Old-growth Forest Series: Western Australia (Wandoo Woodlands of the Wheatbelt)

About the Western Australian wheatbelt

The wheatbelt region of Western Australia (WA) encompasses an area greater than 150 000 square kilometers, roughly twice the size of Tasmania. It is found in the south-west of the state, to the east and north of it's capital, Perth. The wheatbelt is the result of decades of clearing for agriculture, and recently, mining. Formally, this massive area was an expanse of woodlands, heaths and inland lakes, but now, only in the tiniest of remnant pockets, these incredible ecosystems persist. Hopefully the image below can show you the extent of the clearing (the massive grey expanse), and what few pockets of green can be found within it.

View Larger Map

The ancient trees of the WA wheatbelt

The Wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo) is a species of gum-tree that makes delicious honey. Aside from that, wandoo woodlands are a haven for some amazing Australian wildlife no longer found anywhere else, including the Numbat (a marsupial ant-eater with stripes on it's back), Woylie (a small kangaroo), Echidnas (one of three species of egg-laying mammals on earth) and Carnaby's Black-cockatoo (a large endangered parrot, similar to a macaw). Wandoo trees historically occurred throughout much of the wheatbelt, but today the last major stands are only found in conservation reserves and as shade trees in farmers paddocks. Living over 400 years old, these giant trees require very little water to grow, about as

much needed to grow wheat...

Clearing wandoo for wheat, and the new threat of Wandoo Crown Decline

Almost all of the wandoo's former range has been cleared for agriculture. Amazingly, the remaining trees continue to be threatened by expanding agricultures, as well as clearing for mining. A new threat has also recently emerged known as Wandoo Crown Decline, where the leaves on the outermost branches begin to die, eventually leading to death if the tree is in poor condition. Early research into the cause of this disease suggests that below average rainfall over the last few decades has weakened their resistance to diseases, allowing insects and other pathogens to take hold of the trees. It is hard to imagine a bright future for the species that call this ecosystem home, but we can save what's left.

How you can help

One of the best ways we can help the Wandoo, is to take part in planting new trees, restoring damaged woodlands, and pushing for stronger protection measures for remaining wandoo forests. Nature Reserves and National Parks provide much greater protection than conservation reserves, which most of the remaining wandoo occurs in. Contact the Wandoo Recovery Group or Landcare Australia to become involved in saving these endangered forests.

Related Posts:

• Old-growth Forest Series: Tasmania (The Styx Valley)
• Old-growth Forest Series: British Columbia (The Great Bear Rainforest)