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Between a rock and a hard place in the Pilbara
The Pilbara rocks, literally. Most of the area in Western Australia's Rangelands is made up of some of the oldest rocks on the planet and while we know much about their geology, there's a lot we don't know about the plants and animals that live there.
There are 19 million hectares of red rock in the Pilbara, so a four-year survey is underway to document the region's native plants and animals.
Funding
The work has been funded with $770,000 from the Australian Government, plus State Government contributions, through the Rangelands NRM Co-ordinating Group.
Activities and achievements
Department of Environment and Conservation Research Scientist Dr Stuart Halse said 300 sites had been surveyed for animal and plant samples. Each site was surveyed twice - at the end of the dry season and end of the wet. A further 62 aquatic sites were surveyed, collecting 1,000 species.
"If you can understand the distribution of plants and animals you can see where biodiversity is high, what areas we should place emphasis on for conservation and what areas can be developed without clashing with these values," Stuart said.
"If we gain this understanding we'll have a framework on which to base future environmental assessment. This is particularly important for mining, water developments and other land use."
The survey revealed a rich network of underground animals. Before the survey, about 40 species of stygofauna (groundwater fauna)were known but it's now clear at least 350 species exist.
"This may be of concern in mining where there's a need to de-water on a large scale," Stuart said. "This type of research is critical to improving our understanding so we can properly assess the impact and see how we might deal with it."
Nine frogs and more than 120 reptiles are known in the Pilbara and lizards are exceptionally diverse, with over 20 endemic species. A new gecko species was discovered in large rocky boulders that cap many Pilbara ranges but have seldom been sampled. Another find included two endemic species of pebble-mimicking dragons and several new species of sand-swimming skinks.
Of the small mammals 17 species were recorded - nine carnivorous marsupials and eight rodents. Bats are being surveyed at more than 50 sites, with 17 species known from the Pilbara.
Birds in the area total about 250 non-oceanic species. Ground-dwelling beetles, scorpions and spiders made up 100,000 individual specimens, which are yet to be sorted into major taxonomic groups, which could take about five years. It's expected up to 25 ground-dwelling spider families will be found, with 250 to 300 species - about half the richness of the Wheatbelt.
More information
- Dr Stuart Halse, Research scientist, Department of Environment and Conservation: (08) 9405 5136 or stuarth@calm.wa.gov.au
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