Banksia Woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain | |
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Ecology | |
Realm | Australasia |
Biome | Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub |
Borders | Swan Coastal Plain Shrublands and Woodlands and Jarrah Forest |
Geography | |
Area | 0.016 km2 (0.0062 sq mi) |
Country | Australia |
Elevation | 10–50 metres (33–164 ft) |
Coordinates | 31°31′S115°37′E / 31.51°S 115.61°E Coordinates: 31°31′S115°37′E / 31.51°S 115.61°E |
Climate type | Mediterranean climate (Csa) |
Soil types | Sand |
The Banksia Woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain is a protected sclerophyll community situated in the Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia that predominantly consists of bankias. Listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, it was once a near-incessant band of large shrub patches around Perth and other nearby coastal areas. [1] [2]
The woodland is associated with the Swan Coastal Plain (and a few neighboring areas) of southwest Western Australia on well drained, poor nutrient soils in dune landforms, especially deep Bassendean and Spearwood sands, or at times on Quindalup sand. It is also common on sandy colluvium and aeolian sand. Before the 19th century, they had a size estimated at 146 hectare, but since then the area has been significantly cleared for farming, housing and related infrastructure, and now 60% of the banksia woodland is lost with small patches remaining. [1]
Today, the woodlands assist with cooling down temperatures in the encompassing region; collect carbon; filter and keep aquifers (such as drinking water for Perth), in addition to extenuating local flooding, damaging winds, soil loss, and pollution. They also provide amenity and recreation, as they feature scenic areas for bushwalking.
Banksia species dominate the vegetation community; Banksia attenuata, Banksia littoralis, Banksia menziesii, Banksia prionotes an Banksia ilicifolia. Secondary tree species can be present, such as, Eucalyptus todtiana, Nuytsia floribunda, Allocasuarina fraseriana, Callitris arenaria, Callitris pyramidalis, Corymbia calophylla, Eucalyptus gomphocephala, Eucalyptus marginata and Xylomelum occidentale. Shrubs include Adenanthos cygnorum, Allocasuarina humilis, Bossiaea eriocarpa, Conostephium pendulum, Eremaea pauciflora, Gompholobium tomentosum, Hibbertia hypericoides, Kunzea glabrescens, Petrophile linearis, Phlebocarya ciliata, Philotheca spicata, Stirlingia latifolia and Xanthorrhoea preissii. [1]
Animal species include Dasyurus geoffroii, Calyptorhynchus latirostris, Calyptorhynchus banksii, Banksia aurantia, Caladenia huegelii, Drakaea elastica, and Drakaea micrantha. [1]
Goobang is a national park located in New South Wales, Australia, 296 kilometres (184 mi) northwest of Sydney. It protects the largest remnant forest and woodland in the central west region of the state, where interior and coastal New South Wales flora and fauna species overlap. Originally named Herveys Range by John Oxley in 1817, the area was reserved in 1897 as state forest because of its importance as a timber resource, and was designated a national park in 1995.
The Mooloolah River National Park is a nationally protected area located on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. It covers an area of 830.9 hectares and is bordered by the Mooloolah River to the east, Claymore and Dixon Roads to the west, and the Lower Mooloolah River Environmental Reserve to the south. It is bisected by the Sunshine Motorway with the northern, 161.93 hectare component of the Park being a later addition. The Park was initially vacant crown land prior to national park designation in 1960. Surrounding land uses include livestock grazing, urban development and the campus of the University of the Sunshine Coast. It is the second largest mainland park on the coastal lowlands in South East Queensland after Noosa National Park and represents an example of low-lying coastal floodplain distinctive of the region.
Southwest Australia is a biogeographic region in Western Australia. It includes the Mediterranean-climate area of southwestern Australia, which is home to a diverse and distinctive flora and fauna.
Banksia ilicifolia, commonly known as holly-leaved banksia, is a tree in the family Proteaceae. Endemic to southwest Western Australia, it belongs to Banksia subg. Isostylis, a subgenus of three closely related Banksia species with inflorescences that are dome-shaped heads rather than characteristic Banksia flower spikes. It is generally a tree up to 10 metres (33 ft) tall with a columnar or irregular habit. Both the scientific and common names arise from the similarity of its foliage to that of the English holly Ilex aquifolium; the glossy green leaves generally have very prickly serrated margins, although some plants lack toothed leaves. The inflorescences are initially yellow but become red-tinged with maturity; this acts as a signal to alert birds that the flowers have opened and nectar is available.
The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature which contains the Swan River as it travels west to the Indian Ocean. The coastal plain continues well beyond the boundaries of the Swan River and its tributaries, as a geological and biological zone, one of Western Australia's Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) regions. It is also one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger West Australian Shield division.
Banksia attenuata, commonly known as the candlestick banksia, slender banksia, or biara to the Noongar people, is a species of plant in the family Proteaceae. Commonly a tree, it reaches 10 m (33 ft) high, but it is often a shrub in drier areas 0.4 to 2 m high. It has long, narrow, serrated leaves and bright yellow inflorescences, or flower spikes, held above the foliage, which appear in spring and summer. The flower spikes age to grey and swell with the development of the woody follicles. The candlestick banksia is found across much of the southwest of Western Australia, from north of Kalbarri National Park down to Cape Leeuwin and across to Fitzgerald River National Park.
Banksia menziesii, commonly known as firewood banksia, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Banksia. It is a gnarled tree up to 10 m (33 ft) tall, or a lower spreading 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) shrub in the more northern parts of its range. The serrated leaves are dull green with new growth a paler grey green. The prominent autumn and winter inflorescences are often two-coloured red or pink and yellow, and their colour has given rise to more unusual common names such as port wine banksia and strawberry banksia. Yellow blooms are rarely seen.
Eucalyptus gomphocephala, known as tuart, is a species of tree, one of the six forest giants of Southwest Australia. Tuart forest was common on the Swan coastal plain, until the valuable trees were felled for export and displaced by the urban development around Perth, Western Australia. The wood is dense, hard, water resistant and resists splintering, and found many uses when it was available. Remnants of tuart forest occur in state reserves and parks, the tree has occasionally been introduced to other regions of Australia and overseas. Remaining trees are vulnerable to phytophthora dieback, an often fatal disorder, including a previously unknown species discovered during analysis of dead specimens.
Assemblages of plants and invertebrate animals of tumulus springs of the Swan Coastal Plain are ecological communities in Western Australia. They have been managed under a number of other, similar names, including Mound springs of the Swan Coastal Plain and Communities of Tumulus Springs . The tumulus mounds were common to a narrow range of groundwater discharge at the boundary of 'bassendean sand' and 'guildford clay', along the edge of the Gnangara Mound aquifer. The communities are critically endangered.
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Western Australia occupies nearly one third of the Australian continent. Due to the size and the isolation of the state, considerable emphasis has been made of these features; it is the second largest administrative territory in the world, after Yakutia in Russia, despite the fact that Australia is only the sixth largest country in the world by area, and no other regional administrative jurisdiction in the world occupies such a high percentage of a continental land mass. It is also the only first level administrative subdivision to occupy the entire continental coastline in one cardinal direction.
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Corymbia calophylla – Xanthorrhoea preissii woodlands and shrublands of the Swan Coastal Plain is an ecological community in the Southwest Australia ecoregion.
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The Swan Coastal Plain Shrublands and Woodlands is a sclerophyll-woodland vegetation community that stretch from Kalbarri in the north to Busselton in the south, passing through Perth, in Western Australia. Situated on the Swan Coastal Plain, it is listed as Endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The woodlands also incorporate Perth–Gingin Shrublands and Woodlands.