The Fight to Save Eucalypt Woodlands of the Wheatbelt
The tall Salmon Gum, York Gum, and Wandoo woodlands of the WA Wheatbelt may seem abundant, but these, and other Eucalypt Woodland communities, are currently under threat of extinction. Fragmentation, altered fire regimes, invasive species, soil salinity and hydrological changes are impacting the survival of these unique ecosystems.
In 2015, the ‘Eucalypt Woodlands of the WA Wheatbelt’ was listed as a critically endangered Threatened Ecological Community (TEC) under Australian national environment law (EPBC Act). As an ecological community, the listing encompasses every naturally occurring living aspect of the woodland, from the tiniest soil microbe to the migratory black-cockatoos.
For a remnant woodland to be included under this TEC category it must meet certain criteria. Some of the simpler identifiers are:
Located within the recognised zone of the WA Wheatbelt (see map).
The structure of the ecological community is a woodland where the minimum crown cover is 10% (if mature).
The dominant canopy tree is one of the 31 eucalypt species listed in the EPBC Act Approved Conservation Advice. Typically, these have a single trunk. Common species are Wandoo, York Gum, Flooded Gum, Gimlet, Kondinin Blackbutt and Salmon Gum.
There is a diverse native understory.
The patch must meet a minimum size threshold which varies according to the condition and location of the vegetation (2-5 ha minimum).
Wheatbelt NRM has secured funding from DCCEEW to support landholders in protecting and enhancing Eucalypt Woodland TEC on their properties. This may include stock-proof fencing, feral animal control, weed management, revegetation, and artificial habitat installations. The project will also consider the needs of two threatened species, the Chuditch (Western Quoll) and Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo, which rely on these woodlands for their ongoing survival.
Want to get involved?
An Expression of Interest form for the project, Protecting the Eucalypt Woodlands of the WA Wheatbelt, is available below or contact Senior Project Officer Kate at for more information.
If you would like to read more about the TEC Eucalypt Woodlands of the WA Wheatbelt follow the links to see the ‘EPBC Act Approved Conservation Advice’ and the ‘Eucalypt Woodlands of the WA Wheatbelt: a nationally protected ecological community’ guide produced by the Australian Government.
This project is funded by the Australian Government Natural Heritage Trust and delivered by Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management, a member of the Regional Delivery Partners panel.