Microsoft Word - 1131 OPR Rail Veg & Flora vT.doc
MAY 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
May 2010
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
May 2010
i
Document Status
Rev
Author
Reviewer/s
Date
Approved for Issue
Name
Distributed To
Date
1
Melissa Hay
C. Cox
23
rd
Dec 09
C. Cox
C. Miller
23
rd
Dec 09
2
Melissa Hay
C. Macpherson
T. Souster
3
rd
March
2010
C. Macpherson
C. Miller
4
th
March 10
3
Melissa Hay
C. Macpherson
T. Souster
19
th
May
2010
C. Macpherson
D. McAlinden
19
th
May 2010
ecologia Environment (2010). Reproduction of this report in whole or in part by electronic,
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and Rail and/or ecologia Environment.
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or other agreement document, without the express approval of Oakajee Port and Rail and/or
ecologia Environment.
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Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
May 2010
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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 STUDY 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 Study 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 ......................................................................................53
3.4.2
Opportunist Collections ...........................................................................................53
3.4.3
Vegetation Mapping ................................................................................................54
3.4.4
Targeted Threatened Flora Survey ..........................................................................54
4
VEGETATION RECORDED IN THE STUDY AREA ................................................................. 55
4.1.1
Vegetation of the Study Area in the Geraldton Sandplains IBRA Region ................55
4.1.2
Vegetation of the Study Area in the Yalgoo IBRA Region ........................................58
4.1.3
Vegetation of the Study Area in the Murchison IBRA Region .................................62
4.1.4
Vegetation Condition of the Study Area .................................................................69
4.1.5
Fire History of the Study Area .................................................................................70
5
FLORA RECORDED IN THE STUDY AREA ........................................................................... 71
5.1
GENERAL FLORA ......................................................................................................................71
5.2
SAMPLING ADEQUACY ............................................................................................................73
5.2.1
Sampling Adequacy for the Freehold Land Area .....................................................73
5.2.2
Sampling Adequacy for the Pastoral Land Area ......................................................73
5.3
FLORA OF CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE ..............................................................................74
5.3.1
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ..........................74
5.3.2
Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 ...............................................................................78
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OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
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5.3.3
Priority Flora ............................................................................................................79
5.3.4
Priority Flora with Potential to Occur in the Study Area .........................................79
5.3.5
Priority Flora Recorded in the Study Area During the Current Survey ....................79
5.3.6
Priority Flora Recorded During the ecologia Regional Surveys ............................ 100
5.3.7
Range Extensions Recorded in the Study Area ..................................................... 100
5.3.8
Other Flora of Interest Recorded in the Study Area ............................................. 105
5.4
INTRODUCED FLORA ............................................................................................................ 106
5.4.1
Declared Plants ..................................................................................................... 111
5.4.2
Weeds of National Significance ............................................................................ 113
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 ........................................................................... 164
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
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 Study Area ..........................................................................10
Table 2.5 – Land Systems of the Study Area ..........................................................................................12
Table 2.6 – Conservation Estate Located Within the Study Area ...........................................................22
Table 2.7 – PECs Recorded in the Study Area ........................................................................................25
Table 2.8 – Beard Vegetation Communities of the Study 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 Assessment .......................................................................................69
Table 5.1 – Diversity of the Flora of the Study Area ..............................................................................71
Table 5.2 – Diversity of the Flora of the Freehold and Pastoral Land Areas ..........................................71
Table 5.3 – Most Frequently Recorded Families, Genera and Taxa in the Study Area ..........................72
Table 5.4 – Quadrats with the Highest and Lowest Species Richness ...................................................72
Table 5.5 – Species Protected by the EPBC Act Recorded Within a 2 km Buffer of the Study Area ......74
Table 5.6 – DRF Taxa Protected by the WC Act Recorded Within a 2 km Buffer of the Study Area ......78
Table 5.7 – Priority Flora Taxa Recorded in the Study Area ...................................................................79
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Development – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
May 2010
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Table 5.8 – Descriptions of Priority Flora Recorded in the Study Area ..................................................81
Table 5.9 – Priority Flora Taxa Recorded During the ecologia Regional Surveys ................................ 100
Table 5.10 – Range Extensions Recorded in the Study Area ............................................................... 102
Table 5.11 – Introduced Flora Taxa Recorded in the Study Area ........................................................ 107
Table 6.1 – Survey Limitations and Constraints .................................................................................. 116
Table 7.1 – Land System and Soil‐Landscape System Conservation Significance Assessment ........... 129
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 Study Area ... 167
FIGURES
Figure 1.1 – Location of the OPR Rail Study 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 Study Area (Overview Map) ................15
Figure 2.5 – Soil‐Landscape Systems of the Study Area (Map 1) ...........................................................16
Figure 2.6 – Land Systems of the Study Area (Map 2) ...........................................................................17
Figure 2.7 – Land Systems of the Study Area (Map 3) ...........................................................................18
Figure 2.8 – Land Systems of the Study Area (Map 4) ...........................................................................19
Figure 2.9 – IBRA Subregions of the Study Area ....................................................................................21
Figure 2.10 – Conservation Estate Within the Vicinity of the Study Area (Map 1) ................................23
Figure 2.11 – Conservation Estate Within the Vicintiy of the Study Area (Map 2) ................................24
Figure 2.12 – Beard Vegetation of the Study Area (Overview Map) ......................................................32
Figure 2.13 – Beard Vegetation of the Study Area (Map 1) ...................................................................33
Figure 2.14 – Beard Vegetation of the Study Area (Map 2) ...................................................................34
Figure 2.15 – Beard Vegetation of the Study Area (Map 3) ...................................................................35
Figure 2.16 – Beard Vegetation of the Study Area (Map 4) ...................................................................36
Figure 3.1 – Survey Timing and Quadrat Locations ................................................................................47
Figure 3.2 – Transect Locations (Overview Map) ...................................................................................48
Figure 3.3 – Transect Locations (Map 1) ................................................................................................49
Figure 3.4 – Transect Locations (Map 2) ................................................................................................50
Figure 3.5 – Transect Locations (Map 3) ................................................................................................51
Figure 3.6 – Transect Locations (Map 4) ................................................................................................52
Figure 5.1 – Average Randomised SAC for the Freehold Land Area ......................................................73
Figure 5.2 – Average Randomised SAC for the Pastoral Land Area .......................................................74
Figure 5.3 – Locations of Priority Flora Recorded in the ecologia Regional Surveys .......................... 101
Figure 5.4 – Introduced Flora Taxa Recorded in the Study Area (Overview Map) .............................. 108
Figure 5.5 – Introduced Flora Taxa Recorded in the Study Area (Map 1) ........................................... 109
Figure 5.6 – Introduced Flora Taxa Recorded in the Study Area (Map 2) ........................................... 110
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
May 2010
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PLATES
Plate 5.1 – Caladenia hoffmanii .............................................................................................................75
Plate 5.2 – Caladenia hoffmanii (photography: ecologia) ......................................................................75
Plate 5.3 – Eucalyptus blaxellii (photography: ecologia) ........................................................................76
Plate 5.4 – Philotheca wonganensis .......................................................................................................77
Plate 5.5 – Drummondita ericoides ........................................................................................................77
Plate 5.6 – Acacia aff. rhodophloia (photography: ecologia) .............................................................. 105
Plate 5.7 – Philotheca aff. tubiflora (photography: ecologia) ............................................................. 106
Plate 5.8 – *Carthamus lanatus .......................................................................................................... 111
Plate 5.9 – *Echium plantagineum ...................................................................................................... 112
Plate 5.10 – *Emex australis ............................................................................................................... 113
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