THE BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE EASTERN GOLDFIELDS OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 9 years ago

Abstract: This part is the first in a series that will describe the biological survey of the Eastern Goldfields District of Western Australia. It deals specifically with the background, aims and objectives of the survey and outlines the methods used to document vegetation, soils, flora and vertebrate fauna at numerous sample sites representative of this heterogeneous region.

The Eastern Goldfields District (266,000 km') was selected for survey for the following reasons because: there had been no previous detailed survey of the biota of the District, which is a region of considerable interest in that it lies between the mesic South West and arid Eremaean regions; extensive areas of vegetation have remained relatively unmodified since European settlement; the need to evaluate the adequacy of existing conservation reserve systems; pressure to release more land for clearing for cereal crops in south-western and southern parts of the district. This survey commenced in 1977 as a collaborative project by several organisations already involved with biological surveys, but with different primary aims and responsibilities.

Author(s) Biological Surveys Committee : Part 1
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