Lane Poole Reserve is a protected area in
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
. It is located at the edge of the
Darling Scarp
The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north–south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia. The escarpment extends generally north of Bindoon, to th ...
, in the former town of
Nanga Brook, just over southeast of Perth.
["Lane Poole Reserve". Parks and Wildlife Service, Government of Western Australia. Accessed 1 May 2022]
/ref>
The reserve protects native forests and woodlands, and includes a stretch of the Murray River (Western Australia), Murray River, one of the few undammed rivers in this part of Western Australia, with natural waterfalls and rock pools along its length.
Flora and fauna
Lane Poole Reserve is in the Jarrah Forest
Jarrah forest is tall open forest in which the dominant overstory tree is ''Eucalyptus marginata'' (jarrah). The ecosystem occurs only in the Southwest Botanical Province of Western Australia. It is most common in the biogeographic region named in ...
bioregion, also known as the Southwest Australia woodlands.["Lane Poole Reserve". DOPA Explorer. Accessed 1 May 2022]
/ref> It is the largest protected area in the northern Jarrah Forest, and covers more than .[
There are about 500 native species of plants in the reserve. Plant communities include ]jarrah forest
Jarrah forest is tall open forest in which the dominant overstory tree is ''Eucalyptus marginata'' (jarrah). The ecosystem occurs only in the Southwest Botanical Province of Western Australia. It is most common in the biogeographic region named in ...
, which are tall open forests of jarrah
''Eucalyptus marginata'', commonly known as jarrah, djarraly in Noongar language and historically as Swan River mahogany, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tree with roug ...
(''Eucalyptus marginata'') and marri (''Corymbia calophylla''), including areas of old growth forest. Wandoo Wandoo is the common name for a number of Western Australian ''Eucalyptus'' species, all of which have smooth white bark.
The original "wandoo" is ''Eucalyptus wandoo''. Additional species have been given this name because of a perceived likeness w ...
woodlands are found in the eastern side of the park. Wildflowers fill the forests and woodlands in spring. The densely-vegetated '' Taxandria'' swamp thickets provide habitat for quokka (''Setonix brachyurus'') and the noisy scrub-bird
The noisy scrubbird (''Atrichornis clamosus'') is a species of bird in the family Atrichornithidae. It is endemic to the coastal heaths of south-western Australia (east of Albany).
Description
The noisy scrubbird features a dark brown coloure ...
(''Atrichornis clamosus'').[
Threatened marsupials in the reserve include the quokka, ]woylie
The woylie or brush-tailed bettong (''Bettongia penicillata'') is a small, critically endangered, gerbil-like mammal native to forests and shrubland of Australia. A member of the rat-kangaroo family (Potoroidae), it moves by hopping and is acti ...
(''Bettongia penicillata''), western ringtail possum
The western ringtail possum or ngwayir refers to a species of possum, ''Pseudocheirus occidentalis'', found in a small area of Southwest Australia. They are a cat-sized marsupial with a stocky build, dark greyish-brown fur, pale underparts and ...
(''Pseudocheirus occidentalis''), and chuditch
The western quoll (''Dasyurus geoffroii'') is Western Australia's largest endemic mammalian carnivore. One of the many marsupial mammals native to Australia, it is also known as the chuditch. The species is currently classed as near-threatened. ...
(''Dasyurus geoffroii''). Native birds include Baudin's black cockatoo
Baudin's black cockatoo (''Zanda baudinii''), also known as Baudin's cockatoo or the long-billed black cockatoo, is a species of genus '' Zanda'' found in southwest Australia. The epithet commemorates the French explorer Nicolas Baudin. It has ...
(''Zanda baudinii'') and Carnaby's black cockatoo
Carnaby's black cockatoo (''Zanda latirostris''), also known as the short-billed black cockatoo, is a large black cockatoo endemic to southwest Australia. It was described in 1948 by naturalist Ivan Carnaby. Measuring in length, it has a s ...
(''Zanda latirostris'').[
]
Recreation
There are nine campsites in the reserve, including Baden Powell, Nanga Mill, Stringers, Charlie's Flat, Tony's Bend, Chudich, Nanga Brook, Nanga Townsite, and Yarragil. Nanga Road provides a sealed road to Nanga Townsite from Nanga Gate.[ Icy Creek Environmental Education Camp (built in 1984) offers built accommodation for students and community groups.
The Bibbulmun Track passes through the reserve.][
Other recreational activities include canoeing and kayaking on the Murray River, and fishing on the Murray River and its tributaries.][
]
Conservation
Lane Poole Reserve was designated in 1987.[ It combined six previous reserves, and a management plan was approved in 1990. Only one or two roads in the area are sealed, and a Conservation and Land Management (CALM) issues paper identified this as a matter to be rectified, along with the overuse of non-designated campsites, visitor behaviour and safety, dogs in the reserve, and firewood collection.
The reserve was named for ]Charles Lane Poole
Charles Edward Lane Poole (16 August 1885 – 22 November 1970) was an English Australian forester who introduced systematic, science-based forestry practices to various parts of the Commonwealth, most notably Australia.
Biography Early life an ...
, the state’s first Conservator of Forests, who did much to establish sustainable management and conservation of Western Australia’s forests.[
The larger portion of the reserve () is designated a 5(1)(g) reserve.][ Four smaller areas, totalling , are designated a conservation park.][ Under the CALM Act, land designated as 5(1)(g) Reserve is land vested in the Conservation and Parks Commission of Western Australia that is not a National Park, Conservation Park, Nature Reserve, Marine Park or Marine Nature Reserve. Such land may have a wide variety of purposes, but are normally related to recreation, wildlife conservation, infrastructure and historical features.]
References
External links
{{commons cat, Lane Poole Reserve
Lane Poole Reserve
Parks and Wildlife Service, Government of Western Australia.
Protected areas of Western Australia
Peel (Western Australia)
South West (Western Australia)
Darling Range
Jarrah Forest