THE BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE EASTERN GOLDFIELDS OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Physical Environment

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Introduction: Few climatic data are available for the Study Area with only Yuinmery and Cashmere Downs recording daily rainfall over a sufficient period for calculating meaningful averages (Figure 2). The climate of the Study Area is arid and was described by UNESCO-FAO(1963) as Desert using the system of Bagnouls and Gaussen(1957). Hot, dry summers alternate with cool winters and rain occurs in both. In the Koppen classification the climate is very dry and hot with the possibility of precipitation in any month. According to the Thornthwaite System, which is preferable to the Koppen system for Australian conditions (Gentilli, 1948), the climate is arid mesothermal with rainfall deficient in all seasons. Beard (1976) regards the region as desert with summer and winter rainfall, only the extreme southwest corner falling within the semi-desert Mediterranean climatic zone.