Section a obbens p65

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Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 84: 53-61, 2001

© Royal Society of Western Australia, 2001

53

Introduction

Jingaring Nature Reserve is a species-rich remnant

(see species list in appendix) of high conservation value

(i.e. “A” class nature reserve). It is located 155 km directly

east-south-east of Perth near Pingelly, Western Australia

(Fig 1). The district has a dry Mediterranean-type climate

with very warm, dry summers and very cool, wet win-

ters. Average annual rainfall for the reserve is about 400

mm, which places the reserve within the wetter western

(inner) margins of the wheatbelt (Fig 1). The landscape

surrounding Jingaring Nature Reserve is undulating hills

with interspersed plains. Overall height relief is low and

there are few large granite outcrops or extensive lateritic

ridges as found in western parts of this district (Beard

1980a). The reserve is a small triangular remnant (34 ha)

situated in the upper reaches of the Avon River, the river

being a few kilometres to the north. Drainage of the im-

mediate area is via Sandplain Creek, that runs through

the extreme south-western corner of the reserve heading

firstly north west, then to the north, before it drains into

the Avon River. Jingaring Nature Reserve is actually a

remnant portion of creek floodplain and gently sloping

valley side. The reserve is surrounded by expanses of

cleared agricultural land that forms an integral feature of

the Western Australian wheatbelt region. Beard (1980b)

classified the dominant vegetation of the district as a mix-

ture of York gum (Eucalyptus loxophleba) and wandoo (E.

wandoo), with scrub-heath on intervening sandplain areas.

This describes the situation in the immediate surrounds

of the reserve. Further east (~25 km) the wandoo gives

way to the more xeric-adapted salmon gum (E.

salmonophloia), while 20 km south in the Shire of Cuballing,

groves of jam (Acacia acuminata) and sheoak (Allocasuarina

huegeliana) surround significant areas of granite

outcropping (Beard 1980b).

Currently, there are few published wheatbelt rem-

nant surveys available, but notable are the pioneering

surveys of 24 reserves compiled in the Records of the

Western Australian Museum (Muir 1977a). There are sev-

eral other significant, and unpublished, flora surveys of

wheatbelt remnants; however, few of these submitted

vouchers to the Western Australian Herbarium (PERTH)

so that the specimens would be available and

taxonomically relevant into the future. Reasons for the

lack of published survey information to date are the costs

of extensively surveying remnants and the vastness of the

region (i.e. 18 million hectares). Larger remnants (i.e. >2000

ha) are generally considered as important areas for con-

serving this wealth of bio-diversity and these areas are

also particularly necessary for fauna conservation. The

aim of this survey was to highlight the contribution that

smaller remnants, (particularly intact remnants) can make

towards the overall flora diversity within the wheatbelt

region. Additionally, it emphasizes that these small intact

remnants should not be overlooked nor precluded from

future acquisitions of conservation estate.