Wandana
Moderate
17
17
283
130 (outlier
at 330 km)
‐
0.4
3
4
220
18
24
78
P1
Tricoryne sp. Geraldton
High(b)
4
3
27
30
‐
55.6
1
2
10
25
67
37
P1
Vittadinia cervicularis var.
occidentalis
High(a)
5
5
6
40 (outlier at
150 km)
‐
‐
1
1
1
20
20
17
P2
Acacia megacephala
Low(a)
20
19
162
90
‐
63.0
1
3
1
5
16
1
P2
Dicrastylis incana
Low ‐ A
12
11
56
70
‐
‐
2
2
3
17
18
5
P2
Frankenia confusa
Low(b)
21
15
476
500
‐
1.5
11
6
239
52
40
50
P2
Homalocalyx
inerrabundus
Moderate
13
5
253
500
‐
‐
9
2
39
69
40
15
P2
Leucopogon borealis
Very High
43
28
418
35
‐
12.4
24
15
169
56
54
40
P2
Leucopogon sp.
Howatharra
Very High
6
3
91
20
‐
‐
4
1
38
67
33
42
P2
Malleostemon sp.
Moonyoonooka
High(a)
1
1
51
1
‐
‐
1
1
1
100
100
2
P2
Scholtzia sp. East Yuna
High(b)
6
6
52
115
‐
‐
4
4
50
67
67
96
P2
Thryptomene sp. East
Yuna
Low(a)
17
16
141
60
‐
88.7
3
4
4
18
25
3
P2
Thryptomene sp. Yuna
Reserve
Low(a)
7
7
12
30 (outlier at
50 km)
‐
16.7
1
3
1
14
43
8
P2
Thryptomene stenophylla
Low(a)
35
26
685
25
‐
10
5
18
29
19
3
P2
Verticordia aereiflora
High(b)
3
3
53
40
‐
1.9
1
2
50
33
67
94
P3
Acacia leptospermoides
subsp. psammophila
Low(a)
34
30
280
50 (outlier
to 85 km)
‐
42.5
5
8
23
15
27
8
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Project – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
169
Code
Taxa
Assigned
Cons Sig
Regional Information
Conservation Estate
Local Information (Project Area)
Total No
Locations
Total No
Populations
Total
No
Plants
Known
Distribution
(km)
% of
Locations
Within
Conservation
Estate in the
Project Area
% of
Locations
Within
Conservation
Estate Outside
the Project
Area
No
Locations
Recorded
Within the
Project
Area
No
Populations
Recorded
Within the
Project Area
No Plants
Recorded
Within
Project
Area
% All
Locations
Within the
Project
Area
% All
Populations
Within the
Project Area
% Total
No
Plants
Within
Project
Area
P3
Acacia speckii
Low(b)
223
138
1,338
410
0.2
2.9
124
75
384
56
54
29
P3
Acacia subsessilis
Low(a)
40
32
882
150
‐
21.9
14
14
40
35
44
5
P3
Acanthocarpus
parviflorus
Low(a)
72
34
715
330
‐
21.4
3
13
4
4
38
1
P3
Arnocrinum drummondii
Low(a)
7
7
101
600
‐
88.1
1
5
10
14
71
10
P3
Baeckea sp. Walkaway
Low(a)
29
28
1,206
117
‐
83.8
2
5
2
7
18
<0.1
P3
Blackallia nudiflora
Low(a)
28
25
2,069
85 (outlier
to 340 km)
‐
0.5
1
3
22
4
12
1
P3
Calytrix erosipetala
Low(a)
44
38
2,116
550
2.7
3.4
10
4
106
23
11
5
P3
Calytrix formosa
Low(a)
24
23
201
230
‐
42.3
2
8
3
8
35
1
P3
Calytrix uncinata
Low(a)
49
46
1,252
530
‐
4.5
6
8
18
12
17
1
P3
Calytrix verruculosa
Low(b)
62
44
1,091
160
‐
‐
51
33
730
82
75
67
P3
Dicrastylis linearifolia
Low(a)
39
31
1,720
420
1.2
73.6
15
10
107
38
32
6
P3
Dodonaea amplisemina
Low(b)
135
70
1,121
480
‐
1.4
62
30
298
46
43
27
P3
Eremophila arachnoides
subsp. arachnoides
Moderate
8
8
261
580
‐
19.2
2
3
40
25
38
15
P3
Eremophila muelleriana
Low(b)
129
33
593
300
0.2
‐
119
23
321
92
70
54
P3
Gastrolobium propinquum
Low(a)
26
21
375
80 (outlier
to 130 km)
‐
‐
1
1
1
4
5
<0.1
P3
Gastrolobium
rotundifolium
Low(a)
30
25
387
650
‐
‐
5
1
7
17
4
2
P3
Geleznowia verrucosa
subsp. Kalbarri
Moderate
31
25
403
355
‐
1.2
5
6
57
16
24
14
P3
Gnephosis cassiniana
Low(a)
13
10
12,042
130 (outlier
to 284 km)
‐
0.8
2
2
2
15
20
<0.1
P3
Grevillea candicans
Moderate
28
25
75
165 (outlier
to 400 km)
‐
6.7
3
3
8
11
12
11
P3
Grevillea stenostachya
Low(b)
221
125
654
360
‐
2.4
157
85
276
71
68
42
P3
Grevillea triloba
Low(b)
423
155
15,130
110
‐
28.8
313
106
4024
74
68
27
P3
Hemigenia tysonii
Low(b)
254
161
7,579
282
‐
1.3
173
106
3554
68
66
47
P3
Hemigenia virescens
Low(b)
83
43
2,573
330
‐
1.9
76
37
1478
92
86
57
P3
Homalocalyx echinulatus
Moderate
51
39
862
620
‐
0.7
11
11
204
22
28
24
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Project – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
170
Code
Taxa
Assigned
Cons Sig
Regional Information
Conservation Estate
Local Information (Project Area)
Total No
Locations
Total No
Populations
Total
No
Plants
Known
Distribution
(km)
% of
Locations
Within
Conservation
Estate in the
Project Area
% of
Locations
Within
Conservation
Estate Outside
the Project
Area
No
Locations
Recorded
Within the
Project
Area
No
Populations
Recorded
Within the
Project Area
No Plants
Recorded
Within
Project
Area
% All
Locations
Within the
Project
Area
% All
Populations
Within the
Project Area
% Total
No
Plants
Within
Project
Area
P3
Indigofera gilesii subsp.
gilesii
Low(a)
16
16
123
581
0.8
‐
1
1
1
6
6
1
P3
Lasiopetalum
oppositifolium
Low(a)
40
24
393
115 (outlier
to 560 km)
‐
9.2
1
7
9
3
29
2
P3
Lepidium scandens
Low(a)
5
5
55
60 (outlier
to 400 km)
‐
‐
1
1
1
20
20
2
P3
Microcorys tenuifolia
Low(a)
17
14
200
400
‐
51.0
6
5
6
35
36
3
P3
Micromyrtus placoides
Low(a)
80
35
3,958
180
‐
‐
4
3
7
5
9
<0.1
P3
Petrophile pauciflora
Low(a)
29
29
429
400
‐
2.5
8
13
31
28
45
7
P3
Prostanthera petrophila
Low(a)
104
62
1,606
260
‐
0.4
26
19
124
25
31
8
P3
Ptilotus beardii
Low(b)
74
64
3,798
230
‐
1.6
39
40
1671
53
63
44
P3
Scaevola oldfieldii
Low(a)
12
11
162
160
‐
67.3
1
3
1
8
27
1
P3
Serichonus gracilipes
High C
21
15
76
50
‐
6.6
13
9
36
62
60
47
P3
Stenanthemum
divaricatum
Low(a)
12
12
17
500
‐
23.5
1
5
1
8
42
6
P3
Tecticornia cymbiformis
Moderate
8
7
66
290
‐
1.5
2
2
11
25
29
17
P3
Thryptomene sp.
Moresby Range
Very High
58
25
1,808
30
‐
1.3
38
16
940
66
64
52
P3
Verticordia chrysostachys
var. pallida
Moderate
35
30
262
180
‐
‐
8
4
86
23
13
33
P3
Verticordia densiflora var.
roseostella
Moderate
50
38
378
250
‐
18.3
15
8
56
30
21
15
P3
Verticordia jamiesonii
Low(a)
37
34
590
350
0.3
8.8
6
6
26
16
18
4
P4
Acacia guinetii
Low(a)
52
34
363
40
‐
19.3
19
14
35
37
41
10
P4
Baeckea sp. Melita
Station
Low(a)
77
59
1,317
540
0.5
9.4
13
12
76
17
20
6
P4
Diuris recurva
Low(a)
28
27
732
450
‐
2.5
2
5
20
7
19
3
P4
Eucalyptus ebbanoensis
subsp. photina
Moderate
25
23
216
145
‐
‐
4
4
51
16
17
24
P4
Goodenia berringbinensis
Low(a)
10
10
28,191
520
‐
0.4
2
3
50
20
30
<0.1
P4
Grevillea inconspicua
Low(a)
71
65
2,199
560
‐
9.2
7
11
7
10
17
<0.1
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Project – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
171
Code
Taxa
Assigned
Cons Sig
Regional Information
Conservation Estate
Local Information (Project Area)
Total No
Locations
Total No
Populations
Total
No
Plants
Known
Distribution
(km)
% of
Locations
Within
Conservation
Estate in the
Project Area
% of
Locations
Within
Conservation
Estate Outside
the Project
Area
No
Locations
Recorded
Within the
Project
Area
No
Populations
Recorded
Within the
Project Area
No Plants
Recorded
Within
Project
Area
% All
Locations
Within the
Project
Area
% All
Populations
Within the
Project Area
% Total
No
Plants
Within
Project
Area
P4
Jacksonia velutina
Low(a)
35
33
390
200 (outliers
to 400 km)
‐
52.6
1
10
1
3
30
<0.1
P4
Lechenaultia longiloba
Low(a)
15
15
264
80
‐
‐
1
1
1
7
7
<0.1
P4
Verticordia capillaris
Low(b)
83
56
558
300
‐
28.0
42
28
118
51
50
21
P4
Verticordia penicillaris
Low(b)
121
59
5,337
190
‐
23.5
77
28
2135
64
47
40
P4
Verticordia polytricha
Low(a)
26
25
859
200 (outlier
to 475 km)
‐
82.5
1
11
6
4
44
1
Locations are defined as records of occurrence separated by more than 50 metres.
Populations are defined as records of occurrence separated by more than 500 metres.
Bold font indicates species recorded by ecologia during the current survey of the Project Area.
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Project – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
172
8.1
FLORA OF NATIONAL AND STATE CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE
National significance refers to those features of the environment which are recognised under
legislation as being of importance to the Australian community; in particular, species listed under the
EPBC Act are regarded as nationally significant. State significance refers to those features of the
environment that are recognised under State legislation as being of importance to the Western
Australian community, in particular, species listed as DRF under the WC Act are of state significance.
During the current survey, two flora species of national and state significance were recorded in the
Project Area: Caladenia hoffmanii (Endangered, DRF) and Eucalyptus blaxellii (Vulnerable, DRF).
During the database searches, an additional two flora species of national and state significance were
recorded in the Project Area; Drummondita ericoides (Endangered, DRF) and Philotheca wonganensis
(Endangered, DRF). The significance of these species is discussed below.
Caladenia hoffmanii is listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act and as DRF under the WC Act. It is
endemic to the Geraldton Sandplains bioregion as shown by the current WA HERB distribution for
C. hoffmanii in Figure 8.1 below.
Figure 8.1
–
Distribution of Caladenia hoffmanii
Using the information provided in Table 8.2, this species is known from 285 individuals at 38
locations and 19 populations. Of these 52.3% of the total number of plants were inside the Project
Area and 1.5% were in conservation reserves.
Caladenia hoffmanii grows in clay or sandy‐clay on laterite rocky hill sides and ridges, or in winter
wet flats. A disjunct occurrence is recorded 600 km south‐east of the Geraldton area in the Pinharing
area, growing around large granite outcrops. These habitats are not widespread in the Project Area
and the region and the large percentage of total individuals (52.3%) recorded in the Project Area
indicates a high local endemism for this species.
The known populations of C. hoffmanii are severely fragmented and the quality of habitat for many
populations is in decline (Pers. com. Murray Baker, DEC, 2009). The EPBC Act conservation advice
lists the main threats to C. hoffmanii as fire and grazing by feral pigs and rabbits.
Due to the fragmentation of the populations, decrease in habitat quality, the small distribution of
known occurrences (50 km with one outlier to 70 km), the high percentage of the total population in
Oakajee Port and Rail
OPR Rail Project – Vegetation and Flora Assessment
March 2010
173
the Project Area and the likelihood that it is locally endemic to the area, it is considered that C.
hoffmanii has high local significance in the Project Area.
Eucalyptus blaxellii is listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act and as DRF under the WC Act. It has
been recorded in the Geraldton Sandplains and Avon Wheatbelt bioregions as shown by the current
WA HERB distribution of E. blaxellii in Figure 8.2 below.
Figure 8.2
–
Distribution of Eucalyptus blaxellii
Using the information provided in Table 8.2, this species is known from 2,885 individuals at 169
locations and 12 populations. Of these 16.4% of the total number of plants were recorded inside
the Project Area and 7.6% were in conservation reserves.
The EPBC Act conservation advice states the main threat to E. blaxellii is inappropriate fire regimes,
however most known populations are secure as they occur in areas that are unsuitable for farming
due to the inaccessibility of the steep slope.
Eucalyptus blaxellii grows in sand over laterite, or brown clay on sandstone hills or creek flats which
is widespread at the Western end of the Project Area. As these habitats are moderately widespread
in the region and as the percentage of total individuals is moderate (16.4%) in the Project Area, it
indicates a low to moderate local endemism for this species. E. blaxellii does not appear to be locally
restricted with records spaning 70 km and one outlier to 170 km.
A nomination to remove this species from the listing of DRF was submitted to the Threatened Species
Scientific Community earlier in 2009 which has yet to get a decision from the Minister; however it is
likely that E. blaxellii’s conservation status maybe altered to a Priority 4 (Pers. com. Murray Baker,
DEC, 2009).
Because of the large population numbers, longevity, disturbance recovery abilities and the DECs
recommendation to remove E. blaxellii from the listing as vulnerable (EPBC Act) and DRF (WC Act), it
is considered that E. blaxellii has low conservation significance in the Project Area.
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