Philip Ladd

The Kangaroo Hills and Calooli Reserves occupy 9721 hectares just south of Coolgardie between lat. 30° 58' 45" - 31° 05' 00" and long. 121° 01' 45" - 121° 10' 00". The area lies in the Coolgardie Botanical District and has rainfall of 256 mm/year with a slight winter maximum. Temperatures are hot in summer and relatively mild in winter, although minima down to -5°C may occur. The landforms range from gilgaied clay flats and broad alluvial or erosional valleys to relatively rugged greenstone hills and small areas of rounded to flat granite outcrop. Sand sheets, sometimes in association with laterite occur in both reserves. The reserves have a diverse topography within a relatively small area. The vegetation was systematically sampled at 19 sites and plants were collected throughout the reserves. Over 250 species and subspecies were identified. Several species of restricted occurrence were found and one species of Acacia (A. duriuscula) was collected for the first time since 1902. However there were no declared rare flora identified. Stipa blackii (a South Australian species) was recorded for the first time in Western Australia. Nine vegetation units were recognised, three complex units for particular landforms and six woodland or open woodland associations dominated by eucalypts or acacias. Floristically the area shows affinities with both the Eremaean and south west of Western Australia, but it is more closely related to the mesic south west than the drier inland. Two amphibian, 32 reptile and 18 mammal (9 introduced) species were recorded in the reserves with pitfall trapping at 12 and Elliott trapping at six sites. The assemblage of reptile species in particular was transitional between the south-west and the Eremaean provinces. Of the landform units identified in the reserves, a few species were confined to and some were absent from the sandplain, but otherwise the local distribution of species was independent of landform. No rare or endangered species were found. The avifauna of the Kangaroo Hills and Calooli Reserves was surveyed at nine sites in each of April, July and November. The species included representatives of south-western (Bassian) and arid (Eremaean) faunal provinces. Twelve species of passerines were amongst those described as confined to undisturbed native vegetation by Kitchener et al. (1982) during surveys of the Western Australian wheatbelt. The diversity of the vegetation enabled many species of locally nomadic birds to remain in the reserve throughout the year, although they used different parts of it at different seasons.

St Johns Brook Conservation Park occupies a strip of land about 2 km wide straddling St John Brook, extending 17 km to the north from the Brook's confluence with the Blackwood River. The location of the Park at the contact between the northern jarrah forest, the southern jarrah forest and the Donnybrook Sunklands means that it possesses aspects of the flora and fauna of all these areas. Examination of indicator plant species from these three areas shows that the reserve has a greater similarity with the southern jarrah forest than with other areas. Although technically within the Sunklands, the physiography of the Park is more similar to areas further north than to the sunklands themselves. There are few features about the Park which are unique when it is compared with other areas- it seems to be fairly typical southern jarrah forest. The flora is relatively rich with over 288 vascular plant species recorded. One of these, Aponogeton hexatepalus is gazetted as rare and endangered. In common with most other jarrah forests, ground dwelling vertebrates were not particularly abundant or diverse. Twelve mammal species were recorded (most from scat analysis), while there were 6 reptiles and 4 amphibian species also sighted or trapped. Birds were more diverse with 38 species. Considerable attention was paid to the Brook itself and to wetlands near the Brook. At the time of the year when the survey was conducted (Spring) the water flow in the Brook was high and the swamps were inundated. Water chemistry samples showed the Brook and wetlands to be fresh and not eutrophic. This was in contrast to the Blackwood River which had quite high levels of dissolved salts. The invertebrate faunas of the wetlands and Brook were understandably different. However, both were rich and dense. There were four species of fish recorded in the Brook, all of widespread occurrence. Although no special attention was devoted to censusing marron in the Brook, the capture of large numbers of juveniles indicates that the population is in a very healthy state. Within parts of the Park (as in most other areas of jarrah forest) there is evidence of dieback. However, at present this does not seem to be a serious problem. In the south Acacia dealbata is becoming a serious weed problem, although it is at present of limited extent. In the north around Cambray there are a number of introduced trees and other "garden" plants associated with the former settlement. At present these do not show any sign of actively invading the native vegetation and they do provide a link with the past land use of the area. The coincidence of what now superficially appears• to be a fairly pristine forest, a reliable (if seasonal) and relatively unpolluted water course and some historical features make St Johns Brook Conservation Park an ideal area for incorporation into the State's reserve system.