Conservation Codes for Western Australian Flora
Search for conservation taxa by region
Figure 1. Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia 5.1. Note that elsewhere in FloraBase we now use IBRA 6.1
- a complete listing of the conservation taxa
- a customised listing using the advanced search form
- use links at left for a listing for each category
- use the map above for a listing for each bio-region
See the primer on WA’s IBRA regions for further information.
Under the Wildlife Conservation Act, the Minister for the Environment may declare species of flora to be protected if they are considered to be in danger of extinction, rare or otherwise in need of special protection. Schedules 1 and 2 of the Wildlife Conservation (Rare Flora) Notice under the Wildlife Conservation Act (1950) deal with those that are threatened and those that are presumed extinct, respectively.
T: Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)
Taxa1 which have been adequately searched for and are deemed to be in the wild either rare, in danger of extinction, or otherwise in need of special protection, and have been gazetted as such (Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Conservation (Rare Flora) Notice under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950).
Threatened Flora (Schedule 1) are further ranked by the Department according to their level of threat using IUCN Red List criteria:
- CR: Critically Endangered – considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
- EN: Endangered – considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild
- VU: Vulnerable – considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
X: Presumed Extinct Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extinct)
Taxa which have been adequately searched for and there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died, and have been gazetted as such (Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Conservation (Rare Flora) Notice under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950).
Taxa that have not yet been adequately surveyed to be listed under Schedule 1 or 2 are added to the Priority Flora List under Priorities 1, 2 or 3. These three categories are ranked in order of priority for survey and evaluation of conservation status so that consideration can be given to their declaration as threatened flora or fauna. Taxa that are adequately known, are rare but not threatened, or meet criteria for Near Threatened, or that have been recently removed from the threatened list for other than taxonomic reasons, are placed in Priority 4. These species require regular monitoring. Conservation Dependent species are placed in Priority 5.
1: Priority One: Poorly-known taxa
Taxa that are known from one or a few collections or sight records (generally less than five), all on lands not managed for conservation, e.g. agricultural or pastoral lands, urban areas, Shire, Westrail and Main Roads WA road, gravel and soil reserves, and active mineral leases and under threat of habitat destruction or degradation. Taxa may be included if they are comparatively well known from one or more localities but do not meet adequacy of survey requirements and appear to be under immediate threat from known threatening processes.
2: Priority Two: Poorly-known taxa
Taxa that are known from one or a few collections or sight records, some of which are on lands not under imminent threat of habitat destruction or degradation, e.g. national parks, conservation parks, nature reserves, State forest, vacant Crown land, water reserves, etc. Taxa may be included if they are comparatively well known from one or more localities but do not meet adequacy of survey requirements and appear to be under threat from known threatening processes.
3: Priority Three: Poorly-known taxa
Taxa that are known from collections or sight records from several localities not under imminent threat, or from few but widespread localities with either large population size or significant remaining areas of apparently suitable habitat, much of it not under imminent threat. Taxa may be included if they are comparatively well known from several localities but do not meet adequacy of survey requirements and known threatening processes exist that could affect them.
4: Priority Four: Rare, Near Threatened and other taxa in need of monitoring
- Rare. Taxa that are considered to have been adequately surveyed, or for which sufficient knowledge is available, and that are considered not currently threatened or in need of special protection, but could be if present circumstances change. These taxa are usually represented on conservation lands.
- Near Threatened. Taxa that are considered to have been adequately surveyed and that do not qualify for Conservation Dependent, but that are close to qualifying for Vulnerable.
- Taxa that have been removed from the list of threatened species during the past five years for reasons other than taxonomy.
5: Priority Five: Conservation Dependent taxa
Taxa that are not threatened but are subject to a specific conservation program, the cessation of which would result in the taxon becoming threatened within five years.
Further Information
A list of the current rankings, including additional information for fauna can be downloaded from DEC’s Listing of species and ecological communities page.
A taxon name which is no longer current will retain its ‘Threatened’ status until publication of the next Wildlife Conservation (Rare Flora) Notice.
The current schedule of Declared Rare Flora (DRF) can be downloaded on DEC’s Listing of Species and Ecological Communities. Consequently, the Threatened and Priority Flora List was published in (Smith, 2012)2. However, unlike DRF, changes to Priority Flora can be made at any time in between publication dates as new information is received and reviewed. Due to the need to have this information readily accessible to the public, the WA Herbarium regularly updates the conservation status of taxa here on FloraBase to be aligned with DEC's Species and Communities Branch’s official list and hence can be referred to for the currency of conservation codes.
1 Taxa = plural of taxon – a classificatory group of any taxonomic rank, e.g. a family, genus, species or any infraspecific category i.e. subspecies, variety or forma.
2 Smith, M.G. (2012). Threatened and Priority Flora List for Western Australia, 20 December 2012. Dept. of Environment and Conservation. Como, W.A.
Compiled by Alex Chapman; last updated on 16 January 2013.
