Join us on one of our upcoming guided walks within the reserves of City of Rockingham.
A total of 229 native flora species (78%) and 66 introduced weed species (22%) were recorded across the reserves within City of Rockingham. The species identified within the reserve represented 63 families with the Fabaceae (26 taxa), Poaceae (18 taxa), Asteraceae (15 taxa) and Orchidaceae (14 taxa) families having the most representation. The comprehensive list of plants recorded during the field surveys can be found in our Bushland Management Plan.
What are sedgelands?
Sedgelands are a type of wetlands that are reliant on permanent moisture for survival. They are particularly important for protection as they are a threatened ecological community. These special wetlands only situate within linear dips between sand dunes. The wetlands provide insight into the evolutionary record of sea level history and climatic changes.
Plant species in sedgelands
Typical plant species include:
- acacia rostellifera
- acacia saligna
- xanthorrhoea preisii
- the sedges baumea juncea
- ficinia nodosa
- lepidosperma gladiatum
- the grass poa porphyroclados.
Read more in the Lake Richmond Management Plan.
Overview
A total of 80 species from 42 families and 71 genera were recorded during the Level 2 Fauna Assessment undertaken in October 2018. This consisted of two amphibian species, 46 bird species, 14 mammal species and 18 reptile species.
A full list of the species recorded within each reserve and across the entire studt area is available in Bushland Management Plan.
Go to our wildlife page to learn more about local fauna.
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Frog monitoring
Frogs are known to be good environmental indicators, and as such, were identified by the City to be monitored for the long-term effects of climate change. A baseline assessment of 15 wetlands was initially conducted in 2014 to determine the frog species assemblage within the City.
Call recording results captured a total of five frog species including C. insignifera (squelching froglet), C. glauerti (clicking frog), L. adelaidensis (slender tree frog), L. moorei (motorbike frog) and L. dorsalis (western banjo frog).
The most common species of frog was the target species, C. insignifera (squelching froglet) with detections at 39 sites and the most species-diverse site was Lake Richmond with five species recorded from each site. Occupancy rates at seasonal wetlands during 2023 was the highest yet recorded.
Positive results recorded in 2023 indicate that wetlands are currently responding well to potential climate change impacts and as such, no management response was triggered for 2024.
Conservation Significant Fauna
Our Bushland Management Plan identifies the conservation sicnificant fauna to include:
- Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii naso) - Vulnerable Forest red-tailed black cockatoos depend primarily on marri and jarrah trees for both foraging and nesting. The seeds of both eucalypts are the preferred food source. Hollows within live or dead eucalypts are utilised for nesting purposes. Breeding varies between years and occurs during the fruiting season for jarrahs and marris. These black cockatoos breed in woodland, forest or artificial nest boxes, but may also breed in former woodland or forest that has been reduced to isolated trees.
- Baudin's black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus baudinii) - Endangered Baudin’s black cockatoos occur primarily in Eucalypt forests, foraging at all strata levels within the forests with a tendency to favour areas containing marri. Breeding generally occurs in the jarrah, marri and karri forests of the southwest of Western Australia in areas averaging more than 750 mm of rainfall annually.
- Carnaby’s black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) - Endangered Carnaby’s black cockatoos feed on the seeds, nuts and flowers, of a variety of native and introduced plant species and insect larvae. Food plants generally occur within proteaceous genera such as Banksia, Dryandra, Hakea and Grevillea, but these birds are also known to forage on Eucalypt species in woodland areas. Carnaby’s black cockatoos have also adapted to feeding on exotic species such as pines and cape lilac and weeds such as wild radish and wild geranium. Carnaby’s black cockatoos usually breed between July and December in the hollows of live or dead eucalypts; primarily in Salmon Gum and Wandoo, but also within jarrah, marri and other eucalypt species.
- Quenda (Isoodon obesulus fusciventer) - Priority 4. The quenda, which is also known as the southern brown bandicoot, once occurred throughout southwest Western Australia. It now occurs from Guilderton southwards on the Swan Coastal Plain, including the Perth metropolitan area, in jarrah and karri forests and adjacent coastal vegetation complexes. This species inhabits scrubby, often swampy, vegetation with dense cover up to about 1 m high. It feeds in adjacent forest and woodland that is burnt on a regular basis. On the Swan Coastal Plain it is often associated with wetlands with dense vegetation where they feed on fruit, seeds, insects and fungi.
- Perth Lined Slider (Lerista lineata) - Priority 3. This species is restricted to a 90 km sandy coastal strip between Mandurah and Lancelin. It occurs in dunes and sand-plains with heaths as well as Eucalypt-Banksia Woodland. It is one of 71 reptile species occurring in the Perth region which make this area as diverse as any similar sized coastal region in Australia. The Perth slider is a burrowing species which is usually found in loose soil or sand beneath stones, logs, or termite mounds, where they feed on ants, termites and other small insects.
Lake Richmond is home to a critically endangered thrombolite community.
What are thrombolites?
- complex rock-like formations
- they are communities of micro-organisms
- live in the shallow waters of Lake Richmond
Communities of this nature were the main life forms on Earth in the period between 3,500 and 650 million years ago and were among the first creatures to produce oxygen. Today, thrombolites are found in just a few places around the world such as Lake Richmond!
Tip!