❓ Question challenges the claim that South West forests are biodiversity hotspots, referencing Myers' research which identified wheatbelt and midlands vegetation as such. The answer clarifies that while woodlands/heathlands have greater species richness, jarrah/karri forests still hold intrinsic biodiversity value.
AnsweredQoN 690Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) During the recent Regional Forests Agreement debate, some conservation groups referred to South West forests as one of the worlds biodiversity hotspots, is it not true that the ground breaking research by Norman Myers and colleagues that first used the term biodiversity hotspots was not referring to Western Australia’s forests but to woodlands heathlands and similar non forested vegetation types in the Western Australia wheatbelt and midlands area around Eneabba?
(2) Is it not true that according to Myer’s research 100% of remaining primary vegetation comprising Western Australia’s hotspot was already protected as at the time of his February 2000 report (published in
Nature
)?
(3) In general terms, how does the biodiversity of Western Australia’s two principal forests, jarrah and karri compare with each other and with the above mentioned non forested vegetation types which comprise the State’s true biodiversity hotspots?
(2) Is it not true that according to Myer’s research 100% of remaining primary vegetation comprising Western Australia’s hotspot was already protected as at the time of his February 2000 report (published in
Nature
)?
(3) In general terms, how does the biodiversity of Western Australia’s two principal forests, jarrah and karri compare with each other and with the above mentioned non forested vegetation types which comprise the State’s true biodiversity hotspots?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
18 September 2001
Responded by
Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Response time
49 days
(2) The paper does state that 100% of the remaining primary vegetation is protected, but it does not define what is meant by the term protected in this context. (3) As the paper by Norman Myers and colleagues indicates, comparisons between areas depend on the criteria chosen. The criteria can include taxonomic richness and the degree of endemism, and the answers will vary according to which taxonomic groups are used for the comparisons. In terms of comparisons on the basis of vascular plants, mammals, birds and reptiles, there is generally greater species richness in the woodlands and heathlands of the south west as compared to the jarrah and karri forests, nevertheless the jarrah and karri forests have their own intrinsic values for biodiversity conservation. In general terms, the karri forest has a lower species richness than the jarrah forests for most groups that have been well studied, including plants, mammals, birds and reptiles.
(3) As the paper by Norman Myers and colleagues indicates, comparisons between areas depend on the criteria chosen. The criteria can include taxonomic richness and the degree of endemism, and the answers will vary according to which taxonomic groups are used for the comparisons. In terms of comparisons on the basis of vascular plants, mammals, birds and reptiles, there is generally greater species richness in the woodlands and heathlands of the south west as compared to the jarrah and karri forests, nevertheless the jarrah and karri forests have their own intrinsic values for biodiversity conservation. In general terms, the karri forest has a lower species richness than the jarrah forests for most groups that have been well studied, including plants, mammals, birds and reptiles.
(3) As the paper by Norman Myers and colleagues indicates, comparisons between areas depend on the criteria chosen. The criteria can include taxonomic richness and the degree of endemism, and the answers will vary according to which taxonomic groups are used for the comparisons. In terms of comparisons on the basis of vascular plants, mammals, birds and reptiles, there is generally greater species richness in the woodlands and heathlands of the south west as compared to the jarrah and karri forests, nevertheless the jarrah and karri forests have their own intrinsic values for biodiversity conservation. In general terms, the karri forest has a lower species richness than the jarrah forests for most groups that have been well studied, including plants, mammals, birds and reptiles.
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