Flora and Vegetation
Many species in the Cape Province are at the
end of their geographic range and are hence considered extremely important from
an ecological perspective. The peninsula is also a region of biogeographic overlap
and therefore has a diversity of species from temperate, arid and tropical botanical
provinces. The spinifex grasslands in the proposed development
site are extremely important wildlife habitat, particularly for reptiles and
small mammals. Two species recorded at Mauds landing are classed as Priority
2 taxa under Western Australian endangered pecies legislation, which means they
are from one or a few populations, where at least one population is not currently
endangered. Only one non-native (introduced) species was recorded in the proposed
development site. Vegetation in the Cape Range Peninsula is mostly
shrub steppe (Beard, 1975), dominated by wattles and eucalypts with a lower
storey of small shrubs and Spinifex. There are 630 vascular plant species found
in the Cape Range Province, grouped into seven major vegetation communities
(Keighery and Gibson, 1993). The flora is much more species rich than any other
major arid and semi-arid karst areas of Western Australia and even with the
paucity of knowledge it is known to be more than twice as species rich than
comparable areas in the same biogeographic region (EPA, 1998). Floristically
the Cape is of high conservation value and contains many range-end populations
of flora at the limit of their distribution. The peninsula is also an area of biogeographic
overlap, containing species from the temperate, arid and tropical provinces
(CALM, 1997). The Mauds Landing area is located within the Carnarvon Biogeographic
Region, which extends from Shark Bay to Onslow. Less than 10% of this biogeographic
region is currently reserved (ATA, 2000). The vegetation consists of two communities;
the foredunes, associated swales and dunes in the west and the saline-flats
behind the dunes. The foredunes are dominated by Spinifex grasslands,
which are extremely important to wildlife. Most of the vegetation in the survey
area was considered to be in good to excellent condition (Trugen, 1994). One
hundred and six native flowering plants from 33 plant families were recorded
in the Maud's Landing townsite with only one introduced (exotic) species. These
species are considered to represent 85% of the flora of the site given the time
of year the survey was conducted. No Declared Rare Flora were recorded, however
two Priority species were recorded (Acacia ryaniana and Eremophila glabra ssp.
Dirk Hartog). Both species are listed as Priority 2 taxa, which means they are
from one or a few populations, where at least one population is not currently
endangered. An aquatic herbfield was also identified in
a hypersaline pool on the site that was dry at the time of survey. The plant
material here was difficult to identify and it is considered quite unusual for
claypans of this type to have aquatic vegetation. (Trugen, 1994). CALM, 1997,
The flora of the Cape Range Peninsula is incredibly diverse with over 630 plant
species recorded. It is much more diverse than similar arid and semi-arid areas
in Western Australia and is known to have twice as many species as other similar
areas within the same biogeographic region.
Cape Range National Park Management Plan, 1987-1997,
Department of Conservation and Land Management, Perth EPA, 1998,
Environmental Protection of Cape Range Province, Preliminary Position Statement
No.1, Environmental Protection Authority, Perth Trudgen, 1994,
A Flora and Vegetation Survey and Assessment of Conservation Values for Flora
and Vegetation of the Proposed Coral Coast Marina, Prepared for Bowman Bishaw
Gorham Consultants, Perth