Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 87(1), March 2004 
relatively short time frame (Landsberg et al. 1990). The 
majority of these remnants are also depauperate in 
understorey taxa due to selective clearing ( e.g. of 'poison 
plants'), frequent grazing by domestic stock, changed 
burning regimes, nutrient enrichment, weed invasion, 
and other human influenced disturbances (Hobbs & 
Atkins 1988; Hobbs 1993; Panetta & Hopkins 1991; Pigott 
1994; Yates & Hobbs 1997; Yates et al. 1999; Yates et al. 
2000 ). 
The wheatbelt region as a whole has been altered from 
a mosaic of perennial native vegetation to predominantly 
cleared agricultural land with fragmented small 
bushland remnants (Hobbs 1998; Scanlan et al. 1992). 
A21064, which is surrounded by agricultural land, is no 
different. Beard (1980a) mapped the pre-existing 
vegetation cover of this entire region using aerial 
photography in conjunction with a wide-ranging 
examination of the remaining bushland remnants and 
their preferred habitat requirements (i.e. soil, slope, 
aspect, evelation etc). These vegetation maps show the 
reserve's wider surrounding district as predominantly 
York gum ( Eucalyptus loxophleba) and wandoo (E. wandoo) 
woodland, while several local upland areas (including 
A21064) are mapped as wandoo and mallet ( Eucalyptus 
astringens) woodland. This is a reasonably accurate 
representation, although these upland areas also contain 
significant patches of sheoak ( Allocasuarina huegeliana). 
Approximately 20-25 km west of the reserve, wandoo 
woodland predominates, but marri ( Corx/mbia calophylla) 
and jarrah {Eucalyptus marginata ) become more common 
about another 20 km further westwards within Hillman 
and Godfrey State Forest Blocks (Smith 1974). Powder 
bark wandoo (E. accedens) is more abundant amongst the 
York gums around the Narrogin area, about 35 km north 
of the reserve (Beard 1980b). Salmon gum (E. 
salmonophloia) tends to replace wandoo further east (25-35 
km), while the Beaufort River area, about 30 km south of 
the reserve, has a mix of wandoo, yate (E. occidental^), 
teatree ( Melaleuca sp.), Casuarina obesa and samphire flats 
(Beard 1980a). Overall, the district was once dominated 
by open woodlands; however, patches of heath (often 
Dryandra dominated), herbfield and mallee were also 
relatively common. 
Flora surveys of wheatbelt remnants are sparse 
(Obbens et al. 2001). Although not intensive, Muir's 
(1977a) pioneering surveys of 24 wheatbelt reserves are a 
notable exception. There are very few flora surveys of 
remnants from around this district, reflecting the high 
costs of surveying remnants within this vast wheatbelt 
region (i.e. 18 million hectares). The soon to be released 
Salinity Action Plan (SAP) surveys will change this 
situation. While larger remnants (i.e. >2000 ha) are 
certainly important for conserving biodiversity and 
helping to maintain many of the ecological processes of 
this region, this paper aims to highlight the important 
contribution of smaller remnants to regional biodiversity, 
particularly if they remain intact. A further aim is to 
present more botanical survey data for this significant 
region. 
Methods 
The vegetation communities of Nature Reserve 
A21064 were interpreted from a 1996 aerial photograph 
and confirmed in the field during 1999 and 2002. 
Classification of these vegetation communities is based 
on Muir (1977b). This classification assesses vegetation 
structure by taking measures of lifeform/height class and 
canopy cover/density class to produce a vegetation type. 
For example, trees 15-30 m with a 10-30% canopy cover 
were designated woodlands, while the same trees with a 
canopy cover of 2-10% would be designated as open 
woodlands. To a significant extent this classification also 
reflects the species compositional differences. 
Additionally, brief investigations were made of the soils 
in each vegetation community. The soil surface was 
inspected and then shallow holes (3-5 cm depth) were 
made to assess soil texture and colour. 
The flora survey and collections were accomplished 
by walking along 13 transects (10 spaced at 150 m apart 
and 3 spaced at 100 m apart) that spanned the full width 
of the reserve in a north-south orientation. The first 
transect proceeded in a southerly direction from Noble 
Road and approximately 50 m in from the reserve's 
north-east corner. Subsequent transects crossed every 
vegetation type several times using this technique. This 
transect survey was undertaken during mid/late spring 
(i.e. October and November 1998). An additional 8 
surveys were also carried out between the summer of 
1998 and the spring of 2002. On these occasions a 
'randomized stratified walk' technique (Hopper et al. 
1997) was used. This method involves specimen 
collections via random walks in each vegetation 
community. The purpose of this intensive surveying was 
to obtain a voucher specimen of each taxa and to compile 
a more complete vascular flora list. 
All specimens were submitted for incorporation at the 
WA Herbarium. The species names follow the currently 
accepted botanical binomials of WACENSUS (WA 
Herbarium census of Western Australian vascular 
plants), while conservation status of species is according 
to the Department of Conservation and Land 
Management's (CALM) Declared Rare Flora and Priority 
Flora list (Atkins 2001). The authors also received 
invaluable information from WA Herbarium database 
records (WAHERB and FLORABASE). The term "total 
'Liliaceae'" refers to the number of closely related, but 
different new families that have been split from Liliaceae 
in recent years. For A21064 this includes the families 
Anthericaceae, Boryaceae and Phormiaceae. 
Results 
Vegetation and habitat. 
Interpretation of the aerial photograph and site survey 
indicated ten major vegetation communities (Fig 2), 
including four variants (all explained below). However, 
there is considerable variability within some 
communities and at differing locations throughout the 
reserve. Additionally, there was a range of community 
boundaries, some very distinct (e.g. between pure mallet 
stands and wandoo woodland or when pure 
Allocasuarina huegeliana stands surround granite-exposed 
herbfield areas). However, diffuse boundaries have been 
drawn at roughly midpoint where any two communities 
overlapped (e.g. as demonstrated when Low Woodland 
and Low Forest communities merge). 
20 
