MARCH 2010
OAKAJEE PORT AND RAIL
OPR RAIL DEVELOPMENT
VEGETATION AND FLORA ASSESSMENT
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OAKAJEE PORT AND RAIL
OPR RAIL DEVELOPMENT
VEGETATION AND FLORA ASSESSMENT
March 2010
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
i
Document Status
Rev
Author
Reviewer/s
Date
Approved for Issue
Name
Distributed To
Date
1
Melissa Hay
Christina Cox
23
rd
Dec 09
Christina Cox
Cathee Miller
23
rd
Dec 09
2
Melissa Hay
C. Macpherson
T. Souster
3
rd
March
2010
C. Macpherson
Cathee Miller
5
th
March 10
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ecologia Environment.
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Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... X
1
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1
1.1
LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................................... 1
1.2
SURVEY OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................. 2
2
EXISTING ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................................. 5
2.1
CLIMATE .................................................................................................................................... 5
2.2
GEOLOGY, LANDFORMS AND SOILS .......................................................................................... 8
2.2.1
Geology, Landforms and Soils of the Freehold Land Area ........................................ 8
2.2.2
Geology, Landforms and Soils of the Pastoral Land Area .......................................... 8
2.3
LAND SYSTEM AND SOIL‐LANDSCAPE SYSTEM CLASSIFICATION .............................................. 9
2.4
BIOGEOGRAPHIC REGIONS .....................................................................................................20
2.4.1
Geraldton Sandplains Bioregion ‐ Geraldton Hills Subregion ..................................20
2.4.2
Yalgoo Bioregion ‐ Tallering Subregion ...................................................................20
2.4.3
Murchison Bioregion ‐ Western Murchison Subregion ...........................................20
2.5
CONSERVATION ESTATES IN THE PROJECT AREA ...................................................................22
2.6
STATE AND NATIONALLY RECOGNISED THREATENED COMMUNITIES ...................................25
2.6.1
Threatened Ecological Communities .......................................................................25
2.6.2
Priority Ecological Communities ..............................................................................25
2.6.3
Environmentally Sensitive Areas .............................................................................25
2.7
LAND USE HISTORY .................................................................................................................26
2.8
PREVIOUS BIOLOGICAL SURVEYS ............................................................................................26
2.8.1
Vegetation Described by Beard ...............................................................................28
2.8.2
Vegetation Described By IBRA .................................................................................37
2.8.3
Vegetation Previously Recorded in the Vicinity of the Project Area .......................37
3
SURVEY METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................. 43
3.1
GUIDING PRINCIPLES ..............................................................................................................43
3.2
DETERMINATION OF SURVEY SAMPLING DESIGN AND INTENSITY ........................................43
3.3
DATABASE SEARCHES ..............................................................................................................45
3.4
VEGETATION AND FLORA ASSESSMENT .................................................................................45
3.4.1
Detailed Floristic Quadrats ......................................................................................52
3.4.2
Opportunist Collections ...........................................................................................52
3.4.3
Vegetation Mapping ................................................................................................53
3.4.4
Targeted Threatened Flora Survey ..........................................................................53
4
VEGETATION RECORDED IN THE PROJECT AREA .............................................................. 55
4.1.1
Vegetation of the Project Area in the Geraldton Sandplains IBRA Region .............55
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OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
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4.1.2
Vegetation of the Project Area in the Yalgoo IBRA Region .....................................58
4.1.3
Vegetation of the Project Area in the Murchison IBRA Region ...............................62
4.1.4
Vegetation Condition of the Project Area ...............................................................70
4.1.5
Fire History of the Project Area ...............................................................................71
5
FLORA RECORDED IN THE PROJECT AREA ........................................................................ 73
5.1
GENERAL FLORA ......................................................................................................................73
5.2
SAMPLING ADEQUACY ............................................................................................................75
5.2.1
Sampling Adequacy for the Freehold Land Area .....................................................75
5.2.2
Sampling Adequacy for the Pastoral Land Area ......................................................75
5.3
FLORA OF CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE ..............................................................................76
5.3.1
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ..........................76
5.3.2
Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 ...............................................................................78
5.3.3
Priority Flora ............................................................................................................79
5.3.4
Priority Flora with Potential to Occur in the Project Area .......................................79
5.3.5
Priority Flora Recorded in the Project Area During the Current Survey .................80
5.3.6
Priority Flora Recorded During the ecologia Regional Surveys ............................ 101
5.3.7
Range Extensions Recorded in the Project Area .................................................. 101
5.3.8
Other Flora of Interest Recorded in the Project Area .......................................... 106
5.4
INTRODUCED FLORA ............................................................................................................ 107
5.4.1
Declared Plants ..................................................................................................... 112
5.4.2
Weeds of National Significance ............................................................................ 114
6
SURVEY LIMITATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS .................................................................... 115
7
VEGETATION COMMUNITIES CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT ......................................... 119
7.1
VEGETATION OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE ......................................................................... 119
7.2
VEGETATION OF STATE SIGNIFICANCE ................................................................................ 119
7.3
VEGETATION OF REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE ......................................................................... 120
7.3.1
Land System and Soil‐Landscape System Analysis ............................................... 120
7.3.2
Beard Mapping Analysis ....................................................................................... 131
7.4
VEGETATION OF LOCAL SIGNIFICANCE ................................................................................ 141
8
FLORA CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT ........................................................................... 165
8.1
FLORA OF NATIONAL AND STATE CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE ...................................... 172
8.1
FLORA OF REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE .................................................................................... 176
8.2
FLORA OF LOCAL SIGNIFICANCE .......................................................................................... 176
9
STUDY TEAM ................................................................................................................ 189
10
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 191
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OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
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TABLES
Table 2.1 – Rainfall Preceding the Section 5 Survey (Geraldton Airport Records) ................................. 6
Table 2.2 – Rainfall Preceding the Section 3 and Section 4 Surveys (Mullewa Records) ......................... 7
Table 2.3 – Rainfall Preceding the Section 1 and Section 2 Surveys (Meekatharra Aiport Records) ....... 8
Table 2.4 – Soil‐Landscape Systems of the Project Area ........................................................................10
Table 2.5 – Land Systems of the Project Area ........................................................................................12
Table 2.6 – Conservation Estate Located Within the Project Area ........................................................22
Table 2.7 – PECs Recorded in the Project Area ......................................................................................25
Table 2.8 – Beard Vegetation Communities of the Project Area ...........................................................31
Table 2.9 – Jack Hills Vegetation Communities ......................................................................................37
Table 2.10 – Jack Hills Vegetation Communities (DEC) ..........................................................................39
Table 2.11 – Weld Range Vegetation Communities (DEC) .....................................................................39
Table 2.12 – Weld Range Vegetation Communities ...............................................................................40
Table 2.13 – Oakajee Vegetation Communities .....................................................................................41
Table 2.14 – Vegetation Communities Recorded Between Jack Hills and Weld Range .........................41
Table 3.1 – Factors Likely to Influence Survey Design ............................................................................44
Table 4.1 – Vegetation Condition Assesment ........................................................................................70
Table 5.1 – Diversity of the Flora of the Project Area ............................................................................73
Table 5.2 – Diversity of the Flora of the Freehold and Pastoral Land Areas ..........................................73
Table 5.3 – Most Frequently Recorded Families, Genera and Taxa in the Project Area ........................74
Table 5.4 – Quadrats with the Highest and Lowest Species Richness ...................................................74
Table 5.5 – Species Protected by the EPBC Act Recorded Within a 2 km Buffer of the Project Area ....76
Table 5.6 – DRF Taxa Protected by the WC Act Recorded Within a 2 km Buffer of the Project Area ...79
Table 5.7 – Priority Flora Taxa Recorded in the Project Area ................................................................80
Table 5.8 – Descriptions of Priority Flora Recorded in the Project Area ................................................82
Table 5.9 – Priority Flora Taxa Recorded During the ecologia Regional Surveys ................................ 101
Table 5.10 – Range Extensions Recorded in the Project Area ............................................................ 103
Table 5.11 – Introduced Flora Taxa Recorded in the Project Area ..................................................... 108
Table 6.1 – Survey Limitations and Constraints .................................................................................. 116
Table 7.1 – Land System and Soil‐Landscape System Conservation Significance Assessment ........... 128
Table 7.2 – Beard Vegetation Units Conservation Significance Assessment ...................................... 137
Table 7.3 – Extent of Beard Vegetation Units Remaining in the Geraldton Sandplains Bioregion ..... 139
Table 7.4 – Vegetation Communities Conservation Significance Assessment .................................... 157
Table 8.1 – Number of Plants Assumed for Records Where Only Descriptions or % Cover was
Available .......................................................................................................................... 165
Table 8.2 – Conservation Assessment of DRF and Priority Flora Taxa Recorded in the Project Area 167
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
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FIGURES
Figure 1.1 – Location of the OPR Rail Project Area .................................................................................. 3
Figure 2.1 – Climatic Summary Data (Geraldton Airport) ........................................................................ 5
Figure 2.2 – Climatic Summary Data (Mullewa) ....................................................................................... 6
Figure 2.3 – Climatic Summary Data (Meekatharra Airport) ................................................................... 7
Figure 2.4 – Land Systems and Soil‐Landscape Systems of the Project Area (Overview Map) ..............15
Figure 2.5 – Soil‐Landscape Systems of the Project Area (Map 1) .........................................................16
Figure 2.6 – Land Systems of the Project Area (Map 2) .........................................................................17
Figure 2.7 – Land Systems of the Project Area (Map 3) .........................................................................18
Figure 2.8 – Land Systems of the Project Area (Map 4) .........................................................................19
Figure 2.9 – IBRA Subregions of the Project Area ..................................................................................21
Figure 2.10 – Conservation Estate Within the Vicinity of the Project Area (Map 1) ..............................23
Figure 2.11 – Conservation Estate Within the Vicintiy of the Project Area (Map 2) ..............................24
Figure 2.12 – Beard Vegetation of the Project Area (Overview Map) ...................................................32
Figure 2.13 – Beard Vegetation of the Project Area (Map 1) .................................................................33
Figure 2.14 – Beard Vegetation of the Project Area (Map 2) .................................................................34
Figure 2.15 – Beard Vegetation of the Project Area (Map 3) .................................................................35
Figure 2.16 – Beard Vegetation of the Project Area (Map 4) .................................................................36
Figure 3.1 – Survey Timing and Quadrat Locations ................................................................................46
Figure 3.2 – Transect Locations (Overview Map) ...................................................................................47
Figure 3.3 – Transect Locations (Map 1) ................................................................................................48
Figure 3.4 – Transect Locations (Map 2) ................................................................................................49
Figure 3.5 – Transect Locations (Map 3) ................................................................................................50
Figure 3.6 – Transect Locations (Map 4) ................................................................................................51
Figure 5.1 – Average Randomised SAC for the Freehold Land Area ......................................................75
Figure 5.2 – Average Randomised SAC for the Pastoral Land Area .......................................................76
Figure 5.3 – Locations of Priority Flora Recorded in the ecologia Regional Surveys .......................... 102
Figure 5.4 – Introduced Flora Taxa Recorded in the Project Area (Overview Map) ........................... 109
Figure 5.5 – Introduced Flora Taxa Recorded in the Project Area (Map 1)......................................... 110
Figure 5.6 – Introduced Flora Taxa Recorded in the Project Area (Map 2)......................................... 111
Figure 8.1 – Distribution of Caladenia hoffmanii ................................................................................ 172
Figure 8.2 – Distribution of Eucalyptus blaxellii .................................................................................. 173
Figure 8.3 – Distribution of Drummondita ericoides ........................................................................... 174
Figure 8.4 – Distribution of Philotheca wonganensis .......................................................................... 175
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
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PLATES
Plate 5.1 – Caladenia hoffmanii .............................................................................................................77
Plate 5.2 – Caladenia hoffmanii (photography: ecologia) ......................................................................77
Plate 5.3 – Eucalyptus blaxellii (photography: ecologia) ........................................................................78
Plate 5.4 – Acacia aff. rhodophloia (photography: ecologia) .............................................................. 106
Plate 5.5 – Philotheca aff. tubiflora (photography: ecologia) ............................................................. 107
Plate 5.6 – *Carthamus lanatus .......................................................................................................... 112
Plate 5.7 – *Echium plantagineum ...................................................................................................... 113
Plate 5.8 – *Emex australis ................................................................................................................. 114
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