❓ Hon. Giz Watson inquires about the systematic review and conservation status of WA's flora, revealing a lack of comprehensive, automated monitoring and highlighting the ongoing process of species assessment and prioritization within the Department of Environment and Conservation.
AnsweredQoN 6342Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) When was the last systematic overarching review of the conservation status of all flora species and subspecies naturally occurring in the State carried out?
(2) Is a systematic review of the conservation status of all flora species and subspecies naturally occurring in the State carried out on a regular basis?
(3) If yes to (2) what is the timeframe?
(4) If no to (2), why not?
(5) Does the Department of Environment and Conservation maintain an automated system to compare the number of records for flora species/subspecies naturally occurring in the State with their geographic extent, land tenure and degree of clearing for the biogeographic area(s) of occurrence on a regular basis to identify species at risk on a timely basis?
(6) If no to (5), why not?
(7) In the Western Australian (WA) Herbarium collections, how many species/subspecies of flora naturally occurring in the State are known from one or two collections? And of these —
(a) how many are conservation taxa for WA; and
(b) if there are any that are not conservation taxa for WA, why are they not conservation taxa?
(8) In the WA Herbarium collections, how many species/subspecies of flora naturally occurring in the State are known from three to five collections? And of these —
(a) how many are conservation taxa for WA; and
(b) if there are any that are not conservation taxa for WA, why are they not conservation taxa?
(9) In the WA Herbarium collections how many species/subspecies of flora naturally occurring in the State are known from six to 10 collections? And of these —
(a) how many are conservation taxa for WA; and
(b) if there are any that are not conservation taxa for WA, why are they not conservation taxa?
(10) In the WA Herbarium collections how many species/subspecies of flora naturally occurring in the State are known from 11 to 20 collections? And of these —
(a) how many are conservation taxa for WA; and
(b) if there are any that are not conservation taxa for WA, why are they not conservation taxa?
(2) Is a systematic review of the conservation status of all flora species and subspecies naturally occurring in the State carried out on a regular basis?
(3) If yes to (2) what is the timeframe?
(4) If no to (2), why not?
(5) Does the Department of Environment and Conservation maintain an automated system to compare the number of records for flora species/subspecies naturally occurring in the State with their geographic extent, land tenure and degree of clearing for the biogeographic area(s) of occurrence on a regular basis to identify species at risk on a timely basis?
(6) If no to (5), why not?
(7) In the Western Australian (WA) Herbarium collections, how many species/subspecies of flora naturally occurring in the State are known from one or two collections? And of these —
(a) how many are conservation taxa for WA; and
(b) if there are any that are not conservation taxa for WA, why are they not conservation taxa?
(8) In the WA Herbarium collections, how many species/subspecies of flora naturally occurring in the State are known from three to five collections? And of these —
(a) how many are conservation taxa for WA; and
(b) if there are any that are not conservation taxa for WA, why are they not conservation taxa?
(9) In the WA Herbarium collections how many species/subspecies of flora naturally occurring in the State are known from six to 10 collections? And of these —
(a) how many are conservation taxa for WA; and
(b) if there are any that are not conservation taxa for WA, why are they not conservation taxa?
(10) In the WA Herbarium collections how many species/subspecies of flora naturally occurring in the State are known from 11 to 20 collections? And of these —
(a) how many are conservation taxa for WA; and
(b) if there are any that are not conservation taxa for WA, why are they not conservation taxa?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
27 November 2012
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Environment
Response time
35 days
(1) -(4)
The conservation status of Western Australian flora is reviewed as new information becomes available through investigations and surveys, including those targeted at threatened flora and priority list flora and when nominations are received for changes to the threatened species list. The threatened flora list is maintained under the
Wildlife Conservation Act 1950
, and the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) maintains a list of priority flora species which includes those species that are poorly known, those considered to be at risk of becoming threatened in the future, and those which have been recently removed from the threatened species list. Where new information indicates that a species' conservation status has changed to the extent it may meet the requirements to be considered threatened or to be upgraded or downgraded in threat status, this information is referred to the Threatened Species Scientific Committee for consideration, normally on an annual basis, with approval of changes to the list of threatened flora made by the Minister for Environment. There are approximately 13,000 taxa (species/subspecies/varieties) of native flora in Western Australia, and a regular detailed review of the conservation status of every single one of these taxa is not practical.
(5) No
(6) Given the number of species of Western Australian flora, such a system would be impractical to develop, and the data available to support it would be lacking. DEC maintains a database of Herbarium collection records for all flora, and a database of population details for threatened and priority flora.
(7) 1,095 taxa (species/subspecies/varieties).
(a) There is no formal grouping known as 'conservation taxa'; 405 of these are categorised as either threatened or priority flora.
(b) Western Australian flora are continually being investigated and new species identified. Once a species is identified as a distinct entity and found to be collected from few locations, it is normally listed on DEC's priority flora list, identifying that further survey and investigation are required to properly assess its conservation status. There may be a time lag between the taxonomic confirmation of a new species which is known from few locations and a determination as to whether it meets the requirements, including adequacy of survey information, to be considered a threatened species.
(8) 1,143 taxa (species/subspecies/varieties).
(a) 450 of these are threatened or priority flora.
(b) See the answer to (7)(b).
(9) 1,488 taxa (species/subspecies/varieties).
(a) 616 of these are threatened or priority flora.
(b) See the answer to (7)(b). A species which may appear to be rare through having only six to 10 collections may not be assessed as being threatened or priority flora if the occurrences are on land with secure conservation and there are no identified threatening processes.
(10) 2,178 taxa (species/subspecies/varieties).
(a) 816 of these are threatened or priority flora.
(b) See the answer to (9)(b).
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The conservation status of Western Australian flora is reviewed as new information becomes available through investigations and surveys, including those targeted at threatened flora and priority list flora and when nominations are received for changes to the threatened species list. The threatened flora list is maintained under the
Wildlife Conservation Act 1950
, and the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) maintains a list of priority flora species which includes those species that are poorly known, those considered to be at risk of becoming threatened in the future, and those which have been recently removed from the threatened species list. Where new information indicates that a species' conservation status has changed to the extent it may meet the requirements to be considered threatened or to be upgraded or downgraded in threat status, this information is referred to the Threatened Species Scientific Committee for consideration, normally on an annual basis, with approval of changes to the list of threatened flora made by the Minister for Environment. There are approximately 13,000 taxa (species/subspecies/varieties) of native flora in Western Australia, and a regular detailed review of the conservation status of every single one of these taxa is not practical.
(5) No
(6) Given the number of species of Western Australian flora, such a system would be impractical to develop, and the data available to support it would be lacking. DEC maintains a database of Herbarium collection records for all flora, and a database of population details for threatened and priority flora.
(7) 1,095 taxa (species/subspecies/varieties).
(a) There is no formal grouping known as 'conservation taxa'; 405 of these are categorised as either threatened or priority flora.
(b) Western Australian flora are continually being investigated and new species identified. Once a species is identified as a distinct entity and found to be collected from few locations, it is normally listed on DEC's priority flora list, identifying that further survey and investigation are required to properly assess its conservation status. There may be a time lag between the taxonomic confirmation of a new species which is known from few locations and a determination as to whether it meets the requirements, including adequacy of survey information, to be considered a threatened species.
(8) 1,143 taxa (species/subspecies/varieties).
(a) 450 of these are threatened or priority flora.
(b) See the answer to (7)(b).
(9) 1,488 taxa (species/subspecies/varieties).
(a) 616 of these are threatened or priority flora.
(b) See the answer to (7)(b). A species which may appear to be rare through having only six to 10 collections may not be assessed as being threatened or priority flora if the occurrences are on land with secure conservation and there are no identified threatening processes.
(10) 2,178 taxa (species/subspecies/varieties).
(a) 816 of these are threatened or priority flora.
(b) See the answer to (9)(b).
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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