robin (16)
19 species (44 individuals)
5 points surveyed
including:
Rufous Whistler (1)
20 species (68 individuals)
Grey Shrike-thrush (3)
Common Bronzewing (1)
including:
Red-capped Robin (3)
Weebill (8)
Common Bronzewing (2)
Samphire
vegetation
Redthroat (2)
Rufous Whistler (1)
Red-capped Robin (5)
8 points surveyed
Weebill (11)
Grey Butcherbird (1)
Rufous Whistler (2)
17
species
(56
individuals)
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (3)
Grey Shrike-thrush (2)
including:
Variegated fairy-wren (5)
Weebill (11)
Red-capped
Robin
(1)
Brown-headed Honeyeater (1)
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (4)
Rufous Whistler (1)
Grey Butcherbird (2)
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (2)
Weebill (2)
Mallee without understorey
Variegated Fairy-wren (3)
1 point surveyed
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (1)
2 species (3 individuals):
Singing Honeyeater (2)
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (1)
Salt pan (little or no vegetation)
6 points surveyed
7 species (23 individuals)
including:
Red-capped Robin (1)
42
Mixed woodland
1 point surveyed
8 species (16 individuals)
including:
Rufous Whistler (1)
Grey Shrike-thrush (1)
Weebill (3)
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (1)
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
3.3. VEGETATION OF THE STUDY AREA
3.3.1. Vegetation association classes and floristics
A total of 24 different classes or groupings of native vegetation associations were defined
in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment using the results of the vegetation surveying work
(Figure 13). Each of these classes was derived from six broad vegetation formations heathland, shrubland, sedgeland, grassland, woodland and wetland.
Figure 13: Native vegetation association classes or groupings and their relationships in BuntineMarchagee Catchment. Note that the samphire class includes halophytic vegetation associated
with bush remnants rather than samphire vegetation that occurs in paddocks.
Shrubland is the main vegetation formation occurring in the study area (14,676 ha),
followed by woodland (3,423 ha), mallee (3,161 ha), samphire (390 ha), and heathland
(335 ha). The remaining formations are other vegetation such as sedgeland (212 ha),
native grassland (20 ha), and wetland (12 ha). Appendix 3 provides illustrated
descriptions of each vegetation association class in the study area and the number of
remnants supporting each class.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Detailed quadrat-based floristic surveys in 66 bird-surveyed remnants in the study area
provided data on perennial plant species composition, structural diversity, habitat
complexity, and soil type. Appendix 4 lists all perennial plant species recorded in each of
the 162 quadrats placed in this survey. Data on floristic composition, vegetation structural
complexity, and environmental attributes are held by CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems in a
separate MS Access database.
Appendix 5 displays GIS maps of native vegetation associations together with bird
species recorded in each remnant surveyed in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment. This
comprehensive integration of vegetation and bird data provides the basis for the focal
species analysis and subsequent landscape design (Sections 3.4 and 3.5). It is also a
valuable resource for landholders and catchment managers to discover what bird species
and vegetation types occur on specific properties in the catchment.
3.3.2. Conservation status
Most native plant species and communities in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment are
relatively common and occur elsewhere in the Western Australian wheatbelt. However,
there are a number of rare and priority plants in the study area and these require special
consideration in property planning and management activities. These are outlined below.
There are currently 26 known rare or threatened plant taxa (species, subspecies, varieties
and hybrids) in the study area (CALM, 2004) (Plate 5). Twelve of these taxa are classified
as Declared Rare Flora (DRF), five are termed Priority One (ie. poorly known but with
few populations, at least some of which are under threat), one is Priority Two (ie. poorly
known but with few populations, some of which are not considered to be under immediate
threat), eight are Priority Three (ie. poorly known but with several populations, some of
which are not under immediate threat), and one is Priority Four (ie. rare but not
threatened) species.
Current CALM native vegetation protection policies prohibit the disclosure of the specific
location of these plants. Landholders with populations of DRF taxa are usually aware of
their presence and measures are taken to protect the plants. DRF taxa are native plants
considered to be rare and threatened, that is they are in danger of extinction within 10-20
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
years if current threatening processes continue. Of the 12 known DRF taxa in the
catchment, two species - Caladenia drakeoides and Ptilotus fasciculatus occur
exclusively near salt lakes and are therefore threatened by rising saline watertables. A
further two Priority One taxa - Acacia trinalis and Gnephosis setifera and two Priority
Three taxa - Sarcocornia globosa and Triglochin stowardii also occur near salt lakes in
the catchment.
Plate 5: A Declared Rare plant in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment
In the current study only one new discovery of a Declared Rare species - Acacia
recurvata - previously known only from well north of the catchment - was made.
However, surveys made numerous discoveries of new populations of the Priority Four
species, Banksia benthamiana.
There are no known Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs, or naturally occurring,
habitat-specific biological assemblages under threat) in the study area. However, the
catchment features a number of freshwater and brackish natural lakes that are potential
TECs given the diversity of aquatic invertebrate life present and the burgeoning threat to
these systems posed by secondary salinity (Davis et al. 2003; Halse et al. 2003). Also,
there are some granite outcrops supporting a diverse suite of proteaceous and myrtaceous
shrubs and trees providing nectar and insects for nomadic honeyeaters such as Whitefronted Honeyeater Phylidonyris albifrons and Tawny-crowned Honeyeater P. melanops
that were recorded in relatively low numbers during this study. More information on
TECs is available from
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/plants_animals/critical_communities.html.
In Buntine-Marchagee Catchment some native vegetation associations are of particular
local and regional importance to birds. ‘Banksia/Woody Pear shrubland’ supplies an
important source of nectar for honeyeaters in late summer and autumn when other food
supplies are scarce or depleted. The ‘mallee with understorey’ and woodlands with
understorey associations provide critical cover and nesting resources for the nationally
threatened Malleefowl. Several declining WA wheatbelt bird species such as Western
Yellow Robin Eopsaltria griseogularis, Redthroat Pyrrholaemus brunneus, Crested
Bellbird Oreoica gutturalis, and Southern Scrub-robin Drymodes brunneopygia depend
on intact shrubland, mallee and woodland habitats that occur especially in the
southwestern and north/northeastern parts of the catchment (see Sections 3.4 and 3.5).
‘River Red Gum woodland’ is an uncommon vegetation association that has been
substantially reduced in area by land clearing and salinisation of lakes in the catchment.
These woodlands often have areas of standing fresh or brackish water which provide
important regional drought refuges for waterbirds, including in some instances,
international migratory waders (Halse et al. 1993; Barrett et al. 2003). They provide quite
unique wetland habitats for amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates and other fauna in the
wheatbelt.
3.4. FOCAL SPECIES ANALYSIS
3.4.1. Candidate focal bird species
Eighteen of the 42 candidate focal bird species were included in the initial stages of the
focal species analysis (Table 3). A further seven species - Malleefowl, Blue-breasted
Fairy-wren, Shy Heathwren, Rufous Fieldwren, White-eared Honeyeater, Golden
Whistler and Grey Currawong - were not used in the analysis because of insufficient
records of occurrence. Broad habitat preferences were assigned to each candidate focal
species on the basis of expert knowledge of the ecology of the species.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Table 3: Candidate focal bird species used in the focal species analysis in Buntine-Marchagee
Catchment, showing the number of records of occurrence obtained from surveys undertaken in
this study and the broad habitat preferences of each species
Species
Records
Preferred habitat
Grey Butcherbird
Cracticus torquatus
Western Yellow Robin
Eopsaltria griseogularis
Common Bronzewing
Phaps chalcoptera
Rufous Whistler
Pachycephala rufiventris
Brown Honeyeater
Lichmera indistincta
Grey Shrike-thrush
Colluricincla harmonica
Weebill
Smicrornis brevirostris
Red-capped Robin
Petroica goodenovii
Red Wattlebird
Anthochaera carunculata
Brown-headed Honeyeater
Melithreptus brevirostris
ssp. leucogenys
Inland Thornbill
Acanthiza apicalis
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill
Acanthiza uropygialis
Southern Scrub-robin
Drymodes brunneopygia
Redthroat
Pyrrholaemus brunneus
Crested Bellbird
Oreoica gutturalis
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
Acanthagenys rufogularis
White-browed Babbler
Pomatostomus superciliosus
Variegated Fairy-wren
Malurus lamberti
30
Generalist
32
Generalist
109
Generalist
127
Generalist
135
Generalist
137
Generalist
190
Generalist
198
Generalist
23
Woodland
49
Woodland
94
Woodland
99
Woodland
31
Heath/Shrub/Mallee
38
Heath/Shrub/Mallee
50
Heath/Shrub/Mallee
89
Heath/Shrub/Mallee
124
Heath/Shrub/Mallee
160
Heath/Shrub/Mallee
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
3.4.2. Remnant area
Bird species identified as ‘generalists’ in the study area were analysed to determine which
species was most sensitive to the area of entire remnants rather than to the area of habitat
patches. The occurrence of all eight generalist species was significantly related to the
natural log of remnant area, thus indicating the influence of remnant size on the
occurrence of these species in the study area (Table 4).
Table 4: Changes in deviance from the mean for generalist focal species candidates with respect
to remnant area
Number of
records obtained
30
Change in
deviance
32.99
Statistical
significance (P)
<0.001
Common Bronzewing
109
53.30
<0.001
Western Yellow Robin
32
53.90
<0.001
Weebill
190
58.02
<0.001
Red-capped Robin
198
92.75
<0.001
Grey Shrike-thrush
137
109.84
<0.001
Rufous Whistler
127
113.56
<0.001
Brown Honeyeater
135
113.65
<0.001
Species
Grey Butcherbird
The Grey Butcherbird was the least tolerant species (Figure 14, Plate 6), requiring
approximately 31 ha of remnant to have a 10% probability of occurrence. The Western
Yellow Robin was the next most sensitive species to remnant area, requiring about 30 ha
of remnant (Plate 7). The Grey Butcherbird was used as the focal species for remnant area
ahead of the Western Yellow Robin because it appeared to be more sensitive to change in
remnant area along the entire curve rather than just at the 10% point (see Figure 14).
Focal species candidates least sensitive to remnant area were Rufous Whistler (4 ha),
Grey Shrike-thrush (3 ha) and Common Bronzewing (2 ha).
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figure 14: Predicted probability of occurrence for generalist focal species candidates with respect
to remnant area
Predicted Probability of Occurrence (%)
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
Common Bronzewing
Brown Honeyeater
Rufous W histler
W estern Yellow Robin
Grey Butcherbird
20
10
0
0
100
200
300
400
500
Remnant Area (ha)
Plate 6: Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus – the focal species for remnant area in BuntineMarchagee Catchment. Photograph courtesy Bert and Babs Wells, CALM.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Plate 7: Western Yellow Robin Eopsaltria griseogularis – sensitive to remnant area in BuntineMarchagee Catchment. Photograph courtesy Bert and Babs Wells, CALM.
3.4.3. Habitat patch size
Two groups of birds with specialised habitat requirements - heath/shrub/mallee and
woodland species - were identified in the study area. These habitat specialists were
analysed to determine which species were most sensitive to change in habitat patch size.
The occurrence of all seven heath/shrub/mallee species was significantly related to the
natural log of heath/shrub/mallee patch size, indicating that the size of heath/shrub/mallee
patches significantly influenced the occurrence of these species in the study area (Table
5). The Blue-breasted Fairy-wren was discarded from further analysis because of
insufficient records (12) and results that did not conform with long-term ecological
knowledge of this species (see Brooker et al. 2001b, 2002; Brooker and Brooker 2002,
2003).
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Table 5: Changes in deviance from the mean for heath/shrub/mallee focal species candidates with
respect to heath/shrub/mallee patch size
Number of
records obtained
12
Change in
deviance
19.23
Statistical
significance (P)
< 0.001
Redthroat
38
73.57
< 0.001
White-browed Babbler
124
76.13
< 0.001
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
89
79.97
< 0.001
Southern Scrub-robin
31
86.83
< 0.001
Crested Bellbird
50
89.62
< 0.001
Variegated Fairy-wren
160
95.34
< 0.001
Species
Blue-breasted Fairy-wren
The Southern Scrub-robin was the least tolerant species, requiring approximately 29 ha of
heath/shrub/mallee habitat to have a 10% probability of occurrence (Figure 15 and Plate
8). The Redthroat (20 ha - Plate 9) and Crested Bellbird (15 ha - Plate 10) were the next
most sensitive specialists to heath/shrub/mallee patch size. The least sensitive specialists
were Variegated Fairy-wren and White-browed Babbler (each less than 1 ha), and Spinycheeked Honeyeater (2.5 ha).
Figure 15: Predicted probability of occurrence for specialist focal species candidates with respect
to heath/shrub/mallee patch size
Predicted Probability of Occurrence (%)
100
90
80
70
60
50
Variegated Fairy-wren
White-browed Babbler
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
Crested Bellbird
Redthroat
Southern Scrub-robin
40
30
20
10
0
0
100
200
300
Heath/Shrub/Mallee Area (ha)
51
400
500
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Plate 8: Southern Scrub-robin Drymodes brunneopygia - the focal species for heath/shrub/mallee
patch size in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment. Photograph courtesy Bert and Babs Wells, CALM.
Plates 9 (left) and 10 (right): Redthroat Pyrrholaemus brunneus (left) and Crested Bellbird
Oreoica gutturalis (right) – shrubland specialists sensitive to heath/shrub/mallee patch size in
Buntine-Marchagee Catchment. Photographs courtesy Bert and Babs Wells, CALM.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Two woodland specialists were found to be moderately sensitive to woodland patch size
in the study area, although further work is needed to confirm this relationship. The Red
Wattlebird, a large aggressive honeyeater with a diverse diet (Johnstone and Storr 1998)
and recorded in this study in Banksia/Woody Pear woodland and other nectar-producing
vegetation, appeared to be sensitive to woodland patch size (Plate 11). It required 31 ha to
have a 10% chance of occurring in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment. The Brown-headed
Honeyeater appeared to need woodland patches of less than 10 ha. A previous study in
Gabbi Quoi Quoi catchment about 80 km to the southeast of Buntine-Marchagee found
that woodland specialists most sensitive to woodland patch size were Varied Sittella (30
ha critical patch size for 10% chance of occurrence), Dusky Woodswallow Artamus
cyanopterus (30 ha), and Grey Currawong (20 ha) (Brooker et al. 2001b).
Plate 11: Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata – a woodland specialist in BuntineMarchagee Catchment sensitive to woodland patch size. Photograph courtesy Bert and Babs
Wells, CALM.
3.4.4. Habitat patch isolation
The habitat specialist species identified above were also analysed to determine which
species were most sensitive to habitat patch isolation. The occurrence of three
heath/shrub/mallee species - Southern Scrub-robin, Redthroat and Crested Bellbird - was
significantly related to the natural log of habitat patch isolation (Table 6). This indicated
that heath/shrub/mallee patch isolation significantly influenced the occurrence of these
species in the study area.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Table 6: Changes in deviance from the mean for heath/shrub/mallee focal species candidates with
respect to heath/shrub/mallee patch isolation (distance to nearest occupied remnant).
Species
Brown-headed Honeyeater
Crested Bellbird
Grey Butcherbird
Redthroat
Red Wattlebird
Southern Scrub-robin
Western Yellow Robin
Number of
records
obtained
49
50
30
38
23
31
32
Change in
deviance
Statistical
significance (P)
27.33
19.33
0.96
15.09
5.64
18.53
0.52
<0.001
<0.001
0.328
<0.001
0.017
<0.000
0.472
The Southern Scrub-robin was the least isolation-tolerant species, requiring an occupied
remnant within 1,150 m for a predicted probability of occurrence of 10% (Figure 16). The
Redthroat was the next most sensitive species to heath/shrub/mallee patch isolation (1,500
m), followed by Crested Bellbird (2,400 m).
Only one woodland species responded significantly to change in isolation of woodland
habitat patches. The Brown-headed Honeyeater showed a change in deviance from the
mean. It required an occupied remnant within 1,900 m for a predicted probability of
occurrence of 10% (Figure 17).
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figure 16: Predicted probability of occurrence for three heath/shrub/mallee species with respect
to distance to nearest occupied remnant.
40
Probability of Occurrence (%)
35
Crested Bellbird
Redthroat
Southern Scrub-robin
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
Isolation distance (m)
Figure 17: Predicted probability of occurrence for the woodland specialist Brown-headed
Honeyeater with respect to distance to nearest occupied remnant. Confidence intervals of 95% are
shown.
Predicted Probability of Occurrence
0.5
95% confidence intervals
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
1900 m
0
1000
2000
Isolation distance (m)
55
3000
4000
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3.4.5. Remnant condition
The generalist species were analysed to determine which species was most sensitive to the
condition of entire remnants. The occurrence of four generalist species was significantly
related to remnant score (Table 7).
Table 7: Changes in deviance from the mean for generalist focal species candidates with respect
to remnant condition.
Species
Number of
records obtained
32
Change in
deviance
10.11
Statistical
significance (P)
0.001
Rufous Whistler
127
16.2
< 0.001
Grey Shrike-thrush
137
23.77
< 0.001
Brown Honeyeater
135
44.88
< 0.001
Western Yellow Robin
The Western Yellow Robin was the least tolerant species, requiring remnants with scores
of 13 or greater for a predicted probability of occurrence of 10% (Figure 18). The Brown
Honeyeater was the next most sensitive focal species candidate to remnant condition with
a score of 5.6. Species least sensitive to remnant condition in this analysis were Grey
Shrike-thrush (2.6) and Rufous Whistler (1.1). Figure 19 represents the relationship found
between remnant area and remnant condition in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figure 18: Predicted probability of occurrence for generalist species with respect to remnant
condition. Note that Western Yellow Robin is the focal species for remnant condition in this
study, requiring a score of 13 or more to have a 10% chance of occurrence.
Predicted Probability of Occurrence (%)
100
90
Grey Shrike-thrush
Rufous Whistler
Brown Honeyeater
Western Yellow Robin
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
Remnant Score
Figure 19: Scatter plot showing the relationship between remnant area and remnant condition in
Buntine Marchagee Catchment. Remnant condition is represented by habitat score.
22
20
18
Habitat Score
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1
10
100
Remnant Area
57
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3.5. LANDSCAPE DESIGN
3.5.1. Design overview
The landscape design presented in this study seeks to protect and retain the existing
complement of native avifauna in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment. The design provides a
basis for strategically enhancing and re-connecting remnant native vegetation to facilitate
bird movement, dispersal and survival. The long-term conservation planning objective is
to recover bird populations and communities and other biota in the northern Western
Australian wheatbelt (see CALM 2003; Section 5 of this study).
The landscape design is based on the results of the focal species analysis presented in
Section 3.4. These results identified arbitrary ‘thresholds’ or cut-off points (see Fahrig
2002; Radford and Bennett 2004; Huggett submitted ms) in the response of focal bird
species to remnant area, habitat patch size and isolation, and remnant condition. There are
three core elements to the design, namely:
•
Creation of ‘stepping stones’ of habitat to link neighbourhoods, utilising existing
remnant native vegetation;
•
Creation of linkages to enhance the connectedness of habitat within
neighbourhoods;
•
Prioritisation of remnants for habitat protection and management.
3.5.2. Creation of habitat ‘stepping stones’
The spatial and ecological requirements of the habitat specialist focal bird species were
used to plan for new habitat to link neighbourhoods. A neighbourhood in this context is a
set of habitat patches occurring within a specific radius of core habitat, as defined by the
requirements of the focal species. Core habitat in this study is woodland or
heath/shrub/mallee habitat of sufficient size for a focal bird species to have a 10% chance
of occurrence. One way of linking neighbourhoods is to plant ‘stepping stones’ or blocks
or strips of native trees, shrubs, grasses and other ground cover in between the
neighbourhoods (see Brooker et al. 2001b; Turner et al. 2001; Wiens et al. 2002). This
new habitat needs to be inserted in specific locations such as existing remnants (see
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below) rather than randomly allocated across the landscape and can substantially improve
the level of connectedness and amount of habitat available for fauna use.
The requirements of the Southern Scrub-robin were used to identify areas most suitable
for planting ‘stepping stone’ heath/shrub/mallee habitat. The focal species analysis
revealed that, for Southern Scrub-robins to have a 10% chance of occurrence,
heath/shrub/mallee patches need to be greater than or equal to 29 ha in size and located no
more than 1,150 m apart. The requirements of the Red Wattlebird and Brown-headed
Honeyeater were used to identify areas most suitable for planting new woodland ‘stepping
stones’. The focal species analysis also revealed that, for the Red Wattlebird to have a
10% chance of occurrence, woodland patches must be greater than or equal to 31 ha in
size. The Brown-headed Honeyeater needed these patches to be within 1,900 m of each
other or less.
The delineation of these arbitrary ‘thresholds’ or benchmarks allowed identification of
core habitat, i.e. patches larger than 29 ha for heath/shrub/mallee and more than 31 ha for
woodland. A total of 12,730 ha (88 patches) of core heath/shrub/mallee habitat and 3,854
ha (41 patches) of core woodland habitat were identified. Neighbourhoods were then
created for each of these habitats by extending a theoretical line out from all core habitat
at a distance equal to the benchmark set by the most isolation-sensitive focal species
(Figure 20).
More neighbourhoods were created through this process for heath/shrub/mallee than for
woodland. This was because substantially more heath/shrub/mallee habitat (18,172 ha)
occurs in the catchment than does woodland (3,423 ha). It also reflects a higher sensitivity
to isolation (and shorter distances from core habitat) displayed by heath/shrub/mallee
focal bird species than woodland focal species in this study (Figures 21 and 22).
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Figure 20: An example of a habitat patch neighbourhood in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment.
Isolation distance
Core Habitat
Core Habitat
Small patch
Core Habitat
´
0
1
2
Small patch
4
km
Once the neighbourhoods were created, ‘stepping stones’ of new habitat were placed
between neighbourhoods within close proximity of each other. That is, neighbourhoods
were linked only if they were close enough to be linked using one ‘stepping stone’. These
planned patches of new habitat were strategically placed in areas that utilised existing
native vegetation, fence lines, and were not at risk to salt action (Figure 23). A total of 43
‘stepping stones’ (1,093 ha) comprising 31 of heath/shrub/mallee habitat (712 ha) and 12
of woodland habitat (381 ha) are suggested in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment. Figures 2427 show the location of these ‘stepping stones’ in heath/shrub/mallee and woodland
habitats together with the resultant theoretical improvement in the linkage of
neighbourhoods. The total number of neighbourhoods would fall from 41 to 9
(heath/shrub/mallee) and from 24 to 11 (woodland) if all recommended ‘stepping stones’
were implemented (see Figures 25 and 27, respectively).
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Figure 21: Heath/shrub/mallee neighbourhoods in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, showing core
heath/shrub/mallee habitat.
0
5
´
10
Core heath/shrub/mallee habitat
Heath/shrub/mallee neighbourhoods
20 km
Catchment Boundary
Figure 22: Woodland neighbourhoods in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, showing core
woodland habitat.
0
5
´
10
Core woodland habitat
Woodland neighbourhoods
20 km
Catchment Boundary
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figure 23: An example of a suggested heath/shrub/mallee ‘stepping stone’ for linking two
neighbourhoods in Buntine-Marchagee catchment. Here the ‘stepping stone’ (red) is positioned to
link existing habitat and avoid sites of high salinity risk (purple). This helps target the
revegetation effort in the catchment.
Suggested "stepping stones"
Core heath/shrub/mallee habitat
Other heath/shrub/mallee habitat
Heath/shrub/mallee neighbourhoods
Neighbourhood 2
At risk to salinity
Neighbourhood 1
0
62
0.3
±
0.6
1.2 km
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figures 24 (top) and 25 (bottom): Suggested heath/shrub/mallee ‘stepping stones’ (top) and the
theoretical improvement in neighbourhood linkage after incorporating them into the BuntineMarchagee landscape (bottom).
0
0
5
5
±
10
±
10
Suggested "stepping stones"
Core heath/shrub/mallee habitat
Heath/shrub/mallee neighbourhoods
20 km
Catchment Boundary
Suggested "stepping stones"
Core heath/shrub/mallee habitat
Heath/shrub/mallee neighbourhoods
20 km
Catchment Boundary
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figures 26 (top) and 27 (bottom): Suggested woodland ‘stepping stones’ (top) and the
theoretical improvement in neighbourhood linkage after incorporating them into the BuntineMarchagee landscape (bottom).
0
0
5
5
±
10
±
10
Suggested "stepping stones"
Core woodland habitat
Woodland neighbourhoods
20 km
Catchment Boundary
Suggested "stepping stones"
Core woodland habitat
Woodland neighbourhoods
20 km
Catchment Boundary
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
3.5.3. Creation of habitat linkages within neighbourhoods
Creating linkages in the landscape design aimed to increase the degree of connectedness
of habitat within neighbourhoods. The existing level of habitat connectedness in the
catchment was assessed to help select sites for the creation of habitat linkages. This was
undertaken using a spatially explicit dispersal simulation (SEDS) model (see Brooker et
al. 1999) which measured the number of times a disperser from one patch was able to
reach a neighbouring patch based on 100 hypothetical attempts. This gave a measure of
the relative probability of dispersal between all nearest neighbour habitat patches or in
other words, a measure of the connectedness of the landscape from a bird’s perspective.
The maximum distance that a dispersing bird would travel over cleared land (its ‘gap
tolerance’) was set at 60 m for heath/shrub/mallee birds and 120 m for woodland birds.
Most remnants in the catchment are relatively poorly connected. Sites were selected for
creation of habitat linkages from the results of SEDS trials using criteria of dispersal
success rates of less than 50% and theoretical linkages shorter than 750 m (Figure 28),
and in light of economic and production factors such as location of fencelines, prime
farming land and cost (Figure 29). A total of 268.5 ha (92 sites) of new 60 metre-wide
habitat linkages comprising 209.9 ha of heath/shrub/mallee (73 sites) and 58.6 ha (19
sites) of woodland were proposed in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment (Figure 30).
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figure 28: A map of Wubin townsite and surrounds showing remnant vegetation and SEDS trials
conducted to help select sites for creation of new habitat linkages. The number of times a
dispersal event was successful out of 100 attempts is shown numerically. Trials shown in red are
those that were targeted for the landscape design (i.e. less than a 50% success rate, shorter than
750 m).
23
0
80
0
0
68
0
60
91
0
0
39
52
0
4
71
40
0
0
43
0
0
0
76
0
0
15
51
61
2.5
0
1.25
73
0
0
0
0
5 km
7
Targets for linkage
Dispersal trials
51
0
±
60
Remnant vegetation
26
Other vegetation
7
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Di
sp Len
g
er
sa th =
ls
uc 535
ce
m
ss
=
34
%
Figure 29: An example of a theoretical habitat linkage (yellow) modified to incorporate
economic and production factors. The original linkage has been altered to follow a fenceline and
utilise existing remnant native vegetation.
Theoretical linkage
Suggestion for on-ground works
Remnant vegetation
0
67
0.125
±
0.25
0.5 km
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figure 30: Suggested sites for the placement of habitat linkages in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment. Target areas for this work include the central and western
drainage systems, major remnants in the southwest and east, and Banksia-Woody Pear woodlands and shrublands in the west/northwestern sectors.
0
4
±
8
Suggestion for on-ground works
Remnant Vegetation
Other vegetation
16 km
Catchment Boundary
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
3.5.4. Habitat protection and management
Constraints on the availability of time, money and technical expertise and competing
natural resource management goals commonly require land managers to prioritise their
management objectives. The landscape design recognises the need to strategically
prioritise the protection and management of core habitat of focal bird species in BuntineMarchagee Catchment. The design employs the results of the focal species analysis to
identify core remnants for protection and management.
The Western Yellow Robin was the least tolerant species with respect to remnant
condition, with a score of at least 13 required for a 10% chance of occurrence. This
benchmark was used in combination with that of the area-sensitive Grey Butcherbird (31
ha) to identify core remnants for management and protection. That is, all core habitat
greater than or equal to 31 ha in area with a condition score of less than or equal to 13 was
targeted for management.
A total of 54 core remnants (4,568 ha) were delineated using the above criteria and then
divided into three groups or classes based on their remnant condition score, exposure to or
existing level of threat, and contribution to landscape connectedness (Figure 31).
Remnants assigned to the ‘very high’ management priority class offered structurally
complex and floristically diverse bird habitat but which was at risk of decline in condition
from encroaching salinity, land clearing (including road verges), ongoing livestock
grazing, fire, weed and feral animal incursion, rubbish dumping, or sand/gravel extraction.
There were 18 remnants (2,016 ha) of ‘very high’ priority class in the catchment and
several of these occurred in the central sector of the catchment where the potential for
neighbourhood and habitat linkage was high and the threats from rising salinity and
livestock grazing were substantial. They were allocated to the ‘moderate’ remnant
condition score class (10-12.9 points – see Table 1, Section 2.3.2). ‘High’ management
priority remnants (18, comprising 1,254 ha) provided bird habitat of similar quality to the
‘very high’ class but at less risk of loss of condition from the above threats. A further 18
(1,298 ha) remnants were of ‘moderate’ management priority. Remnants in ‘good’
condition (13-22 points remnant condition score) were assigned ‘low’ priority for habitat
protection and management. These were remnants with high habitat structural complexity
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
and floristic diversity and low levels of disturbance or salinity risk. There were 61
remnants of low priority for management totalling 13,790 ha which included Buntine
Nature Reserve and large privately owned remnants in the catchment’s southwest.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Figure 31: Priority remnants for habitat protection and management in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment. Note the concentration of ‘very high’ priority class
remnants in the central drainage system of the catchment.
Priority Class
Very High
High
0
4
±
8
Moderate
Low
16 km
Catchment Boundary
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
4.
DISCUSSION
4.1. CATCHMENT-BASED STUDIES
The Buntine-Marchagee Catchment project has been the ninth catchment-based study by
CSIRO in the Western Australian wheatbelt to utilise the focal species approach for
nature conservation planning. These studies have employed measures of habitat loss and
fragmentation such as patch size, isolation, connectivity and condition in focal species
applications to guide habitat restoration action at the catchment or sub-catchment scale.
Focal species analyses have attempted to identify critical values or cutoff points in the
response of declining sedentary bird species to these measures or threats (see Brooker et
al. 2002). Subsequent landscape designs have been built around these critical points or
sensitivities to threats modeled for individual bird species.
The current study has built on this work by making a number of significant new
contributions to focal species analysis and landscape design for bird conservation in
fragmented agricultural systems. Of particular practical value to landholders and
catchment managers alike has been the provision of an innovative and interactive
landscape design for habitat restoration. This puts forward a set of balanced, achievable,
spatially explicit, and innovative management recommendations developed from an
iterative process of community consultation and refinement of the draft landscape design.
Structured around the key goals of protecting, enhancing and linking remnant native
vegetation, the Buntine-Marchagee landscape design allows landholders, catchment
groups, NACC, and land management agencies such as CALM to strategise their
revegetation effort by knowing where to manage existing native vegetation and place new
vegetation to achieve the best biodiversity and production outcomes for their investment.
Other contributions of this study have been the introduction of some new steps in the field
survey, spatial and focal species analyses, and landscape design phases. Bird surveys not
only determined species presence/absence but in 2002 included a measure of relative
abundance of birds across different habitats including the catchment’s saline wetlands.
Comprehensive sampling of floristic composition and vegetation structure including
quadrat-based sub-sampling enabled the characterisation of plant communities as bird
habitat and helped identify remnants for priority habitat protection and linkage in the
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
landscape design. An assessment of the conservation significance of the catchment for
native avifauna and vegetation was also undertaken.
The focal species analysis in this study included a fourth attribute or threat – remnant
condition. Previous focal species studies in Western Australia had not examined the
importance of this threat in influencing the location and type of habitat restoration
activities undertaken at the catchment scale. Spatial analysis techniques enabled the
production of maps of vegetation associations and bird species lists for many remnants in
the catchment (Appendix 5). This will be an invaluable source of data for natural resource
management planning at the paddock, property and catchment scales.
The Buntine-Marchagee study also used a 10-step landscape design procedure that
employed the ‘stepping stone’ concept and allowed for critical ‘road-testing’ of the draft
design with the local community. The latter innovation built operational flexibility and
public transparency into the final landscape design by enhancing the design’s overall
feasibility and increasing the potential for landholder acceptance of its recommended
priority actions. The study also provided a suite of monitoring and review
recommendations and future directions for biodiversity-related research in the catchment.
There have been some important lessons learnt from these catchment-based studies in
Western Australia. First, there is a need to consider the influence of spatial and temporal
variation in scale on the identification of focal species and the development of effective
landscape designs (see Section 5.1). Implicit in this is a recognition that designs prepared
for individual properties, sub-catchments and catchments may inadequately cater for
species undergoing regional population decline and range contraction (see Brooker and
Lefroy 2004). This is because the processes of habitat loss, modification and
fragmentation and the consequent threats of increasing isolation of core habitat, reduced
patch size, and remnant condition often operate across a range of different spatial and
temporal scales (Fischer et al. 2004). Also, considerable knowledge is needed of the
autecology of bird species such as life history attributes (ie. reproductive strategy,
foraging resources, habitat use, home range, diet, population viability) and response to
disturbance events in order for conservation planning to be effective (Huggett 2000; Ford
et al. 2001).
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Second, there is a tendency for landscape designs and management plans to be quite
prescriptive in their provision of advice to landholders and catchment groups. The current
study has attempted to reduce the amount of planning prescription through direct
consultation with the Buntine-Marchagee Catchment community to determine what
actions could be realistically achieved given the operational constraints of cost, time, and
limited technical support. Future landscape planning in wheatbelt catchments could
pursue alternative avenues to the development of these plans that embrace, for example,
new collaborative learning models.
Third, there are other threats to the survival of declining sedentary birds that have not yet
been examined for their utility in focal species analyses in the Western Australian
wheatbelt. These include predation, competition, salinity, livestock grazing pressure, and
inappropriate fire regimes. A challenge for landscape restoration planning in these
systems is describing the dynamics of interactions between these threats and the use of
this information in landscape design. We have also not yet tested the focal species
approach using other taxa such as nomadic or migratory land birds, reptiles, mammals,
invertebrates and vascular plants. Component 3 of the CSE9 Project seeks to address this
issue.
Finally, we have learnt that there is an ongoing need for monitoring and evaluation of the
performance of our landscape designs. That is, we need to know what is the extent of the
on-ground implementation of these designs, what have been the barriers (and pathways)
to their implementation, how can these designs be improved upon, and have the designs
been implemented within budget and over what timeframes? What has been the total cash
and in-kind cost of implementing the designs? Have there been tangible (and intangible)
benefits to biodiversity and agricultural production that have accrued from these actions?
A useful step would be to review the performance of each catchment-based landscape
design in achieving its stated objectives. Information gained from this review could be
used to develop guidelines for monitoring and evaluating the performance of future
landscape designs.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
4.2. REGIONAL SCALE ANALYSIS
Catchment-based studies using the focal species approach require substantial investment
of time, money and technical expertise to produce detailed plans for habitat restoration.
They are not without their limitations (see reviews and critiques in Lindenmayer et al.
2002; Lindenmayer and Fischer 2003; Brooker and Lefroy 2004).
An alternative approach proposed by Brooker and Lefroy (2004) is the use of regionalbased focal species analysis to help prepare management plans at the paddock, property
and sub-catchment/catchment scales. This approach offers some potential advantages over
catchment-based studies. First, it attempts to account for the effects of spatial and
temporal scale on applications of the focal species approach, particularly involving the
use of birds. Threats such as the increased isolation of core remnants operate over larger
scales than sub-catchments or catchments thus making focal species-based conservation
plans difficult to implement (see Brooker and Lefroy 2004). There is a need then to
consider the broader regional landscape when measuring threats such as habitat patch
isolation and reduced habitat connectivity. Also, data from regional landscapes is often
needed to identify the ‘most threatened’ species in sub-catchments because these species
are usually very rare or difficult to detect.
A second advantage of regional scale analysis is its ability to estimate the long-term
viability of populations or metapopulations of focal species (Brooker and Lefroy 2004).
Metapopulation viability is central to the success or failure of conservation programs and
needs to be considered at a regional scale that captures the full complement of
metapopulations of a particular focal species (see Luoto and Brooker submitted ms).
Regional scale metapopulation studies can explore whether the total amount of habitat
contained in neighbourhoods of remnants is sufficient to promote long-term viability of
focal species populations (Brooker and Lefroy 2004) or whether these populations are
likely to go extinct with or without habitat restoration. This requires detailed knowledge
of the size of populations, their demographic structure, and landscape attributes and
threats, and expertise in predictive modeling (see Lindenmayer and Possingham 1995;
Luoto and Brooker submitted ms).
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Third, regional scale focal species analysis can provide a central databank of knowledge
for use by catchment groups and agencies wanting to commence on-ground habitat
restoration works now. This would remove the need for these groups to wait for the timeconsuming collection and analysis of data and the identification of focal species before
starting habitat restoration activities (Brooker and Lefroy 2004). Follow-up monitoring to
assess the effectiveness of actions can be then undertaken by these groups after on-ground
works are underway. This has some obvious cost and infrastructural investment savings
but would require the involvement of an established, regionally-based organisation with
the technical capacity to collect and manage spatial and ecological data to a high standard.
Finally, regional scale focal species analysis can be used as a strategic conservation
planning tool by land managers. It would help prioritise conservation action by
identifying and ranking areas requiring urgent habitat restoration or comprising species
rich assemblages, rare species or species under-represented in public conservation
reserves (e.g. the saline wetlands and fringing shrublands and woodlands of BuntineMarchagee Catchment and the Salmon Gum, Gimlet and York Gum woodlands of
Wallatin Creek Catchment) against those areas in less urgent need of attention (e.g. low
salinity risk areas with vegetations associations well represented in the formal
conservation reserve system). This would allow managers to allocate different levels of
scarce resources to conservation programs in these parts of the regional wheatbelt
landscape (see Brooker and Lefroy 2004).
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
5.
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1. LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT PLANNING
The sustainable management of natural resources for biodiversity conservation and
agricultural production requires an understanding of the importance of scale and
landscape context. Ecological processes that influence the shape and structure of
landscapes operate at different scales – from the site (paddock) and property through to
sub-catchment, catchment, region and State scale. Farm management activities can also
occur at a range of different scales from paddock-based weed control to regional-scale salt
mitigation schemes.
The position of a property within the local and regional landscape is also important. For
example, a farmer located downstream from a large eroding quarry or saline seep may
need to place more emphasis on and allocate more resources to measures to protect the
water quality and soil chemistry of his property than might a farmer whose property is
located within a forested catchment without salinity problems.
Planning for the long-term protection of native biodiversity is similarly challenged by the
need to consider the nature of the landscape within which native plants and animals occur.
Questions such as how much habitat do populations and communities need to persist and
survive (see With and King 1999; Fahrig 2001); should emphasis be placed on conserving
threatened or regionally declining species, or on landscapes supporting plants and animals
that are poorly represented in the formal conservation reserve system (see Prober and
Thiele 1995; Margules and Pressey 2000; Mac Nally et al. 2002).
Effective landscape management planning therefore requires current information on the
amount, type, condition, and connectedness of remnant and planted native vegetation on
properties and across catchments and regions. Knowledge of the nature and severity of
threatening processes such as hydrological change (waterlogging and salinity), land
clearing causing habitat loss and fragmentation, weed and feral animal incursion, and
inappropriate fire and grazing regimes is a fundamental prerequisite to such planning (see
WA State Salinity Council 2000; Wallace et al. 2003; NACC 2004). An understanding of
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
the effect of time on the response of native fauna and flora to disturbance in agricultural
landscapes is also required.
There are a number of steps landholders in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment can take to
sustainably manage their natural resources using this landscape approach. These include
but are not confined to:
•
Develop and implement an integrated, long-term farm management plan for the
property, in consultation with the Buntine-Marchagee Natural Diversity Recovery
Catchment team (comprising CALM, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, CSIRO
Land and Water, WA Agriculture, WA Department of Environment, University of
Western Australia, Murdoch University and catchment groups);
•
Raise awareness and knowledge of the native plant and animal ecology of the
property and neighbouring properties, and include in the above plan actions to
protect existing plant and animal populations and encourage the re-establishment
of species once present in the catchment;
•
Take an active role in establishing new or improving existing networks with other
community-based catchment groups to help find out about government and
community programs and funding sources operating across the region, e.g.
activities of Buntine-Marchagee Natural Diversity Recovery Catchment project
(subscribe to the free and very informative newsletter Buntine-Marchagee
Catchment News produced by CALM Mid-west Region), Northern Agricultural
Catchment Council, Greening Australia WA, WWF Woodland Watch program,
the Southwest Australia Ecoregion Initiative, Federal government salinity control,
water management, and Natural Heritage Trust programs;
•
Build and maintain strong links with on-ground agencies, universities and groups
with expertise in strategic revegetation for wildlife, landscape management
planning,
nature
conservation
study,
landscape
health
monitoring,
and
communication;
•
Think beyond the property boundary when undertaking even everyday farm
management activities that might impact adversely (or positively) on neighbours
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and the broader catchment; avoid activities likely to reduce the quality of the
landscape.
5.2. PRIORITY ACTIONS
5.2.1. Overview
The avian diversity of Buntine-Marchagee Catchment is rich (110 species) but vulnerable
to the consequences of habitat loss, modification and fragmentation – reduced size of core
habitat, increasing isolation of this habitat, and deteriorating habitat quality. The survival
of particularly sedentary shrubland and woodland birds in this landscape continues to be
threatened by the clearance of existing links between remnants such as road verge
vegetation (see Newbey 2000), grazing of remnants by livestock, weed and feral animal
invasion, and encroaching secondary salinity.
To address these threats and in addition to the above broad steps we recommend a suite of
priority actions for adoption in this catchment. These focus on protecting and retaining
existing native bird assemblages while also improving their prospects of survival and
possible long-term recovery. These actions are based on the outcomes of the focal bird
species analysis and landscape design presented in Sections 3.4 and 3.5 of this report and
on additional conservation significance information.
5.2.2. Priority 1: Protect and enhance existing habitat and species of
conservation significance through on-ground action
The principal goal here is to enhance and protect all existing core habitat in the catchment
from encroaching salinity, clearing including road verges, livestock grazing, weeds and
feral animals, and inappropriate fire regimes. Specifically, we recommend landholders
should aim to:
•
Assess habitat condition in all core habitat patches;
•
Rehabilitate core habitat that is currently in poor condition thus enhancing the
quality of habitat for focal bird species and other fauna;
•
Fence core habitat remnants to exclude livestock and prevent accidental or
intentional clearing;
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•
Revegetate core habitat remnants where the understorey has been lost or become
degraded (i.e. weed infested, heavily grazed, regularly burnt) to enhance habitat
quantity and quality – use local native seed;
•
Prevent the removal of fallen timber for firewood;
•
Prevent erosion of soil and ground cover; and
•
Undertake regular weed and feral animal (fox, cat, rabbit, and pig) control
programs.
Other threats such as rubbish dumping and eroding sand/gravel pits also need analysis.
However, it is generally sound property management practice to avoid dumping rubbish in
bushland and to infill and revegetate gravel pits and old tips to minimise soil erosion,
sedimentation of drainage lines, and dispersal of weed seeds into native bushland.
We also recommend that habitat supporting existing populations and communities of
threatened fauna and flora be protected as a matter of priority and as required under
existing Western Australian and Federal government legislation. This includes Melaleuca
and Allocasuarina shrubland and mallee/woodland with understorey supporting
Malleefowl in the north/northeastern and southwestern parts of the catchment;
Banksia/Woody Pear shrubland that provides a seasonal food supply for honeyeaters and
other fauna in the western and southern sectors; shrubland, mallee and woodland of the
southwestern sector especially within large privately owned remnants; and woodland and
shrubland of the eastern zone, including Buntine and Nugadong Nature Reserves.
Measures specified in the Action Plan for Australian Birds (Garnett and Crowley 2000)
for individual threatened species such as Malleefowl should be implemented.
We also recommend the protection of existing freshwater and brackish lake systems and
their fringing vegetation communities, especially in the western part of the catchment.
These provide important habitat for local waterbirds especially during drought and food
and temporary refugia for intercontinental migratory wading birds that are subject to
international conservation treaties. Areas of River Red Gum woodland within this zone
need specific protection and conservation management. Work is needed to determine the
sensitivity of freshwater organisms such as waterbirds, frogs, reptiles and aquatic
invertebrates including molluscs to increasing salt levels. Once quantified, these levels
may be able to used as targets for sustainable land management.
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5.2.3. Priority 2: Prioritise habitat protection and management activities
We recommend that a number of core remnants in the study area be prioritised for active
habitat protection and management. Based on the requirements of the condition-sensitive
focal bird species (Western Yellow Robin) and the area-sensitive Grey Butcherbird, we
identify all core habitat of 31 ha or more with a condition score of 13 or less as requiring
priority protection and management. This involves 4,568 ha (54 remnants) comprising
2,016 ha (18 remnants) of ‘very high’ priority class habitat, 1,254 ha (18 remnants) of
‘high’ priority class, and 1,298 ha (18 remnants) of ‘moderate’ priority class. Figure 31
specifies where this work would be best targeted in the catchment.
There are also some basic but important actions landholders and catchment managers can
take to improve the overall quality of the Buntine-Marchagee landscape for biodiversity,
soil, water and salt management, and for humans (see Priority 1 actions).
5.2.4. Priority 3: Create habitat ‘stepping stones’ to link
neighbourhoods
Using the requirements of both the heath/shrubland/mallee and woodland birds, undertake
strategic habitat re-establishment to link neighbourhoods based on the requirements of the
focal species (see below) and the associated landscape design (Section 3.5). Specifically
aim to:
•
Work from key habitat patches situated closest to the edge of the neighbourhood;
•
Work with patches of greatest size (i.e. preferably greater than key habitat size)
when enhancing or linking native vegetation;
•
When expanding or establishing new habitat, work towards providing habitat large
enough to create core habitat (i.e. greater than 40 ha);
•
Don’t enlarge core patches - they are already of sufficient size;
•
Work with patches that are in best condition first;
•
Ensure that habitat is being established within the appropriate landform type; and
•
Avoid areas at risk of salinity when establishing new vegetation.
We recommend that a total of 43 ‘stepping stones’ of native vegetation (1,093 ha) be
planted to link neighbourhoods in the study area. This total consists of 712 ha of
heath/shrub/mallee habitat (31 ‘stepping stones’) and 381 ha of woodland habitat (12
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
‘stepping stones’). These recommendations are based on the need for heath/shrub/mallee
patches to be 29 ha or larger and positioned no more than 1,150 m apart (ie. the
requirements of the Southern Scrub-robin). Woodland patches need to be 31 ha or larger
(ie. the Red Wattlebird’s requirements) and within 1,900 m of each other (ie. the Brownheaded Honeyeater’s requirements). Figures 24 and 26 indicate where these ‘stepping
stones’ should be placed in the Buntine-Marchagee landscape.
5.2.5. Priority 4: Establish linkages to improve the connectedness of
habitat within neighbourhoods
We recommend that 268.5 ha (92 sites) of new habitat linkages be planted to increase the
level of connectedness of habitat within neighbourhoods in the study area. This total
comprises 209.9 ha (73 sites) of heath/shrub/mallee and 58.6 ha (19 sites) of woodland
habitat. Figure 30 indicates where the new habitat linkages should be inserted in BuntineMarchagee Catchment. Some specific guidelines for this work include:
•
Use native vegetation of local provenance;
•
Link larger-sized remnants first;
•
Link smaller remnants to bring them up to key habitat size.
•
Ensure that all linkages are 60 metres in width or greater;
•
Work to link patches that are in best condition first;
•
Ensure that linkages are being established within the appropriate landform type;
and
•
Avoid areas at risk of salinity when linking vegetation patches.
Summary: We recommend that a total of 1,361.5 ha of new native vegetation be inserted
into Buntine-Marchagee Catchment to help restore habitat for focal bird species and other
fauna. This amounts to 6.1% of all native vegetation (22,340 ha) currently in the
catchment. If fully implemented this landscape design will result in the fencing of 4,568
ha (54 core remnants) comprising 2,016 ha (18 remnants) of ‘very high’ priority habitat
protection and management class, 1,254 ha (18 remnants) of ‘high’ priority class, and
1,298 ha (18 remnants) of ‘moderate’ priority class. This level of cumulative habitat
restoration effort has the potential to provide substantial positive gains for both
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biodiversity conservation and sustainable agricultural production over the longer term in
Buntine-Marchagee Catchment.
5.3. MONITORING AND REVIEW
A common way of assessing the performance of intervention measures employed as part
of a landscape (or other) management plan is through a monitoring program. Specific
protocols and checkpoints are built into the program which scrutinises performance of the
plan over time against a set of objective criteria. We put forward a preliminary suite of
monitoring and review actions for use in the implementation of the landscape design and
associated work in the study area. We highlight the interim nature of these
recommendations and the need for further discussion among project stakeholders to
review specific actions and record progress achieved in implementing the proposed onground works.
We recommend that consideration be given to the adoption of a suite of monitoring and
review actions in the study area (see below).
Ecological research and performance of past revegetation effort
•
Review the value of past ecological research in the study area measured against
triple bottom line (ie. economic, social, and environmental) criteria to attempt to
determine the benefits of this research to CALM and catchment groups –
universities could be involved in this work; and
•
Undertake a review of past revegetation effort including older plantings
(windbreaks, erosion control, salt control, multi-purpose) and newer plantings
(‘biodiversity plantings’, oil mallees, tagasaste) using cost, labour, original
purpose, effectiveness in achieving purpose, beneficial outcomes, community
response, and time to establishment as criteria for assessing value of the effort –
establish database to record and permit a cost-benefit analysis of this review.
Performance of the proposed landscape design (assuming full
implementation)
•
Conduct detailed reviews of the triple bottom line performance of this design to
achieve its stated objectives (specific criteria should be developed in consultation
with project stakeholders);
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
•
Specifically monitor the theoretical improvement in focal bird species’ occupancy
rate that should accrue over time with re-creation/re-connection of patch
neighbourhoods; this will require further work to determine a suitable monitoring
approach and techniques;
•
Monitor community response to the plan and the extent to which it is taken up;
and
•
Decide on an appropriate review period for the plan – we suggest an annual review
initially, followed by updates once every second or third year, depending on
stakeholder requirements. The plan should be fully re-assessed at the end of Year
Five.
Role and function of existing ‘corridors’ of vegetation
•
Assess whether native and exotic fauna use ‘corridors’ and if so, how, ie. the type
of use occurring (ie. foraging and breeding habitat or movement/dispersal conduits
only); role in edge-related predation; appropriate corridor configuration and
vegetation structure and composition (potential ecological corridor design
criteria); and
•
Assess landscape-level values and roles of ‘corridor’ vegetation in biodiversity
conservation, salinity mitigation, and farm forestry – what are the benefits to the
catchment community?
Development of new approaches to nature conservation in agricultural
landscapes
•
Monitor progress achieved in the development of new approaches to nature
conservation around Australia and abroad and in the refinement of existing
procedures such as the focal species approach and other variants; be aware of
potential applications of new technologies to landscape management; and
•
Monitor trends in community consultation and effective communication and
networking techniques, including working with government and non-government
agencies and other community Landcare groups; stay informed of new
government initiatives.
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Resourcing project works
•
Regularly monitor the availability of project funds from government, nongovernment and private sources to ensure works are adequately resourced and
maintained over time; and
•
Ensure adequate feedback is obtained from and provided to funding bodies and
their review panels.
5.4. DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
We put forward a number of suggestions for future research and on-ground action in
Buntine-Marchagee Catchment. These aim to help focus the nature conservation effort in
this catchment by targeting the recovery potential already present in the landscape. Our
contributions are also intended to stimulate further discussion among stakeholders –
several of these suggestions originate from feedback received during previous meetings
and field discussions.
Focus the landscape conservation effort
•
Evaluate the effectiveness of past revegetation and research effort. Decide on
future work directions likely to yield the best return for time, money, and
emotional investment;
•
Using information from the focal bird species and landscape design work, target
areas that have the best chance of recovery and restoration over time; recognise
that not all species or sites in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment can be re-established
or managed for recovery; and
•
Put in place a mechanism to monitor the performance of new projects commenced
in the study area; carry out regular reviews of these projects, possibly on a
commercial project management basis.
Consider inviting new ecological research
•
Decide on current information gaps (e.g. corridor function and role, ecology of
woodland/shrubland bird habitat use and movement, salinity impacts and ecology
of saline systems, biodiversity conservation value of revegetation plantings, etc)
and ways of effectively addressing them;
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•
Be clear on strategic research goals, available resources (time, money, on-site
‘bush knowledge’), and the need for outcome-focused research with strong
potential for on-ground application; and
•
Consider the value of developing relationships with CSIRO and university-based
researchers and students to provide a ready labour source for monitoring-based
work.
Landholder participation and training
•
Review current landholder motivation and willingness/availability to be actively
involved in new research and revegetation work, including attending training
events; and
•
Scope the potential for landholders to be trained in basic GIS techniques to map
broad vegetation classes on their properties (CSIRO currently holds a large
dataset).
Working together with other organisations
•
Review information needs from, and quality of interaction with, other
organisations and groups involved in nature conservation and natural resource
management in the wheatbelt;
•
Obtain detailed advice on the floristic composition and structure (ie. ground cover,
understorey shrubs, mid- and over-canopy trees) of native plants to be used in past
revegetation programs run by CALM, Greening Australia and others; and
•
Seek to establish new and enhance existing relationships and communication
networks with other natural resource management and nature conservation
organisations including government; ensure regular visits and meetings to stay in
touch with latest techniques, programs, and funding avenues.
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6.
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are the consequences of the mismatch between human-imposed linear boundaries
and ecosystem boundaries? An Australian example. Landscape and Urban
Planning, 61, 71-82.
Shields, J.M. and Recher, H.F, 1984. Breeding bird censuses: an evaluation of four
methods for use in sclerophyll forest. Corella 8, 29-41.
Sieving, K. E., Willson, M.K. and De Santo, T.L., 2000. Defining corridor functions for
endemic birds in fragmented south-temperate rainforest. Conservation Biology 14,
1120-1132.
Simberloff, D., 1998. Flagships, umbrellas, and keystones: is single-species management
passé in the landscape era. Biological Conservation 83, 247-257.
Smart Technologies Inc. 2003. SMART Board™ Model 540ct Instruction Manual, Smart
Technologies Inc. Calgary, Canada.
St. Clair, C.C., Belisle M., Desrochers A. and Hannon, S., 1998. Winter responses of
forest birds to habitat corridors and gaps. Conservation Ecology [online], 2: (2),
(http://www.consecol.org/Journal/vol2/iss2/art13).
Turner, M.G., Gardner, R.H. and O’Neill, R.V., 2001. Landscape Ecology in Theory and
Practice: Pattern and Process. Springer, New York.
van der Ree, R., 2002. The population ecology of the Squirrel Glider Petaurus
norfolcensis, within a network of remnant linear habitats. Wildlife Research 29, 329340.
van der Ree, R., Bennett, A.F., Gilmore, D.C., 2004. Gap-crossing by gliding marsupials:
thresholds for use of isolated woodland patches in an agricultural landsape.
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the Western Australian Wheatbelt: A Conceptual Framework. WA Department of
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Watson, J., Freudenberger, D. and Paull, D., 2001. An assessment of the focal species
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With, K.A. and King, A.W, 1999. Extinction thresholds for species in fractal landscapes.
Conservation Biology 13, 314-326.
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7.
APPENDICES
Appendix 1:
Communication activities completed during this study
Appendix 2:
Land birds found in the Western Australian
wheatbelt, including focal species and those recorded
in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment during this study
Appendix 3:
Descriptions of native vegetation associations recorded
in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment
Appendix 4:
Perennial plant species recorded in quadrat-based
floristic surveys of selected remnants in BuntineMarchagee Catchment
Appendix 5:
Native vegetation associations and bird species
recorded in each remnant surveyed in BuntineMarchagee Catchment
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
APPENDIX 1: Communication activities completed during
this study
A total of 19 communication activities have been undertaken by the project team during this study.
These have included articles, workshop presentations, spoken papers and posters at national and
international ecological science conferences, CALM strategic catchment planning workshops and
Western Wildlife magazine, CSIRO science forums, workshops and program reviews, community
Landcare workshops, and a Land & Water Australia Native Vegetation R&D Program meeting and
Thinking Bush magazine. A manuscript that draws on the results of this study has been submitted
to Biological Conservation, a leading international ecological science journal.
The project team has also established a website that showcases the results of the project and
provides useful links to other natural resource management, landscape ecology and native
biodiversity conservation sites. Visit us at:
http://www.cse.csiro.au/research/program2/focalspecies.htm
Specific communication activities undertaken by the team include:
•
Bird and vegetation surveys in Buntine-Marchagee: progress update – presentation to
Buntine-Marchagee Natural Diversity Recovery Catchment Steering Committee Meeting 2,
30 August 2002, Dalwallinu;
•
Mapping vegetation association boundaries for biodiversity conservation in the
fragmented WA wheatbelt – spoken paper by Lyn Atkins to Australian Native Plant
Conservation Conference, Geelong, 26 February 2003;
•
Bringing back the birds: landscape planning for nature conservation in Wallatin Creek
Catchment – talk by Andrew Huggett and Blair Parsons with John Ingram to planning
workshop for Wallatin Wildlife & Landcare Inc and Greening Aust WA, 24 March
2003;
•
CSIRO bird and vegetation surveys in Buntine-Marchagee Recovery Catchment –
article by Andrew Huggett, Blair Parsons and Lyn Atkins in Western Wildlife (CALM
magazine), April 2003;
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
•
Using spatial data for bird-based landscape design in the Wallatin and BuntineMarchagee Catchments of WA – workshop talk by Blair Parsons and Andrew Huggett
at CSIRO Aglands Program Meeting, Walwa, Victoria, 14 May 2003;
•
Too far gone or road to recovery? Conserving birds in the fragmented Western
Australian wheatbelt – spoken paper by Andrew Huggett and Blair Parsons to Birds
Australia 2003 Members’ Day, University of Tasmania, Hobart, 31 May 2003;
•
Surveying and analysing the spatial requirements of declining bird communities in the WA
wheatbelt – poster by Blair Parsons at Birds Australia 2003 Members’ Day, University of
Tasmania, Hobart, 31 May 2003;
•
CSIRO avifaunal and vegetation surveys of Buntine-Marchagee Recovery Catchment
Spring 2002 Progress Report, article by Andrew Huggett, Blair Parsons, Lyn Atkins and
John Ingram in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment News, Issue 2, August 2003;
•
Designing landscapes for birds in the northern WA wheatbelt: trials and triumphs in
the Buntine-Marchagee Catchment – invited spoken paper by Andrew Huggett and Lyn
Atkins, Kings Park Botanic Gardens Science Seminar Series, Perth, 4 September 2003;
•
Road-testing a landscape design for bird conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment –
talk by Andrew Huggett, Blair Parsons and Lyn Atkins to CALM and Buntine-Marchagee
Catchment Group, Coorow, 2 October 2003;
•
Enlightenment for whom? Designing landscapes for people and birds in the northern WA
wheatbelt – talk by Andrew Huggett to CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems Divisional Science
Forum, Thredbo NSW, 13 November 2003;
•
Enlightenment for whom? Designing landscapes for people and birds in BuntineMarchagee Catchment, WA wheatbelt – talk by Andrew Huggett and David Freudenberger,
Annual Coordination Meeting (Native Vegetation R&D Program) of Land and Water
Australia, Canberra, 25 November 2003;
•
The application of spatial analysis to wildlife conservation planning and management in
the Western Australian wheatbelt – poster by Blair Parsons presented to the 3rd
International Wildlife Management Congress in Christchurch, New Zealand, 1-5 December
2003;
•
From paddock to plan: landscape design for biodiversity conservation in BuntineMarchagee Recovery Catchment – talk by Andrew Huggett to CALM Buntine-Marchagee
Recovery Catchment Planning Workshop, Geraldton, WA, 4 December 2003;
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•
The concept and utility of ‘ecological thresholds’ in biodiversity conservation – spoken
lead paper by Andrew Huggett and chair of 11 other spoken papers presented in a
thresholds symposium at Ecological Society of Australia’s 2003 conference, University of
New England, Armidale NSW, 9 December 2003;
•
Taking on the challenge: a farmer-friendly landscape approach to bird conservation in the
WA wheatbelt – spoken paper by Andrew Huggett to 2nd Biennial Australasian
Ornithological Congress, ANU, Canberra, 11 December 2003;
•
A design for life: bringing back the birds in our farming landscapes – article by Andrew
Huggett and David Freudenberger in Thinking Bush 3, 22-23, June 2004;
•
Conference report: a symposium on ecological thresholds in biodiversity conservation –
article by Andrew Huggett in Thinking Bush 3, 24-25, June 2004; and
•
The concept and utility of ‘ecological thresholds’ in biodiversity conservation. ms by
Andrew Huggett submitted to Biological Conservation, June 2004.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
APPENDIX 2: Land birds found in the Western Australian
wheatbelt including focal species and those
recorded in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment
during this study.
Strict waterbirds and exotics are not included. Common and scientific names are according to
Christidis and Boles (1994). A = Declining species (Saunders and Ingram 1995); B = Strictly
resident species; C = Farmland species; D = Nocturnal birds (Strigidae, Tytonidae, Podargidae,
Aegothelidae, Caprimulgidae); E = Focal species candidates; F = Recorded at Buntine-Marchagee
Catchment; * = extinct in the wheatbelt.
Common Name
Species Name
A B
Emu
Malleefowl
Stubble Quail
Brown Quail
Australian Shelduck
Australian Wood Duck
White-faced Heron
White-necked Heron
Cattle Egret
Straw-necked Ibis
Black-shouldered Kite
Square-tailed Kite
Black Kite
Whistling Kite
Spotted Harrier
Brown Goshawk
Collared Sparrowhawk
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Little Eagle
Brown Falcon
Australian Hobby
Grey Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
Nankeen Kestrel
Australian Bustard
Little Button-quail
Painted Button-quail
Bush Stone-curlew
Inland Dotterel
Banded Lapwing
Common Bronzewing
Brush Bronzewing
Crested Pigeon
Diamond Dove
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Short-billed Black-Cockatoo
Galah
Dromaius novaehollandiae
Leipoa ocellata
Coturnix pectoralis
Coturnix ypsilophora
Tadorna tadornoides
Chenonetta jubata
Egretta novaehollandiae
Ardea pacifica
Ardea ibis
Threskiornis spinicollis
Elanus axillaris
Lophoictinia isura
Milvus migrans
Haliastur sphenurus
Circus assimilis
Accipiter fasciatus
Accipiter cirrhocephalus
Aquila audax
Hieraaetus morphnoides
Falco berigora
Falco longipennis
Falco hypoleucos
Falco peregrinus
Falco cenchroides
Ardeotis australis
Turnix velox
Turnix varia
Burhinus grallarius
Charadrius australis
Vanellus tricolor
Phaps chalcoptera
Phaps elegans
Ocyphaps lophotes
Geopelia cuneata
Calyptorhynchus banksii
Calyptorhynchus latirostris
Cacatua roseicapilla
x
x
97
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
C D
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
F
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
E
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
APPENDIX 2: Land birds found in the Western Australian wheatbelt (strict waterbirds and
exotics are not included). Common and scientific names are according to Christidis and Boles
(1994). A = Declining species (Saunders and Ingram 1995); B = Strictly resident species; C =
Farmland species; D = Nocturnal birds (Strigidae, Tytonidae, Podargidae, Aegothelidae,
Caprimulgidae); E = Focal species candidates; F = Recorded at Buntine-Marchagee Catchment; *
= extinct in the wheatbelt.
Common Name
Species name
Western Corella
Little Corella
Major Mitchell's Cockatoo
Cockatiel
Purple-crowned Lorikeet
Regent Parrot
Western Rosella
Australian Ringneck
Red-capped Parrot
Mulga Parrot
Budgerigar
Bourke's Parrot
Elegant Parrot
Pallid Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Black-eared Cuckoo
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo
Barking Owl
Southern Boobook
Masked Owl
Barn Owl
Tawny Frogmouth
Spotted Nightjar
Australian Owlet-nightjar
Fork-tailed Swift
Red-backed Kingfisher
Sacred Kingfisher
Rainbow Bee-eater
Rufous Treecreeper
Splendid Fairy-wren
Variegated Fairy-wren
Blue-breasted Fairy-wren
White-winged Fairy-wren
Southern Emu-wren
Thick-billed Grasswren
Spotted Pardalote
Cacatua pastinator
Cacatua sanguinea
Cacatua leadbeateri
Nymphicus hollandicus
Glossopsitta porphyrocephala
Polytelis anthopeplus
Platycercus icterotis
Barnardius zonarius
Purpureicephalus spurius
Psephotus varius
Melopsittacus undulatus
Neopsephotus bourkii
Neophema elegans
Cuculus pallidus
Cacomantis flabelliformis
Chrysococcyx osculans
Chrysococcyx basalis
Chrysococcyx lucidus
Ninox connivens
Ninox novaeseelandiae
Tyto novaehollandiae
Tyto alba
Podargus strigoides
Eurostopodus argus
Aegotheles cristatus
Apus pacificus
Todiramphus pyrrhopygia
Todiramphus sanctus
Merops ornatus
Climacteris rufa
Malurus splendens
Malurus lamberti
Malurus pulcherrimus
Malurus leucopterus
Stipiturus malachurus
Amytornis textilis
Pardalotus punctatus
98
A
B
C
D
E
F
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
*
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
APPENDIX 2: Land birds found in the Western Australian wheatbelt (strict waterbirds and
exotics are not included). Common and scientific names are according to Christidis and Boles
(1994). A = Declining species (Saunders and Ingram 1995); B = Strictly resident species; C =
Farmland species; D = Nocturnal birds (Strigidae, Tytonidae, Podargidae, Aegothelidae,
Caprimulgidae); E = Focal species candidates; F = Recorded at Buntine-Marchagee Catchment; *
= extinct in the wheatbelt.
Common Name
Species Name
A
Striated Pardalote
White-browed Scrubwren
Shy Heathwren
Rufous Fieldwren
Redthroat
Weebill
Western Gerygone
Inland Thornbill
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill
Western Thornbill
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Southern Whiteface
Red Wattlebird
Little Wattlebird
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
Yellow-throated Miner
Singing Honeyeater
White-eared Honeyeater
Purple-gaped Honeyeater
Yellow-plumed Honeyeater
Grey-fronted Honeyeater
White-plumed Honeyeater
Brown-headed Honeyeater
White-naped Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater
White-cheeked Honeyeater
White-fronted Honeyeater
Tawny-crowned Honeyeater
Western Spinebill
Black Honeyeater
Pied Honeyeater
Crimson Chat
Orange Chat
White-fronted Chat
Jacky Winter
Scarlet Robin
Pardalotus striatus
Sericornis frontalis
Hylacola cautus
Calamanthus campestris
Pyrrholaemus brunneus
Smicrornis brevirostris
Gerygone fusca
Acanthiza apicalis
Acanthiza uropygialis
Acanthiza inornata
Acanthiza chrysorrhoa
Aphelocephala leucopsis
Anthochaera carnunculata
Anthochaera chrysoptera
Acanthagenys rufogularis
Manorina flavigula
Lichenostomus virescens
Lichenostomus leucotis
Lichenostomus cratitius
Lichenostomus ornatus
Lichenostomus plumulus
Lichenostomus penicillatus
Melithreptus brevirostris
Melithreptus lunatus
Lichmera indistincta
Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
Phylidonyris nigra
Phylidonyris albifrons
Phylidonyris melanops
Acanthorhynchus superciliosus
Certhionyx niger
Certhionyx variegatus
Epthianura tricolor
Epthianura aurifrons
Epthianura albifrons
Microeca fascinans
Petroica multicolor
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
99
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x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
B
C D
E F
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
APPENDIX 2: Land birds found in the Western Australian wheatbelt (strict waterbirds and
exotics are not included). Common and scientific names are according to Christidis and Boles
(1994). A = Declining species (Saunders and Ingram 1995); B = Strictly resident species; C =
Farmland species; D = Nocturnal birds (Strigidae, Tytonidae, Podargidae, Aegothelidae,
Caprimulgidae); E = Focal species candidates; F = Recorded at Buntine-Marchagee Catchment; *
= extinct in the wheatbelt.
Common Name
Species Name
A
B
C D E
F
Red-capped Robin
Hooded Robin
Western Yellow Robin
Southern Scrub-robin
White-browed Babbler
Chestnut Quail-thrush
Varied Sittella
Crested Shrike-tit
Crested Bellbird
Gilbert's Whistler
Golden Whistler
Rufous Whistler
Grey Shrike-thrush
Restless Flycatcher
Magpie-lark
Grey Fantail
Willie Wagtail
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Ground Cuckoo-shrike
White-winged Triller
Masked Woodswallow
Black-faced Woodswallow
Dusky Woodswallow
Little Woodswallow
Grey Butcherbird
Pied Butcherbird
Australian Magpie
Grey Currawong
Australian Raven
Little Crow
Richard's Pipit
Zebra Finch
Mistletoebird
White-backed Swallow
Welcome Swallow
Tree Martin
Fairy Martin
Rufous Songlark
Brown Songlark
Silvereye
Petroica goodenovii
Melanodryas cucullata
Eopsaltria griseogularis
Drymodes brunneopygia
Pomatostomus superciliosus
Cinclosoma castanotus
Daphoenositta chrysoptera
Falcunculus frontatus
Oreoica gutturalis
Pachycephala inornata
Pachycephala pectoralis
Pachycephala rufiventris
Colluricincla harmonica
Myiagra inquieta
Grallina cyanoleuca
Rhipidura fuliginosa
Rhipidura leucophrys
Coracina novaehollandiae
Coracina maxima
Lalage sueurii
Artamus personatus
Artamus cinereus
Artamus cyanopterus
Artamus minor
Cracticus torquatus
Cracticus nigrogularis
Gymnorhina tibicen
Strepera versicolor
Corvus coronoides
Corvus bennetti
Anthus novaeseelandiae
Taeniopygia guttata
Dicaeum hirundinaceum
Cheramoeca leucosternus
Hirundo neoxena
Hirundo nigricans
Hirundo ariel
Cincloramphus mathewsi
Cincloramphus cruralis
Zosterops lateralis
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
xx
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
xx
x
x
x
x
x
xx
x
100
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x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
APPENDIX 3: Descriptions of native vegetation associations
recorded in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment
Heathlands:
‘Heathland’: A low species-rich shrubland, generally less than 1 m in height but with
emergent shrubs to 2 m but occasionally taller, found on sandy soils. Commonly
heathlands are rich in myrtaceous species, particularly Melaleuca, Calytrix, Verticordia,
Chamelaucium, Beaufortia, Baeckea and Eremaea, proteaceous species including
Grevillea, Hakea, Petrophile, Dryandra and emergent Banksia, Acacia species,
Allocasuarina species and sedge species including the Cord-rush Ecdeoicolea
monostachya. Heathland is the only vegetation association present in the catchment that
often does not include one or two dominant species. There are 14 remnants in the
catchment that contain ‘heathland’.
Heathland
Shrublands:
‘Mixed shrubland (sandplain)’: A mixed shrubland with Eremaea pauciflora, Eremaea
beaufortioides or Melaleuca species as an essential and often dominant component, on
sandy soils of usually the Geraldton Sandplain. Emergent Banksia species, Woody Pear,
Sandplain Cypress and Pear-fruited Mallee are also common. It is found in 32 remnants in
the catchment.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Mixed shrubland (sandplain)
‘Shrublands of perched drainage lines’: A shrubland specific to the drainage channels
of the Geraldton Sandplain, consisting of narrow strips of Melaleuca thyoides or
sometimes Melaleuca uncinata and samphire (Halosarcia spp.). There is only one
mapped occurrence of this shrubland in the catchment but as this formation is often too
narrow to map at the scale used it is likely to be under-represented on maps produced in
this study.
Shrublands of perched drainage lines
‘Banksia/Woody Pear shrubland’: This shrubland, found in 42 remnants in the study
area, is dominated by Banksia species and Woody Pear Xylomelum angustifolium.
Commonly occurring are Acorn Banksia Banksia prionotes, although Candle Banksia B.
attenuata and Firewood Banksia B. menziesii also occur. Sandplain Cypress Actinostrobus
arenarius is common. The understorey varies from being sedgy to shrubby, with
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Grevillea, Melaleuca, Verticordia, Adenanthos stictus, and Eremaea species common.
This vegetation association always occurs on yellow sand and mostly, but not exclusively,
on the Geraldton Sandplain. Banksia/Woody Pear shrubland has been classed as woodland
(rather than shrubland) for the bird analysis because structurally the dominant species
(Banksias) usually occur as trees.
Banksia/Woody Pear shrubland
‘Sandplain Cypress shrubland’: This sandplain cypress-dominated shrubland is similar
to the Banksia/Woody Pear shrubland but tends to occur lower in the landscape, often just
above the drainage channels on the Geraldton Sandplain. Swamp Cypress Actinostrobus
acuminatus may replace Sandplain Cypress A. arenarius in some low-lying areas. The
understorey is often sedgy rather than shrubby. Banksia and Woody Pear may
occasionally occur. It occurs in 13 remnants.
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Sandplain Cypress shrubland
‘Tamma/wodjil/Melaleuca shrubland’: This is the most commonly occurring vegetation
association in the catchment, occupying 229 remnants mostly on the eastern side of the
catchment where it occurs on sandy, lateritic or granitic soils, usually higher in the
landscape. It is also common throughout much of the wheatbelt of Western Australia,
although Melaleuca species play a lesser role in catchments further south. The common
species are Tamma Allocasuarina campestris, Black Tamma A. acutivalvis, Wodjil
acacias including Acacia neurophylla, A. stereophylla, A. longiphyllodinea and A.
assimilis, and Melaleuca species including M. cordata, M. conothamnoides and M.
nematophylla. Calothamnus gilesii, Hakea scoparia, H. francisiana, Grevillea paradoxa,
Petrophile macrostachya and occasional emergent mallee eucalypts frequently occur.
Tamma/Wodjil/Melaleuca shrubland
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
‘Melaleuca/Acacia shrubland’: This combination of dominant species occurs in two
distinctive areas: low in the landscape close to saline drainage systems, and higher in the
landscape on shallow soils. Melaleuca uncinata, M. acuminata, M. adnata, M. lateriflora,
Acacia mackeyana, A. hemiteles, A. colletioides, A. nyssophylla, and A. acuminata (Jam)
are common species. Emergent trees or mallees are also common. There are 142 remnants
supporting this vegetation association.
Melaleuca/Acacia shrubland
‘Grevillea/Jam/Dodonaea/Eremophila shrubland’: Grevillea teretifolia, Jam, Hopbush
Dodonaea spp. and Eremophila species are the defining plants of this shrubland which
mainly occurs as regrowth on previously cleared land in 17 remnants in the study area.
Grevillea/Jam/Dodonaea/Eremophila shrubland
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Sedgeland:
‘Sedgeland’ is dominated by sedge species, most commonly Cord-rush Ecdeiocolea
monostachya but sometimes Mesomelaena stygia. It is found on sandy soils in 12
remnants. Emergent species like Tamma, Melaleuca, Banksia, Woody Pear or Sandplain
Cypress may also occur.
Sedgeland
Grassland:
‘Grassland’ is dominated by native perennial grasses, including Speargrass Austrostipa,
Wallaby Grass Austrodanthonia spp. and Kerosene Grass Aristida contorta, with annual
daisy species being prominent in some years. Only one example of grassland was
recorded in the study area and this site also supported emergent shrubs in a previously
cleared remnant.
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Grassland
Woodlands:
‘Allocasuarina huegeliana (Rock Sheoak) woodland’: The single occurrence of Rock
Sheoak woodland in the study area is on deep yellow sloping sand with Acorn Banksia,
Candle Banksia and Sandplain Cypress as understorey species. Rock Sheoak does occur
in other vegetation associations but is not the dominant species elsewhere in the
catchment.
‘Salmon Gum woodland’: Salmon Gum Eucalyptus salmonophloia woodland is found
in various positions in the landscape from hills, where it is often associated with dolerite
dykes, to low, near saline drainage systems. It mostly occurs on red sandy to loamy soils,
sometimes with laterite or calcium carbonate nodules present. Other tree species may be
associated with this vegetation, commonly York Gum Eucalyptus loxophleba, Gimlet E.
salubris, E. myriadena or mallee. The understorey is often Melaleuca and Acacia species
or chenopods such as Saltbush Atriplex spp., Bluebush Maireana or Berry Saltbush
Rhagodia spp. There are 14 remnants in the catchment containing Salmon Gum
woodland.
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Salmon Gum woodland
‘Gimlet woodland’: Gimlet (Eucalyptus salubris) woodland is similar to Salmon Gum
woodland in its occurrence on red loamy soils and often with understorey. It may also
support Salmon Gum (sometimes as a co-dominant), Red Morrel Eucalyptus longicornis,
York Gum or mallee species including Eucalyptus moderata (formerly E. semivestita), E.
subangusta, E. horistes (formerly E. hypochlamydea), and E. erythronema. The
understorey is often Melaleuca, with Boree M. pauperiflora being common, and Acacia or
chenopods. There are 33 remnants with Gimlet woodland in the catchment.
Gimlet woodland
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‘York Gum/Jam woodland’: York Gum Eucalyptus loxophleba/Jam Acacia acuminata
woodland is found in various topographic positions within the catchment, from around salt
lakes on sandy soils to higher areas on loamy or granitic sandy soils where occasionally
Jam may replace York Gum as the dominant species. Other species found with York Gum
which may grow in tree or mallee form include mallee species Eucalyptus moderata, E.
subangusta, E. horistes, E. brachycorys, and Oil Mallee E. kochii or other tree eucalypts.
Understorey species vary but commonly include Grevillea teretifolia, Hakea recurva and
H. preissii, various Acacia and Melaleuca species or Ruby Saltbush Enchylaena
tomentosa and Berry Saltbush Rhagodia spp. A total of 150 remnants in the catchment
support York Gum/Jam woodland.
York Gum/Jam woodland
‘Mallee (with understorey)’: This association is found mostly on loamy or duplex soils
but occasionally on sandy soils. Usually there is no particular dominant mallee (multistemmed eucalypt) present, rather a suite of species most of which have been listed above
as being present in other woodland types, including York Gum (in mallee-form). The
understorey varies with soil type but is commonly Acacia or Melaleuca species. There
may be occasional emergent eucalypt trees present. There are 161 remnants containing
this vegetation association in the study area.
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Mallee (with understorey)
‘Mallee (no understorey)’: This association is similar to the above woodland type except
that it is missing the understorey, usually as a result of livestock grazing or overly
frequent firing. It is separated from the above association on bird habitat utilisation
grounds. There are 15 remnants with ‘mallee without understorey’ vegetation in the study
area.
Mallee (no understorey)
‘Mixed woodland’: These woodlands have no dominant species but instead support
several eucalypt species growing in association, e.g. York Gum, Salmon Gum, Gimlet,
Morrel, Yorrell Eucalyptus yilgarnensis and mallees. The understorey is variable as is the
soil type, although loamy soils are most common. This association occurs in 45 remnants
in the study area.
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Mixed woodland
‘Hakea recurva or Hakea preissii woodland’: The single occurrence of this woodland
type is low in the landscape on sandy soil. In other wheatbelt catchments Needle Tree
Hakea preissii can occur with H. recurva in low parts of landscapes close to salt lakes and
in higher areas, mostly as a result of clearing or grazing of York Gum woodland.
Hakea recurva or Hakea preissii (pictured) woodland
‘River Red Gum woodland’: River Red Gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis var. obtusa
woodland occurs in the catchment adjacent to fresh or brackish watercourses and perched
lakes on the Geraldton Sandplain. In the past River Red Gum (sometimes called River
Gum) was popularly planted along fences and driveways so it is possible that many of the
River Red Gums in the catchment have originated from these earlier plantings rather than
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being of local genetic origin. River Red Gums would have been more widespread prior to
clearing. The understorey now tends to be weedy but has sedges and native perennial
grasses in some areas. It occurs in 11 remnants in the study areas.
River Red Gum woodland
‘Salt River Gum woodland’: Salt River Gum Eucalyptus sargentii woodland was found
in one remnant on the edge of salt lakes and drainage lines. The understorey comprised
samphire and sedges.
Salt River Gum woodland
‘Swamp Oak woodland’: Swamp Oak, or Swamp Sheoak (Casuarina obesa) woodland
is found fringing brackish or saline lakes and drainage lines in the study area. The
understorey is often samphire but in some areas the Swamp Oak continues upslope and
has the same understorey as the sandplain vegetation surrounding it. It occasionally occurs
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with River Red Gum. There were 18 remnants in the catchment with Swamp Oak
woodland.
Swamp Oak woodland
‘Salt Gum woodland’: Salt Gum Eucalyptus salicola looks very similar to Salmon Gum
but is only found near salt lakes. It occurs in two remnants in the study area. Understorey
vegetation includes sedge, Berry Saltbush and Saltbush.
Salt Gum woodland
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Wetlands:
‘Fresh/brackish wetland (rushes)’: Fresh or brackish wetlands dominated by rushes
Juncus pallidus occur in 6 remnants on the Geraldton Sandplain in the catchment. Sedges,
Melaleuca species, samphire and the occasional emergent River Red Gum or Swamp Oak
may be present in this vegetation association.
Fresh/brackish wetland (rushes)
‘Samphire wetland (saline)’: Saline wetlands dominated by Samphire (Halosarcia spp.)
are common in catchment. Melaleuca species, Darwinia diosmoides, Sturt’s Pigface
Gunniopsis quadrifida and the occasional emergent Swamp Oak occur with samphire,
usually slightly upslope from the wettest areas. It was mapped as occurring on 22
remnants in the study area, although large areas of samphire were not included because of
technical mapping issues and samphire was considered to be of lower habitat value for
birds. Therefore, it is likely that the areal extent of this vegetation association was underestimated in this study.
Samphire wetland (saline)
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APPENDIX 4: Perennial plant species recorded in quadratbased floristic surveys of selected remnants in
Buntine-Marchagee Catchment
Quadrat No.
BM1 - 1
BM1 - 2
Species
Allocasuarina campestris
Astartea heteranthera
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Eucalyptus kochii subsp kochii
Eucalyptus oldfieldii
Gahnia drummondii
Grevillea petrophiloides
Melaleuca cordata
Melaleuca uncinata
Acacia colletioides
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Allocasuarina huegeliana
Calytrix flavescens
Daviesia nudiflora
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Grevillea polybotrya
Jacksonia acicularis
Lepidobolus preissianus
Leptospermum erubescens
Lyginia barbata
Melaleuca seriata
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
Verticordia densiflora
BM106 - 2 Acacia acuaria
Acacia acuminata
Allocasuarina campestris
Borya sphaerocephala
Dodonaea inaequifolia
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Melaleuca radula
Melaleuca uncinata
Acacia ligulata
Allocasuarina campestris
Banksia prionotes
Calytrix gracilis
Conospermum stoechadis
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Gastrolobium spinosum
Hakea scoparia
Melaleuca seriata
Mesomelaena pseudostegia
Verticordia acerosa subsp preissii
Verticordia picta
BM1 - 3
Actinostrobus arenarius
Allocasuarina huegeliana
Alyxia buxifolia
Austrostipa elegantissima
Banksia prionotes
Rhagodia drummondii
Scholtzia parviflora
BM1 - 4
Acacia microbotrya
Acanthocarpus canaliculatus
Actinostrobus arenarius
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa hemipogon
Calytrix leschenaultii
Enchylaena lanata
Exocarpus aphyllus
Hakea preissii
Jacksonia acicularis
Lepidobolus preissianus
Melaleuca seriata
Rhagodia drummondii
Scholtzia parviflora
Verticordia densiflora
BM106 - 3 Acacia acuaria
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Austrostipa elegantissima
Dodonaea bursariifolia
Eucalyptus kochii subsp kochii
Hakea scoparia
Melaleuca uncinata
BM106 - 4 Allocasuarina campestris
Amphipogon strictus
Austrostipa elegantissima
Boronia coerulescens
Calothamnus quadrifidus
Dianella revoluta
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Melaleuca cordata
Melaleuca orbicularis
Mesomelaena pseudostegia
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
Triodia danthonioides
Xylomelum angustifolium
BM110 - 1 Acacia synoria
Acacia saligna
Astartea heteranthera
Austrostipa elegantissima
Comesperma integerrimum
Daviesia hakeoides
Enchylaena tomentosa
Jacksonia acicularis
Melaleuca pentagona
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
Rhagodia drummondii
Stylobassium australe
BM106 - 1 Acacia stereophylla
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Verticordia plumosa
Micromyrtus racemosa racemosa
Petrophile shuttleworthiana
Phebalium ?ambiguum
Stenanthemum pomaderroides
BM110 - 2 Didymanthus roei
Halosarcia sp2
Halosarcia sp3
BM118 - 1 Acacia mackeyana
Enchylaena tomentosa
Eucalyptus moderata
Eucalyptus subangusta
Melaleuca acuminata
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Melaleuca lateriflora
BM110 - 3 Acacia saligna
Austrostipa elegantissima
Enchylaena tomentosa
Rhagodia drummondii
BM110 - 4 Austrostipa elegantissima
Grevillea paniculata
Melaleuca uncinata
Rhagodia drummondii
Stylobassium australe
BM118 - 2 Allocasuarina campestris
Baeckea crispiflora
Borya sphaerocephala
Daviesia hakeoides
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Lepidobolus preissianus
Melaleuca sp2
Mesomelaena pseudostegia
Platysace effusa
Poaceae sp3
BM111 - 1 Acanthocarpus canaliculatus
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus horistes
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
Melaleuca uncinata
BM111 - 2 Allocasuarina campestris
Austrostipa elegantissima
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Enchylaena tomentosa
Gahnia drummondii
Hakea scoparia
Hibbertia exasperata
Lepidosperma drummondii
Melaleuca uncinata
Neurachne alopecuroidea
Petrophile shuttleworthiana
BM118 - 3 Acacia isoneura subsp nimia
Allocasuarina campestris
Amphipogon strictus
Astartea heteranthera
Baeckea crispiflora
Baeckea sp6
Choretrum pritzelii
Cryptandra myriantha
Darwinia acerosa
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Eucalyptus leptopoda
Grevillea integrifolia
Grevillea paradoxa
Lepidosperma tenue
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Melaleuca cordata
Melaleuca uncinata
Micromyrtus racemosa racemosa
Neurachne alopecuroidea
Verticordia monadelpha
BM113 - 1 Acacia hemiteles
Acacia mackeyana
Austrostipa elegantissima
Enchylaena tomentosa
Eremophila sp
Eucalyptus horistes
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Eucalyptus subangusta
Melaleuca acuminata
Melaleuca adnata
Rhagodia drummondii
Rhagodia preissii subsp preissii
BM123 - 1 Eucalyptus moderata
Eucalyptus subangusta
BM123 - 2 Acacia assimilis
Acacia stereophylla
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Baeckea sp6
Eucalyptus obtusiflora
Hakea scoparia
Hibbertia eatoniae
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Melaleuca cordata
Petrophile shuttleworthiana
BM113 - 2 Acacia assimilis
Acacia neurophylla
Acacia ?synoria
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Astartea heteranthera
Astroloma serratifolium
Austrostipa elegantissima
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Hakea scoparia
Hibbertia exasperata
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Melaleuca cordata
Melaleuca sp5
BM149 - 1 Acacia coolgardiensis coolgardiensis
Amphipogon strictus
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Austrostipa elegantissima
Eucalyptus brachycorys
Lepidosperma tenue
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
Melaleuca uncinata
Rhagodia drummondii
BM153 - 2 Acacia ?inceana subsp latifolia
Eremophila decipiens
Melaleuca lateriflora
Rhagodia drummondii
Sclerolaena diacantha
BM154 - 1 Aristida contorta
Austrostipa elegantissima
Grevillea biternata
Jacksonia acicularis
Melaleuca pentagona
Neurachne alopecuroidea
Rhagodia drummondii
Triodia danthonioides
BM150 - 1 Acacia acuminata
Acanthocarpus canaliculatus
Amphipogon strictus
Aristida contorta
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Desmocladus asper
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
Rhagodia drummondii
Triodia danthonioides
BM154 - 2 Aristida contorta
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Lomandra effusa
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
Poaceae sp2
Triodia danthonioides
BM150 - 2 Enchylaena tomentosa
Maireana sp3
Melaleuca lateriflora
Rhagodia drummondii
BM157 - 1 Acacia fragilis
Acacia signata
Allocasuarina campestris
Astartea heteranthera
Baeckea muricata
Choretrum pritzelii
Darwinia sp
Dodonaea caespitosa
Eucalyptus leptopoda
Grevillea paradoxa
Hibbertia glomerosa
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Persoonia sp
BM150 - 3 Alyxia buxifolia
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Austrostipa elegantissima
Eremophila decipiens
Eucalyptus salubris
Melaleuca acuminata
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
Olearia muelleri
Rhagodia drummondii
Senna artemisioides subsp filifolia
BM150 - 4 Acacia eremaea
Austrostipa elegantissima
Enchylaena lanata
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Melaleuca acuminata
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
Melaleuca lateriflora
Melaleuca uncinata
Rhagodia drummondii
BM157 - 2 Eucalyptus celastroides
Eucalyptus moderata
Olearia muelleri
Rhagodia drummondii
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
BM157 - 3 Acacia mackeyana
Austrostipa elegantissima
Eucalyptus celastroides
Eucalyptus salubris
Eucalyptus semivestita
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
BM152 - 3 Acacia acuaria
Acacia multispicata
Acacia signata
Austrostipa elegantissima
Daviesia benthamii (acanthoclona)
Eucalyptus horistes
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Eucalyptus subangusta
Hakea minyma
BM153 - 1 Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Enchylaena lanata
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
Rhagodia drummondii
Sclerolaena diacantha
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BM17 - 1
Allocasuarina campestris
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Eucalyptus subangusta
Hibbertia lividula
Melaleuca cordata
Ricinocarpus velutinus
BM17 - 2
Acacia acuminata
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Austrostipa elegantissima
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Austrostipa scabra
Dodonaea inaequifolia
Enchylaena lanata
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Melaleuca acuminata
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca lateriflora
Melaleuca spp seedlings
Acacia neurophylla
Acacia stereophylla
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Amphipogon turbinatus
Astartea heteranthera
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Baeckea sp4
Grevillea paradoxa
Hibbertia drummondii
Melaleuca cordata
Petrophile incurvata
Persoonia sp
BM181 - 1 Acacia ligustrina
Atriplex codonocarpa
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Halosarcia sp
Melaleuca uncinata
Rhagodia drummondii
BM214 - 1 Acacia acuminata
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Enchylaena lanata
Hakea recurva
Ptilotus obovatus
BM181 - 2 Acacia acuminata
Acacia colletioides
Acacia signata
Austrostipa elegantissima
Enchylaena lanata
Eremophila decipiens
Maireana sp1
Ptilotus obovatus
Rhagodia drummondii
BM214 - 2 Acacia acuaria
Acacia acuminata
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Dianella revoluta
Eremophila decipiens
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Hakea recurva
Ptilotus obovatus
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
Scaevola spinescens
BM184 - 1 Acacia acuminata
Acacia prainii
Austrostipa elegantissima
Eucalyptus subangusta
Melaleuca acuminata
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
BM214 - 3 Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Astartea heteranthera
Austrostipa elegantissima
Calothamnus gilesii
Dianella revoluta
Enekbatus stowardii
Grevillea paradoxa
Hakea scoparia
Melaleuca cordata
Micromyrtus racemosa racemosa
Petrophile incurvata
BM184 - 2 Acacia prainii
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Eremophila sp2
Eucalyptus salubris
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
Ptilotus obovatus
Sclerolaena diacantha
BM202 - 1 Atriplex semibaccata
Atriplex semilunaris
Enchylaena lanata
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Maireana brevifolia
Melaleuca acuminata
BM214 - 4 Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Amphipogon strictus
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Borya constricta
Cyperaceae sp2flat
Cyperaceae sp3spiral
Daviesia hakeoides
Dianella revoluta
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Enekbatus stowardii
Lepidobolus chaetocephalus
Lepidobolus preissianus
Lepidosperma ?leptostachyum
Leucopogon hamulosus
Mesomelaena pseudostegia
BM207 - 1 Acacia assimilis
Acacia neurophylla
Acacia stereophylla
Amphipogon turbinatus
Astartea heteranthera
Austrostipa elegantissima
Baeckea sp4
Darwinia sp
Grevillea paradoxa
Micromyrtus racemosa racemosa
Philotheca desertii subsp desertii
BM213 - 1 Acacia assimilis
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Monachather paradoxa
Platysace effusa
Austrostipa scabra
Borya constricta
Dodonaea inaequifolia
Eremophila clarkei
Eucalyptus erythronema
Eucalyptus horistes
Eucalyptus stowardii
Eucalyptus subangusta
Lepidosperma ?leptostachyum
Melaleuca acuminata
Melaleuca hybrid
Myrtaceae sp
BM215 - 1 Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Austrostipa scabra
Dianella revoluta
Eucalyptus horistes
Eucalyptus moderata
Eucalyptus obtusiflora
Eucalyptus subangusta
Olearia muelleri
BM215 - 2 Acacia erinacea
Acacia mackeyana
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Eremophila drummondii
Eucalyptus salubris
Melaleuca pauperiflora
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
Santalum acuminatum
BM220 - 2 Acacia acuminata
Acacia assimilis
Acacia neurophylla
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Hakea scoparia
Melaleuca nematophylla
Microcybe sp
Micromyrtus racemosa racemosa
BM215 - 3 Acacia neurophylla
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Austrostipa elegantissima
Baeckea ?benthamiana ms
Grevillea paradoxa
Hakea francisiana
Hakea scoparia
Melaleuca nematophylla
Micromyrtus racemosa racemosa
BM225 - 1 Acacia ancistrophylla
Acacia mackeyana
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Chenopodiaceae
Eremophila sp
Eucalyptus (affin) loxophleba
Eucalyptus erythronema
Eucalyptus moderata
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Melaleuca pauperiflora
Melaleuca uncinata
Olearia muelleri
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
Santalum acuminatum
BM215 - 4 Acacia dielsii
Acacia scalena
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Baeckea grandis
Baeckea muricata
Baeckea ?benthamiana ms
Baeckea sp4
Eucalyptus obtusiflora
Grevillea ?obliquistigma funicularis
Monachather paradoxa
BM225 - 2 Atriplex bunburyana
Austrostipa elegantissima
Chenopodiaceae
Enchylaena lanata
Eucalyptus salmonophloia
Eucalyptus salubris
Melaleuca pauperiflora
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
Sclerolaena diacantha
Templetonia sulcata
BM216 - 1 Acacia daviesioides
Acacia neurophylla
Eucalyptus oldfieldii
Goodenia pinifolia
Grevillea petrophiloides
Philotheca desertii subsp desertii
BM218 - 1 Acacia acuminata
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Austrostipa elegantissima
Dodonaea inaequifolia
Enchylaena tomentosa
Eucalyptus horistes
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Melaleuca uncinata
BM225 - 3 Acacia assimilis
Acacia coolgardiensis coolgardiensis
Acacia nigripilosa
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Allocasuarina corniculata
Astartea heteranthera
Banksia benthamiana
Choretrum pritzelii
Eucalyptus obtusiflora
Hakea erecta
BM220 - 1 Acacia coolgardiensis coolgardiensis
Acacia mackeyana
Allocasuarina campestris
Austrostipa elegantissima
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Hakea francisiana
Hibbertia drummondii
Lepidosperma ?leptostachyum
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Melaleuca cordata
Melaleuca ?holosericea
Petrophile shuttleworthiana
Platysace maxwellii
Persoonia sp
Stenanthemum pomaderroides
Dodonaea caespitosa
Eucalyptus obtusiflora
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Melaleuca uncinata
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
BM225 - 4 Acacia daviesioides
Acacia dielsii
Acacia stereophylla
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Amphipogon strictus
Astartea heteranthera
Baeckea muricata
Darwinia ?purpurea
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Eucalyptus leptopoda
Eucalyptus obtusiflora
Gahnia drummondii
Hakea erecta
Hakea scoparia
Lepidosperma ?leptostachyum
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Melaleuca cordata
Petrophile incurvata
Platysace effusa
Hemigenia sp
BM23 - 1
BM23 - 2
BM23 - 3
Acacia fragilis
Acacia neurophylla
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Astroloma serratifolium
Austrostipa elegantissima
Baeckea crispiflora
Dodonaea caespitosa
Grevillea paradoxa
Hibbertia eatoniae
Melaleuca cordata
Melaleuca radula
Melaleuca uncinata
Micromyrtus racemosa racemosa
Austrostipa elegantissima
Eremophila drummondii
Eucalyptus arachnaea
Eucalyptus moderata
Eucalyptus sheathiana
Eucalyptus subangusta
Maireana sp1
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Olearia muelleri
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
Acacia erinacea
Aristida contorta
Austrostipa elegantissima
120
BM24 - 1
Acacia mackeyana
Austrostipa scabra
Baeckea grandis
Daviesia nematophylla
Dodonaea caespitosa
Eucalyptus moderata
Eucalyptus sheathiana
Eucalyptus subangusta
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Melaleuca sp4
Melaleuca uncinata
Santalum acuminatum
BM24 - 2
Acacia acuminata
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Eucalyptus salmonophloia
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca lateriflora
Melaleuca uncinata
BM24 - 3
Acacia assimilis
Acacia neurophylla
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Astroloma serratifolium
Austrostipa elegantissima
Grevillea paradoxa
Hibbertia lividula
Hibbertia subvaginata
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Melaleuca cordata
BM24 - 4
Acacia erinacea
Acacia hemiteles
Atriplex bunburyana
Austrostipa elegantissima
Enchylaena lanata
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Eucalyptus salmonophloia
Maireana sp1
Rhagodia drummondii
Rhagodia preissii subsp preissii
Santalum acuminatum
Templetonia sulcata
BM26 - 1
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Enchylaena lanata
Eremophila (affin) glabra
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Maireana brevifolia
Melaleuca acuminata
Melaleuca adnata
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Melaleuca lateriflora
Ptilotus obovatus
BM26 - 2
Didymanthus roei
Halosarcia sp
Puccinellia stricta
BM27 - 1
Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Eucalyptus salmonophloia
Eucalyptus salubris
Maireana brevifolia
Ptilotus obovatus
Sclerolaena diacantha
BM27 - 2
Acacia acuaria
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Austrostipa trichophylla
Borya sphaerocephala
Enchylaena lanata
Eremophila decipiens
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Melaleuca uncinata
Grevillea paradoxa
Melaleuca nematophylla
Melaleuca radula
Micromyrtus racemosa racemosa
Phebalium tuberculosum
Philotheca desertii subsp desertii
BM298 - 2 Atriplex bunburyana
Austrostipa elegantissima
Enchylaena lanata
Eucalyptus erythronema
Eucalyptus salubris
Maireana sp1
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
Sclerolaena diacantha
BM300 - 1 Acacia acuminata
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus horistes
Melaleuca acuminata
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
BM302 - 1 Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Austrostipa elegantissima
Baeckea grandis
Eucalyptus incrassata
Eucalyptus leptopoda
Santalum acuminatum
BM292 - 1 Acacia acuaria
Acacia signata
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Enchylaena lanata
Eremophila decipiens
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Maireana sp1
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
BM305 - 1 Acacia dielsii
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Amphipogon strictus
Baeckea ?benthamiana ms
Baeckea sp5
Cyperaceae
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Gahnia drummondii
Hakea scoparia
Lepidosperma drummondii
Lepidosperma sp
Melaleuca uncinata
Petrophile incurvata
BM292 - 2 Acacia acuminata
Acacia colletioides
Acacia hemiteles
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Triodia danthonioides
BM305 - 2 Acacia acuaria
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Eucalyptus salmonophloia
Eucalyptus salubris
BM293 - 1 Atriplex semibaccata
Enchylaena lanata
Eucalyptus salmonophloia
Eucalyptus salubris
Maireana brevifolia
Melaleuca acuminata
Sclerolaena diacantha
BM305 - 3 Acacia acuminata
Acacia assimilis
Acacia neurophylla
Austrostipa elegantissima
Eucalyptus obtusiflora
Grevillea paradoxa
BM297 - 1 Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus stowardii
Grevillea paradoxa
Melaleuca cordata
BM305 - 4 Acacia acuminata
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Eremophila drummondii
Grevillea paradoxa
Melaleuca radula
BM298 - 1 Acacia fragilis
Acacia neurophylla
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
121
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Pimelea avonensis
Astroloma serratifolium
Austrostipa elegantissima
Baeckea crispiflora
Dodonaea pinifolia
Hakea scoparia
Melaleuca cordata
Neurachne alopecuroidea
Verticordia acerosa subsp preissii
Verticordia roei subsp roei
BM308 - 1 Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus leptopoda
Eucalyptus subangusta
BM308 - 2 Acacia dielsii
Acacia multispicata
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Amphipogon turbinatus
Baeckea muricata
Choretrum pritzelii
Cryptandra sp
Cyperaceae
Dampiera sp
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Enekbatus stowardii
Gahnia drummondii
Hakea scoparia
Hibbertia drummondii
Hibbertia eatoniae
Lepidosperma tenue
Leucopogon hamulosus
Leucopogon sp
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Melaleuca cordata
Microcybe multiflora
Patersonia occidentalis
Persoonia chapmanniana
Platysace effusa
Persoonia angustifolia
Persoonia sp
Verticordia sp
Juncus pallidus
Melaleuca ?halmaturorum
Melaleuca thyoides
Melaleuca viminea
BM39 - 3
Actinostrobus arenarius
Banksia menziesii
Banksia prionotes
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Eremaea beaufortioides
Eremaea pauciflora
Lachnostachys eriobotrya
Lechenaultia linarioides
Lepidobolus preissianus
Melaleuca seriata
Mesomelaena pseudostegia
Neurachne alopecuroidea
Petrophile linearis
Stirlingia latifolia
Xylomelum angustifolium
BM403 - 1 Acacia acuminata
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Comesperma integerrimum
Conostylis aculeata bromelioides
Daviesia benthamii (acanthoclona)
Enchylaena lanata
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
Melaleuca pentagona
Melaleuca uncinata
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
Rhagodia drummondii
Thryptomene racemulosa
BM308 - 3 Acacia ancistrophylla
Acacia mackeyana
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus erythronema
Eucalyptus moderata
Eucalyptus subangusta
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Olearia muelleri
BM308 - 4 Atriplex bunburyana
Atriplex paludosa subsp. baudinii
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Enchylaena lanata
Eremophila decipiens
Eucalyptus celastroides subsp virella
Eucalyptus moderata
Eucalyptus salubris
Maireana sp1
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca lateriflora
Olearia muelleri
Rhagodia drummondii
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
Santalum acuminatum
BM39 - 1
BM39 - 2
BM403 - 2 Acacia colletioides
Alyxia buxifolia
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Lycium australe
Pimelea avonensis
Ptilotus obovatus
Rhagodia drummondii
Scaevola spinescens
Templetonia sulcata
BM403 - 3 Acacia acuaria
Acacia assimilis
Acacia colletioides
Acanthocarpus canaliculatus
Amphipogon strictus
Anigozanthos humilis
Allocasuarina campestris
122
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Calytrix leschenaultii
Comesperma integerrimum
Conostylis aculeata bromelioides
Dampiera qjuncea
Grevillea biternata
Jacksonia acicularis
Melaleuca pentagona
Melaleuca uncinata
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
Persoonia chapmanniana
Platysace maxwellii
Santalum acuminatum
Triodia danthonioides
Verticordia densiflora
Platysace maxwellii
Triodia danthonioides
BM418 - 2 Acacia enervia subsp explicata
Argyroglottis turbinata
Austrostipa elegantissima
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Hakea preissii
Halosarcia indica subsp bidens
Lycium australe
Maireana sp1
Maireana sp2
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
Rhagodia preissii subsp preissii
Sclerolaena diacantha
Templetonia sulcata
BM403 - 4 Acacia acuaria
Acacia erinacea
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa hemipogon
Austrostipa scabra
Austrostipa trichophylla
Desmocladus asper
Dianella revoluta
Eucalyptus horistes
Eucalyptus obtusiflora
Gahnia drummondii
Lepidosperma drummondii
Monachather paradoxa
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
Olearia muelleri
Rhagodia drummondii
Solanum nummularium
Triodia danthonioides
BM418 - 3 Halosarcia sp
Halosarcia sp2
BM418 - 4 Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus horistes
Eucalyptus kochii subsp kochii
Eucalyptus obtusiflora
Triodia rigidissima
BM42 - 1
BM405 - 1 Acacia stereophylla
Allocasuarina campestris
Baeckea sp5
Dodonaea caespitosa
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Grevillea paradoxa
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Melaleuca cordata
Melaleuca uncinata
Aristida contorta
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Banksia attenuata
Banksia prionotes
Calytrix strigosa
Dianella revoluta
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Mesomelaena pseudostegia
Neurachne alopecuroidea
Xylomelum angustifolium
BM420 - 1 Acacia acuminata
Acacia colletioides
Acacia signata
Austrostipa elegantissima
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Maireana brevifolia
Ptilotus obovatus
BM405 - 2 Acacia acuminata
Dodonaea inaequifolia
Eucalyptus subangusta
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Melaleuca lateriflora
Melaleuca uncinata
Rhagodia drummondii
BM420 - 2 Acacia acuminata
Acacia coolgardiensis coolgardiensis
Austrostipa elegantissima
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
Rhagodia drummondii
BM428 - 1 Acacia erinacea
Austrostipa elegantissima
Eucalyptus salmonophloia
Eucalyptus salubris
Maireana brevifolia
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
BM418 - 1 Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa hemipogon
Austrostipa scabra
Desmocladus asper
Eucalyptus brachycorys
Eucalyptus kochii subsp kochii
Lepidosperma tenue
Melaleuca uncinata
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
BM428 - 2 Acacia neurophylla
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Austrostipa elegantissima
Grevillea paradoxa
123
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Hibbertia drummondii
Pimelea avonensis
Desmocladus sp
Enchylaena tomentosa
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
BM428 - 3 Austrostipa elegantissima
Eucalyptus celastroides subsp virella
Eucalyptus moderata
Eucalyptus obtusiflora
Eucalyptus subangusta
Grevillea huegelii
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
Olearia muelleri
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
Templetonia sulcata
BM441 - 2 Acacia acuminata
Acacia ligustrina
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
Rhagodia drummondii
BM446 - 1 Austrostipa elegantissima
Melaleuca lateriflora
Melaleuca uncinata
Rhagodia drummondii
BM428 - 4 Acacia heteroneura var jutsonii
Acacia multispicata
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Astartea heteranthera
Austrostipa elegantissima
Baeckea muricata
Chamelaucium drummondii
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Grevillea eriostachya
Grevillea paradoxa
Lepidosperma sp
Melaleuca cordata
Thryptomene racemulosa
Verticordia eriocephala
BM446 - 2 Acanthocarpus canaliculatus
Calytrix leschenaultii
Conostephium pendulum
Eucalyptus obtusiflora
Jacksonia acicularis
Lomandra collina
Melaleuca sp3
Neurachne alopecuroidea
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
Platysace maxwellii
Scholtzia parviflora
BM446 - 3 Austrostipa elegantissima
Banksia attenuata
Banksia prionotes
Calytrix flavescens
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Epacridaceae
Eremaea pauciflora
Isopogon scabriusculus
Lepidobolus preissianus
Leptospermum erubescens
Melaleuca orbicularis
Xylomelum angustifolium
BM433 - 1 Acacia acuminata
Acacia fragilis
Acacia stereophylla
Allocasuarina campestris
Amphipogon strictus
Austrostipa elegantissima
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Eucalyptus stowardii
Eucalyptus subangusta
Hakea francisiana
Micromyrtus racemosa racemosa
BM433 - 2 Acacia mackeyana
Eucalyptus horistes
Eucalyptus subangusta
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Melaleuca uncinata
BM446 - 4 Austrostipa elegantissima
Banksia prionotes
Calytrix flavescens
Calytrix leschenaultii
Conostephium pendulum
Daviesia sp
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Isopogon scabriusculus
Jacksonia acicularis
Jacksonia eremodendron
Lepidobolus preissianus
Melaleuca sp3
Mesomelaena pseudostegia
Neurachne alopecuroidea
Verticordia pholidophylla
Xylomelum angustifolium
BM433 - 3 Acacia acuminata
Acacia dielsii
Acacia fragilis
Acacia stereophylla
Amphipogon strictus
Baeckea crispiflora
Dianella revoluta
Eucalyptus kochii subsp kochii
Grevillea ?paniculata
Grevillea paradoxa
Melaleuca uncinata
BM448 - 1 Allocasuarina campestris
Astartea heteranthera
Choretrum pritzelii
BM441 - 1 Acanthocarpus canaliculatus
Austrostipa scabra
124
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Eucalyptus obtusiflora
Hakea erecta
Hakea francisiana
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Melaleuca cordata
Petrophile incurvata
Petrophile shuttleworthiana
Verticordia chrysantha
Gahnia drummondii
Hakea scoparia
Isopogon scabriusculus
Leucopogon sp
Melaleuca cordata
Melaleuca orbicularis
Melaleuca uncinata
Persoonia chapmanniana
Petrophile shuttleworthiana
Stenanthemum pomaderroides
BM448 - 2 Actinostrobus arenarius
Allocasuarina drummondii
Astartea heteranthera
Beaufortia bracteosa
Calytrix gracilis
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Eucalyptus pyriformis
Hakea erecta
Hakea scoparia
Isopogon scabriusculus
Lepidobolus preissianus
Melaleuca cordata
Melaleuca orbicularis
Petrophile seminuda
Petrophile shuttleworthiana
Verticordia acerosa subsp preissii
BM452 - 1 Acacia daviesioides
Acacia mackeyana
Eucalyptus erythronema
Eucalyptus moderat
Grevillea petrophiloides
Hemigenia westringioides
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Melaleuca uncinata
Santalum acuminatum
BM452 - 2 Allocasuarina campestris
Amphipogon strictus
Baeckea crispiflora
Chamaexeros sp
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Hibbertia drummondii
Lepidobolus preissianus
Mesomelaena pseudostegia
BM448 - 3 Acanthocarpus canaliculatus
Calytrix leschenaultii
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Lepidobolus preissianus
Leucopogon sp
Melaleuca pentagona
Triodia danthonioides
Verticordia acerosa subsp preissii
Verticordia densiflora
Verticordia plumosa
BM452 - 3 Actinostrobus arenarius
Allocasuarina campestris
Amphipogon strictus
Baeckea crispiflora
Baeckea sp3
Comesperma scoparia
Conospermum stoechadis
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Hakea sp
Lepidobolus preissianus
Melaleuca orbicularis
Mesomelaena pseudostegia
Pileanthus peduncularis
Verticordia acerosa subsp preissii
Verticordia densiflora
Xanthorrhoea sp
BM448 - 4 Melaleuca lateriflora
Melaleuca uncinata
Rhagodia drummondii
BM450 - 1 Acacia neurophylla
Austrostipa elegantissima
Grevillea paniculata
Hibbertia glomerosa
Melaleuca uncinata
BM450 - 2 Acacia mackeyana
Eucalyptus erythronema
Eucalyptus horistes
Eucalyptus subangusta
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca uncinata
BM450 - 3 Acacia fragilis
Acacia neurophylla
Allocasuarina campestris
Astartea heteranthera
Austrostipa elegantissima
Chamelaucium drummondii
Dodonaea caespitosa
Dryandra cirsioides
Eucalyptus stowardii
125
BM46 - 1
Austrostipa scabra
Dianella revoluta
Eucalyptus loxophleba
BM46 - 2
Allocasuarina campestris
Austrostipa elegantissima
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Hakea scoparia
Melaleuca cordata
Platysace effusa
Santalum acuminatum
Stypandra glauca
BM46 - 3
Acacia sp
Austrostipa elegantissima
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Hakea preissii
Melaleuca acuminata
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Rhagodia drummondii
Trymalium ledifolium
var rosmarinifolium
Rhagodia preissii subsp preissii
Threlkeldia diffusa
BM478 - 4 Actinostrobus arenarius
Allocasuarina campestris
Astartea heteranthera
Austrostipa elegantissima
Banksia prionotes
Beaufortia ?elegans
Calectasia ?hispidula
Calothamnus quadrifidus
Conospermum ?brachyphyllum
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Hakea sp
Neurachne alopecuroidea
Rhagodia drummondii
Xylomelum angustifolium
BM478 - 1 Actinostrobus arenarius
Amphipogon strictus
Astartea heteranthera
Baeckea sp3
Boronia coerulescens
Calothamnus quadrifidus
Conospermum stoechadis
Dodonaea pinifolia
Dryandra fraseri
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Eucalyptus macrocarpa
Eucalyptus pyriformis
Hakea integrifolia
Hakea sp
Lepidobolus preissianus
Melaleuca orbicularis
Melaleuca pentagona
Mesomelaena pseudostegia
Neurachne alopecuroidea
Platysace effusa
Verticordia acerosa subsp preissii
Verticordia densiflora
BM531 - 1 Eucalyptus loxophleba
Eucalyptus salmonophloia
BM531 - 2 Acacia acuminata
Austrostipa scabra
Hakea recurva
BM531 - 3 Acacia acuaria
Acacia acuminata
Allocasuarina campestris
Amphipogon strictus
Astroloma serratifolium
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Comesperma integerrimum
Cyperaceae sp4
Desmocladus flexuosus
Dodonaea caespitosa
Grevillea ?paniculata
Hibbertia lividula
Melaleuca cordata
Melaleuca radula
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
Stenanthemum pomaderroides
BM478 - 2 Acacia ?flabellifolia
Actinostrobus arenarius
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Allocasuarina drummondii
Baeckea crispiflora
Baeckea sp3
Calothamnus quadrifidus
Daviesia sp
Dodonaea pinifolia
Dryandra cirsioides
Dryandra fraseri
Ecdeoicolea monostachya
Hakea scoparia
Hakea sp
Hibbertia sp
Isopogon scabriusculus
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Melaleuca cordata
Melaleuca dichroma
Melaleuca pentagona
Melaleuca ?holosericea
Nemcia sp
Verticordia eriocephala
BM531 - 4 Acacia acuaria
Acacia acuminata
Amphipogon strictus
Austrostipa elegantissima
Borya sphaerocephala
Cyperaceae sp4
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Melaleuca uncinata
Neurachne alopecuroidea
BM55 - 1
Acacia acuminata
Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus loxophleba
BM553 - 1 Acacia neurophylla
Acacia stereophylla
Austrostipa elegantissima
Baeckea muricata
Baeckea ?benthamiana ms
Chamelaucium drummondii
Darwinia acerosa
BM478 - 3 Atriplex paludosa subsp baudinii
Austrostipa elegantissima
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Maireana brevifolia
Rhagodia drummondii
126
Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Grevillea paradoxa
Hibbertia glomerosa
Melaleuca cordata
BM716 - 1 Acanthocarpus canaliculatus
Austrostipa scabra
Conostylis aculeata bromelioides
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Olearia dampieri subsp eremicola
Pittosporum angustifolium
Rhagodia drummondii
BM553 - 2 Acacia hemiteles
Acacia mackeyana
Austrostipa elegantissima
Enchylaena tomentosa
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Rhagodia preissii subsp preissii
BM716 - 2 Acacia eremaea
Austrostipa elegantissima
Darwinia diosmoides
Didymanthus roei
Disphyma crassifolia
Enchylaena lanata
Halosarcia sp
Melaleuca uncinata
Rhagodia drummondii
BM557 - 1 Atriplex semibaccata
Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Eucalyptus salmonophloia
Maireana brevifolia
Sclerolaena diacantha
BM70 - 1
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Baeckea grandis
Darwinia ?purpurea
Dodonaea caespitosa
Eucalyptus subangusta
Grevillea petrophiloides
Hakea scoparia
Hibbertia lividula
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Melaleuca cordata
Melaleuca uncinata
Micromyrtus racemosa racemosa
Pimelea avonensis
Poaceae sp1
Westringia cephalantha
BM70 - 2
Acacia acuaria
Acacia acuminata
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Austrostipa scabra
Dodonaea inaequifolia
Enchylaena lanata
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Ptilotus obovatus
BM70 - 3
Acacia erinacea
Austrostipa scabra
Enchylaena lanata
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Eucalyptus salmonophloia
Melaleuca adnata
Rhagodia drummondii
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
Santalum acuminatum
Templetonia sulcata
BM70 - 4
Acacia erinacea
Acacia ligulata
Eucalyptus erythronema
Eucalyptus moderata
Eucalyptus salmonophloia
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Rhagodia drummondii
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
BM719 - 1 Atriplex codonocarpa
Didymanthus roei
Halosarcia sp
BM719 - 2 Acacia acuminata
Acacia enervia subsp explicata
Austrostipa elegantissima
Enchylaena lanata
Rhagodia drummondii
BM72 - 1
Eucalyptus kochii subsp plenissima
Eucalyptus moderata
Eucalyptus salmonophloia
Eucalyptus sheathiana
Melaleuca acuminata
BM72 - 2
Acacia daviesioides
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Eucalyptus horistes
Eucalyptus rigidula
Hakea scoparia
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Melaleuca uncinata
Petrophile shuttleworthiana
Isopogon divergens
BM72 - 3
Acacia daviesioides
Acacia erioclada
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Dryandra fraseri
Eucalyptus rigidula
Grevillea petrophiloides
Hibbertia huegelii
Hybanthus floribundus floribundus
Santalum acuminatum
Scholtzia qdrummondii
BM72 - 4
Eucalyptus erythronema
Eucalyptus horistes
Eucalyptus obtusiflora
Eucalyptus sheathiana
Eucalyptus subangusta
BM721 - 1 Austrostipa scabra
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
Enchylaena lanata
Maireana brevifolia
Maireana sp1
Melaleuca eleuterostachya
Rhagodia drummondii
Hibbertia eatoniae
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Melaleuca uncinata
Trymalium ledifolium
var rosmarinifolium
BM724 - 1 Acacia mackeyana
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa trichophylla
Enchylaena tomentosa
Eucalyptus kochii subsp kochii
Eucalyptus subangusta
Olearia muelleri
Rhagodia sp Watheroo
BM86 - 1
Acacia acuaria
Acacia hemiteles
Acacia mackeyana
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Eucalyptus moderata
Eucalyptus subangusta
Melaleuca adnata
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Olearia dampieri eremicola
BM89 - 1
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Austrostipa elegantissima
Austrostipa scabra
Enchylaena tomentosa
Eucalyptus kochii subsp kochii
Eucalyptus subangusta
Melaleuca acuminata
Melaleuca uncinata
BM724 - 2 Melaleuca coronicarpa
Melaleuca uncinata
BM77 - 1
Acacia acuaria
Acacia acuminata
Austrostipa elegantissima
Dodonaea bursariifolia
Eucalyptus horistes
Eucalyptus loxophleba
Melaleuca uncinata
Trymalium ledifolium
var rosmarinifolium
BM77 - 2
Acacia erinacea
Acacia mackeyana
Eucalyptus horistes
Eucalyptus moderata
Eucalyptus subangusta
Melaleuca coronicarpa
Melaleuca uncinata
Olearia muelleri
Trymalium ledifolium
var rosmarinifolium
BM77 - 3
Acacia longiphyllodinea
Acacia stereophylla
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Baeckea sp6
Hakea scoparia
Melaleuca conothamnoides
Micromyrtus racemosa racemosa
BM79 - 1
Allocasuarina acutivalvis
Allocasuarina campestris
Baeckea sp6
Chamelaucium drummondii
Dodonaea caespitosa
Melaleuca cordata
Neurachne alopecuroidea
Petrophile shuttleworthiana
BM79 - 2
Acacia mackeyana
Astroloma serratifolium
Dodonaea caespitosa
Eucalyptus horistes
Eucalyptus subangusta
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Component 1 Report: Landscape Design for Bird Conservation in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment, Western Australia
APPENDIX 5: Native vegetation associations and bird species
recorded in each remnant surveyed in BuntineMarchagee Catchment
This appendix provides a comprehensive list of birds and native vegetation surveyed by
the CSIRO Project Team in Buntine-Marchagee Catchment over the period 2001-2003.
Excerpts of aerial photographs and maps of the distribution of vegetation associations in
each sampled remnant, together with a map showing all remnants of native vegetation in
the catchment are included in this document. These form an important compendium of
information for use by catchment landholders and land managers in developing
appropriate programs and actions to help recover the native vegetation and avian
communities of the catchment.
This appendix is stored on the report CD and is available by clicking the link below:
Appendix 5
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