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| THROUGH TO THE INLAND |
At the eastern end of Gondwana Link, hidden away and relatively unknown, there is one of the most important tracts of land on the continent. The place of “Worinburna” as it is known by the Njadu people, is an unbroken landscape of woodlands, heaths and shrublands, sandplains, granite outcrops and natural salt lakes. The area, stretching from Ravensthorpe to the south, Southern Cross to the north and Fraser Range to the east, covers some six million hectares of spectacular and subtle variety. It is known as the Great Western Woodlands.
The area has high wilderness value and contains probably the best examples of eight of Australia’s twenty three continental ecosystem types. In many places the rich and diverse systems are close to or in pristine condition. The areas ecosystems are the best representation of the condition of the continent prior to the changes brought by the introduction of European land-uses. At the western edge of Worinburna, the stark boundary of the eastern edge of the wheatbelt is clearly visible on satellite images. This reminds us of the results of broad scale clearing, and how a landscape and slip into dramatic decline. Many of the conservation reserves in the wheatbelt area are not viable in the long term and need intensive management even to retain the most common species.
The area forms one of the core natural areas in the Gondwana Link pathway and is extremely important to the conservation of south-west Australia’s biological diversity. Worinburna is an area of great transition. It embraces biological elements of both the higher rainfall mesic south-west and the drier interior. It covers about 1% of the continental land area of Australia but is home to over 3000 species of plants, more than 15% of the Australian flora. The area is a hotspot for Eucalypts, it has over 300 different taxa.
Not only does the area have high biological diversity, but the type of plants and animals found there change dramatically over both long and short distances. The mammals, birds and reptiles found at any particular spot in the landscape can change from day to day, month to month, year to year and decade to decade. This is because the area is large enough for animals to move freely as the need for food or habitat dictates.
A fauna study carried out by The Wilderness Society in 2005 found that the woodlands in the Honman Ridge – Bremer Range district within the Great Western Woodland, support an exceptional diversity of native mammals, birds and reptiles and are among the most significant habitats for wildlife in southern Australia.
The size and condition of the landscape creates a degree of ecological
integrity unique to the south-west. Large areas such as this,
which allow species to move freely, are critical to continued evolution
of our flora and fauna.
Gondwana Link is currently evaluating the extent of knowledge about the area and working on ways that this remarkable area can continue to remain intact, in good condition and continue to function naturally. This involves working with local communities, indigenous groups and various government agencies and industries to ensure that the area is appropriately valued. We can then develop a lasting strategy that allows for the long-term conservation of the area.
Report on the Great Western Woodlands
The incredible biodiversity found in the woodlands has been summarised in
a report released by The Wilderness Society on June 5, 2008. This report
documents some of the natural wonders of the area and outlines the
international significance of region, particularly in relation to its
natural and cultural diversity. For a downloadable pdf of 'Western
Australia's Great Western Woodlands, One of the Worlds' Last Wild Places'
and additional information go to
www.gww.net.au.