Ecological Notes on the Vegetation of 80-Mile Beach. 157 
7._EC0L0(IICAL 
NOTES ON THE VEGETATION 
80 -MTLE BEAC^H. 
OF 
Hy Xancv T. BuRHiiKiK, I>.S(*. (Hons.). 
Read lOlh March, 1941 : Published 2olh February, 1944. 
The area with which this pai)er is conceiaied is the portion ol the coast 
oT Western Australia lietween (^ape I\eraudr(“n, where the Xo. 1 Rabbit 
Proof Fence reaches the coast and Ca])e Mississey, which marks the northern 
boundary of Anna Plains Station, and is the first break in the coastline of 
the i)each. The ecolo,i»ical notes were obtained during a series of eollectiiig 
trips through the area during July, 1941. They cover the country to a 
depth of from ten to fifteen miles. On an accomi)anying map the junction 
between the two main soil types is marked, since it is also tlie junction 
between the main ecological /ones. The country north of Anna Plains has 
not been s(‘(*n by tlu' author. The vegetation ol the i>ortion of i^ardoo, 
south of the Rabbit Proof Fence, is complicated by creeks inland and by 
niangTO\(' swani})s on the coast. Fcologically it is a transition region hdween 
the HO- .Mile Beach and the country along the l)e (ii’cy River, Avhich is d(‘alt 
with elsewhere. 
The, climatic conditions are semi-arid. The annual iirecijdlation vari(‘s 
b(4ween twelve and foinleen inches for the area. Most of the rain tails dur- 
ing the period December to March and , owing to the porous nature of the 
soil the water soon disai>pears. Permanent water holes, excej)t for a few 
small native soaks, are absent. There is a marked winter drought. 
PllVSrOGRAPlIV AND BOILS. 
The b('ach faces north-west or north-north-west in a long slow curve. 
It is without important features throughout its length. At Wooroo Creek 
there is a sharp l)ut small indentation which includes a small mangrove s.wamp. 
Elsewhere the beach is unbroken. Wooroo (’reek extends inland for about 
a mile. Behind the beach are series of sandhills varying from one to three 
miles in depth. The first row of the series are of normal dune ty])e, both 
with and without vegetation. The sand here is very like that (>f the beach. 
Inland are sandhills carrying a different form of vegetation. The soil of 
these contains more organic matei-ial and is a light grey in colour compared 
to the creamy white beach sand. Some of the ridges have outcrops of a 
sandy limestone which, from the nature of its shell content, is of very recent 
character. Through the section included in Pardoo, Wallal, and Xalgi the 
sandhills dominate the coastal ]dain. Intermixed with them, howevei', are 
wide Hats with a light grey loam soil. Through the Xalgi area these gradually 
increase in relative importance until in Anna Plains, where the coastal ]>lain 
widens tmt, the loam flats are the main feature of the landscape. 
The junction between the coastal ]Aain and the si>inifex pindan is marked 
on the ma]). It is a A-ery abrupt chang(‘ from the grey soils of the plain 
into the i*ed desert sand. fhe vf'getation also changes abi’U]Al\ and the 
transitional phase occupies only a few yards. The st)inifex idndan <'ountry 
is undulating or more or less Hat with, in some places, long narrow sandhills 
running more or less ])arallel with each other and a varying distance apart. 
The only rock seen outcropping Avas a dark red ferruginous sandstone. 
Through Pardoo and Wallal the outcro))s form small hills but on Anna Plains 
they result in piles of stones a few feet above the surface. 
