Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 87(2), June 2004 
Average species richness is high at 14.5 taxa plot 1 . 
This community is most common around the base 
of the range but does occur where ever the laterite 
sheet remains. 
c/5 
+-» 
cs 
+-• 
(/) 
c 
o 
+-» 
03 
E 
o 
h— 
c 
1.31 
1.21 
1.11 
1.02 
- 0.92 
0.82 _ n _ 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 
Community type 
Figure 2. Dendrogram of 7 group level classification of 54 
quadrats established along the Mt Manning greenstone belt. 
generally occurred on massive banded ironstone 
near the crest of the range. Species richness was 
low (mean 10.5 taxa plot' 1 ) with only some taxa in 
species groups A and F (Appendix 2) being 
consistently represented. Best indicator species for 
this group were the rock fern ( Cheilanthes 
austrotenuifolia), Calycopeplus paucifolius , Austrostipa 
trichophylla, and Eretnophila clarkei. Other constant 
species to this group included the perennial grass 
Amphipogon strictus. One quadrat in this group 
occurred on massive greenstone on a small rise 
near the base of the range. 
• Community type 2 occurs on the lower flanks of 
the ranges on somewhat deeper soils. This 
community type is generally dominated or co¬ 
dominated by Eucalyptus ebbanoensis, Acacia 
ramulosa, A. aneura, A. quadrimarginea and/or at the 
foot of the range by Callitris glaucophylla. Indicator 
taxa include Callitris glaucophylla , Prostanthera 
althoferi subsp althoferi. Species groups G and H are 
largely restricted to this community type but at 
low constancy levels (Appendix 2). Species group 
A is also well represented, as is Eremophila latrobei 
subsp latrobei. Average species richness was 12.7 
taxa plot' 1 . 
• Around the base of the range and on some upland 
units, a characteristic yellow sand unit develops 
over laterite. Community type 3 occurs on this unit 
and is characterized by high constancy of taxa in 
species group F, half of which are indicator 
species. Typical co-dominant indicators include, 
Allocasuarina acutivalvis, Melaleuca nematophylla and 
Acacia quadrimarginea . Typical shrub indicators 
include Baeckea elderiana, Hibbertia rostellata , 
Grevillea obliquistigma, Phebalium canaliculatum, 
Grevillea paradoxa and G. georgeana (Appendix 2). 
• Community type 4 occurs on eroding breakaways 
which are dominated by Eucalyptus capillosa subsp 
capillosa. This landform is very restricted at the Mt 
Manning Range; it is more common on the banded 
ironstones of the Helena and Aurora Range and 
the Yendilberin Hills to the south (Gibson el al. 
1997; Gibson & Lyons 2001b). 
• Community type 5 occurred at a single quadrat on 
sandy alluvial soils in a narrow drainage line at 
the base of the range. Species richness was low 
with only eight perennial species being recorded, 
three of which were only recorded at this quadrat. 
This quadrat was dominated by Eucalyptus 
formanii ; it may represent either a depauperate 
example of community type 2 or be more 
representative of the surrounding sandplain that 
were not sampled in this study (Keighery el al. 
1995). 
• Community types 6 and 7 appear to represent 
community types on the more fertile soils lower in 
the landscape. Taxa in species group A are most 
faithful to these two communities. 
• Community type 6 are eucalypt mallees and 
woodlands which are found on the lower slopes, 
valley and small rises in the valleys. These 
quadrats are generally dominated by Eucalyptus 
griffithsii and/or £. ebbanoensis or occasionally by 
Casuarina pauper . This community differs from 
community type 7 by the general lack of 
chenopods (Appendix 2). Best indicator taxa of this 
community included Eucalyptus griffithsii , Olearia 
muelleri, Acacia tetragonophylla, Ptilotus obovatus and 
Acacia erinacea. Average species richness was high 
at 16.9 taxa plot 1 . 
• The final community type (type 7) is the chenopod 
rich eucalypt woodlands of the valleys and small 
rises. Common dominants include Eucalyptus 
salubris and occasionally Casuarina pauper. Indicator 
taxa were largely chenopods (Appendix 2). 
Average species richness was again high at 14.5 
taxa plot 1 . 
Physical Correlates 
Soil parameters showed high levels of intercorrelation, 
as did the site parameters and the climate parameters. 
Total P was not correlated with any other soil parameter 
except for total N, while total N was not correlated with 
pH (Table 1). All other soil parameters were 
intercorrelated. Of the site parameters only topographic 
position showed no intercorrelation while slope, aspect, 
percentage rock, percentage litter and percentage bare 
ground were all highly intercorrelated. Altitude, latitude 
and the four climate parameters also showed a significant 
degree of intercorrelation. A much lower degree of 
intercorrelation was evident between these three 
different types (soil, site and climate) of parameters 
(Table 1). 
38 
