High Rainfall Zone

Last updated
The IBRA regions, with regions of the High Rainfall Zone shown in red. IBRA 6.1 High Rainfall Zone.png
The IBRA regions, with regions of the High Rainfall Zone shown in red.
Karri forest in the Warren region, part of the High Rainfall Zone. Rainfall in the Karri forests is the highest in the South West Botanic Province. Pemberton Karri haze.jpg
Karri forest in the Warren region, part of the High Rainfall Zone. Rainfall in the Karri forests is the highest in the South West Botanic Province.

The High Rainfall Zone is one of three biogeographic zones into which south west Western Australia is divided, the others being the Transitional Rainfall Zone and the Low Rainfall Zone.

The zones were first defined by Stephen Hopper in his 1979 paper Biogeographical aspects of speciation in the southwest Australian flora. Initially they were defined in terms of rainfall, with the High Rainfall Zone being that part of the south west with annual rainfall of more than 800 millimetres (31 in). However, following the publication of John Stanley Beard's phytogeographic regionalisation of Western Australia in 1980, it was recognised that Hopper's zones could be defined as aggregates of Beard's botanic districts. The High Rainfall Zone was subsequently re-defined as equivalent to Beard's "Darling Botanical District", later renamed the "South-west Forest Region". When the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) was published in the 1990s, Beard's regionalisation was adopted as the baseline for Western Australia. The South-west Forest Region was divided into three IBRA regions: Warren, Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain. Hence the High Rainfall Zone is now defined as the aggregate of these three IBRA regions.

Related Research Articles

Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia biogeographic regionalisation of Australia developed by the Australian Government

The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) is a biogeographic regionalisation of Australia developed by the Australian Government's Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. It was developed for use as a planning tool, for example for the establishment of a National Reserve System.

Southwest Australia (ecoregion) Ecoregion and region of Western Australia

Southwest Australia is a biodiversity hotspot in Western Australia, it is also known as the Southwest Australia Global Diversity Hotspot, as well as Kwongan.

Esperance Plains biogeographic region of Australia

Esperance Plains, also known as Eyre Botanical District, is a biogeographic region in southern Western Australia on the south coast between the Avon Wheatbelt and Hampton regions, and bordered to the north by the Mallee region. It is a plain punctuated by granite and quartz outcrops and ranges, with a semi-arid Mediterranean climate and vegetation consisting mostly of mallee-heath and proteaceous scrub. About half of the region has been cleared for intensive agriculture. Recognised as a bioregion under the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA), it was first defined by John Stanley Beard in 1980.

Mallee (biogeographic region)

Mallee, also known as Roe Botanical District, is a biogeographic region in southern Western Australia. Located between the Esperance Plains, Avon Wheatbelt and Coolgardie regions, it has a low, gently undulating topography, a semi-arid mediterranean climate, and extensive Eucalyptus mallee vegetation. About half of the region has been cleared for intensive agriculture. Recognised as a region under the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA), it was first defined by John Stanley Beard in 1980.

Warren (biogeographic region) biogeographic region in southern Western Australia

Warren, also known as Karri Forest Region and the Jarrah-Karri forest and shrublands ecoregion, is a biogeographic region in southern Western Australia. Located in the southwest corner of Western Australia between Cape Naturaliste and Albany, it is bordered to the north and east by the Jarrah Forest region. Its defining characteristic is an extensive tall forest of Eucalyptus diversicolor (karri). This occurs on dissected, hilly ground, with a moderately wet climate. Karri is a valuable timber and much of the karri forest has been logged over, but less than a third has been cleared for agriculture. Recognised as a region under the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA), and as a terrestrial ecoregion by the World Wide Fund for Nature, it was first defined by Ludwig Diels in 1906.

Transitional Rainfall Zone

The Transitional Rainfall Zone (TRZ) is one of three biogeographic zones into which south-west Western Australia is divided, the others being the High Rainfall Zone and the Low Rainfall Zone. The TRZ is recognised as having a much higher diversity of rare and endemic plant species than the other Zones.

The Low Rainfall Zone (LRZ) is one of three biogeographic zones into which south west Western Australia is divided, the others being the High Rainfall Zone and the Transitional Rainfall Zone. The LRZ is considered marginal to the south west, and extends throughout much of Australia.

Western Mallee

Western Mallee is an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) subregion in southern Western Australia. It is a sparsely populated subregion with an area of about 47,000 square kilometres, roughly centred on the town of Newdegate. Largely cleared for intensive agriculture, it still retains patches of native vegetation, but these are under environmental stress from threats such as rising salinity, and are poorly managed.

Eastern Mallee

Eastern Mallee is an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) subregion in southern Western Australia.

Coolgardie (biogeographic region) Ecoregion (WWF)

Coolgardie is an Australian bioregion and a World Wildlife Fund ecoregion consisting of an area of low hills and plains of infertile sandy soil in Western Australia.

Yalgoo (biogeographic region) biogeographic region in Western Australia

Yalgoo is an interim Australia bioregion located in Western Australia, comprising 5,087,577 hectares.

The Western Australian Flora – A Descriptive Catalogue was published by the Wildflower Society of Western Australia, the Western Australian Herbarium, CALM, and the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority of Perth, Western Australia.

Brigalow Belt

The Brigalow Belt is a wide band of acacia-wooded grassland that runs between tropical rainforest of the coast and the semi-arid interior of Queensland, Australia. The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) divides the Brigalow Belt into two IBRA regions, or bioregions, Brigalow Belt North (BBN) and Brigalow Belt South (BBS). The North and South Brigalow Belt are two of the 85 bioregions across Australia and the 15 bioregions in Queensland. Together they form most of the Brigalow tropical savanna ecoregion.

The Eremaean province is a botanical region in Western Australia, characterised by a desert climate. It is sometimes referred to as the dry and arid inland or interior region of Western Australia

The botanical provinces of Western Australia delineate "natural" phytogeographic regions of WA, based on climate and types of vegetation. John Stanley Beard, in "Plant Life of Western Australia" (p. 29-37) gives a short history of the various mappings.

Nandewar Region in Australia

Nandewar, an interim Australian bioregion, is located in New South Wales and Queensland, and comprises an area of 2,701,977 hectares, surrounded by the Brigalow Belt South to the west, south-west and north-west, and to the east by the New England Tablelands. This is a region of hills on Palaeozoic sediments and lithosols and of Eucalyptus albens woodlands and summer rainfall.

Cape York Peninsula tropical savanna Region in Queensland, Australia

The Cape York Peninsula tropical savanna is a tropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion in northern Australia. It occupies the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, mainland Australia's northernmost point. It is coterminous with the Cape York Peninsula, an interim Australian bioregion.

<i>Opercularia vaginata</i> species of plant

Opercularia vaginata (dogweed) is a species of plant within the genus, Opercularia, in the family Rubiaceae. It is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia.

References

Further reading