Kimberly tropical savanna
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The Kimberley tropical savanna is a tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion in northwestern
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, covering portions of Western Australia and the Northern Territory south of the Timor Sea.


Geography

The ecoregion lies in Northwestern coastal Australia, including the
Kimberley Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia * Kimberley (Western Australia) ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley * Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania * Kimberley, Tasmania a small town * County of Kimberley, a ...
region of Western Australia and extending into the Northern Territory. It is bounded on the north by the Timor Sea. The Arnhem Land tropical savanna ecoregion lies to the northeast, the Carpentaria tropical savanna lies to the east, and the
Victoria Plains tropical savanna The Victoria Plains tropical savanna is a tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion in northwestern Australia. Geography The ecoregion lies in the central Northern Territory, extending into northeastern Western ...
ecoregion lies to the southeast and south. The Great Sandy-Tanami desert ecoregion lies to the southeast. Much of the ecoregion has rugged terrain of
Proterozoic The Proterozoic () is a geological eon spanning the time interval from 2500 to 538.8million years ago. It is the most recent part of the Precambrian "supereon". It is also the longest eon of the Earth's geologic time scale, and it is subdivided ...
sandstone. The Northern Kimberley coast is generally steep with many offshore islets. Rivers in the ecoregion include the
Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to: People As a given name *Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name: **FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) ** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...
,
May May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the third of seven months to have a length of 31 days. May is a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, May ...
, Drysdale, Durack, Ord, Victoria, Katherine, Flora and
Daly Daly or DALY may refer to: Places Australia * County of Daly, a cadastral division in South Australia * Daly River, Northern Territory, a locality * Electoral division of Daly, an electorate in the Northern Territory * Daly, Northern Territory, ...
. Rivers and streams often follow sandstone fault blocks, eroding dramatic gorges. Some coastal areas of the Northern Kimberly are formed of basalt, and the Mitchell Plateau and Bougainville Peninsula are overlain by a layer of bauxitic
duricrust Duricrust is a hard layer on or near the surface of soil. Duricrusts can range in thickness from a few millimeters or centimeters to several meters. It is a general term (not to be confused with duripan) for a zone of chemical precipitation and ...
. The southern Dampierland region, which includes the Dampier Peninsula and the coastal plain extending to the southwest, are on deposits of red sand. The topography of Dampierland is mostly gentle, with coastal dunes and lagoons.


IBRA regions

The ecoregion includes five IBRA regions – Central Kimberley, Daly Basin,
Dampierland Dampierland is an interim Australian bioregion in Western Australia.IBRA Version 6.1
, Northern Kimberley, and Victoria Bonaparte.


Climate

The ecoregion has a tropical savanna climate. Temperatures are high throughout the year, and monthly maximum averages range from 25º to 35º C. Rainfall is highly seasonal, occurring with the summer monsoons from October to March, followed by a long dry season during the rest of the year. Rainfall is highest in the coastal north of the ecoregion, and lower in the south and towards the interior. The Mitchell Plateau in the north receives 1,400 mm annually, while Broome in the southwest receives around 600 mm.


Flora

The vegetation is mostly savanna and open woodland, which vary in species composition with rainfall, underlying soils, and exposure to fires. Other vegetation types include wetlands and enclaves of monsoon rainforest.


Woodlands and savannas

Woodland of bloodwood eucalypts (''Corymbia'' spp.) is widespread on sand and loam soils.
Boab ''Adansonia gregorii'', commonly known as the boab and also known by a number of other names, is a tree in the family Malvaceae, endemic to the northern regions of Western Australia and the Northern Territory of Australia. Names The specific ...
(''Adansonia gregorii'') is a distinctive woodland tree that favours sandy soils.
Darwin stringybark ''Eucalyptus tetrodonta'', commonly known as Darwin stringybark or messmate, is a species of medium-sized to tall tree that is endemic to northern Australia. It has rough, stringy or fibrous bark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped leave ...
(''Eucalyptus tetrodonta'') and
Darwin woollybutt ''Eucalyptus miniata'', commonly known as the Darwin woollybutt or woolewoorrng, is a species of medium-sized to tall tree that is endemic to northern Australia. It has rough, fibrous, brownish bark on the trunk, smooth greyish bark above. Adult ...
(''E. miniata'') predominate where soils are richer and rainfall is higher. The trees are evergreen and form an open canopy 5 to 15 metres high. The understory is mostly tall grass, with species of ''
Sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...
, Heteropogon, Themeda,
Chrysopogon ''Chrysopogon'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical plants in the grass family. They are widespread across Eurasia, Africa, Australia, southeastern North America, and various islands. Species Source: Formerly included Source: Resear ...
, Aristida'', and '' Eriachne''. In parts of Northern Kimberly, the palm ''
Livistona eastonii ''Livistona'' is a genus of palms, the botanical family Arecaceae, native to southeastern and eastern Asia, Australasia, and the Horn of Africa. They are fan palms, the leaves with an armed petiole terminating in a rounded, costapalmate fan ...
'' forms a dense sub-canopy in the woodlands. River valley lowlands with fine-textured clay and clay-loam soils are home to open woodlands characterized by trees of the genera ''
Terminalia Terminalia may refer to: * Terminalia (festival), a Roman festival to the god of boundaries Terminus * ''Terminalia'' (plant), a tree genus * Terminalia (insect anatomy), the terminal region of the abdomen in insects * ''Polyscias terminalia'', a ...
'' and '' Bauhinia'', and grasslands of ''
Chrysopogon ''Chrysopogon'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical plants in the grass family. They are widespread across Eurasia, Africa, Australia, southeastern North America, and various islands. Species Source: Formerly included Source: Resear ...
, Aristida'', and ''
Dichanthium ''Dichanthium'', known commonly as bluestem or bluegrass, is a genus of African, Asian, and Australian plants in the grass family. Some species have become naturalized in the Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively cal ...
'', with species of ''
Xerochloa ''Xerochloa'' is a genus of Australian and Southeast Asian plants in the grass family. ; Species * '' Xerochloa barbata'' R.Br. - Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland * '' Xerochloa imberbis'' R.Br. - rice grass - Thailand, Java, W ...
'' in wetter areas. Many of these woodlands and grasslands have been converted to farmland.


Pindan

Pindan Pindan is a name given to the red-soil country of the south-western Kimberley region of Western Australia. The term comes from a local language and applies both to the soil and to the vegetation community associated with it.Lowe (2003). History ...
is a plant community found on the
Dampier Peninsula The Dampier Peninsula is a peninsula located north of Broome and Roebuck Bay in Western Australia. It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean to the west and north, and King Sound to the east. It is named after the mariner and explorer William Damp ...
and elsewhere the southwestern portion of the ecoregion, typically in areas with red sandy soils. Pindan is a low-canopied open woodland with trees 3 to 8 meters high. The dominant species are wattle, including ''
Acacia eriopoda ''Acacia eriopoda'', commonly known as the Broome pindan wattle and the narrow-leaf pindan wattle, is a species of wattle in the legume family that is native to northern Western Australia. It is also known as Yirrakulu to the Nyangumarta peop ...
, A. tumida, A. platycarpa'', and '' A. colei''. Occasional bloodwoods emerge above the wattle canopy.


Monsoon rainforests

Pockets of monsoon rainforest are found on scattered sites, generally within 150 km of the coast. There are approximately 1500 monsoon rainforest patches totaling 7,000 hectares (ha). The average patch is less than four hectares. Only 3% exceed 20 ha, and the largest is 200 ha. Monsoon rainforest is composed of semi-deciduous or deciduous trees which lose their leaves towards the end of the dry season ("raingreen"). Woody vines are common, and they climb into the tree canopies; lower-canopied monsoon rainforests are also known as monsoon vine thickets. Understory plants include low trees, shrubs and vines. Monsoon rainforest is generally fire-intolerant, in contrast to the surrounding savanna and woodlands which are adapted to frequent fires. Trees and shrubs of the monsoon rainforest often have fleshy fruits, which are eaten and dispersed by birds, bats, and mammals. Monsoon rainforests are found behind coastal dunes, on hillsides and scree slopes, at the edges of swamps and rivers, and in gorges and gullies. Rainforests have a distinct flora from the adjacent savannas and woodlands, with many ancient
Gondwanian Gondwana () was a large landmass, often referred to as a supercontinent, that formed during the late Neoproterozoic (about 550 million years ago) and began to break up during the Jurassic period (about 180 million years ago). The final stages ...
plants, along with plants characteristic of the
Australasian Australasian is the adjectival form of Australasia, a geographical region including Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continen ...
and Indomalayan tropics.Kenneally, Kevin F. (2018). Kimberley Tropical Monsoon Rainforests of Western Australia: Perspectives on Biological Diversity. ''Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas'': 149 – 228. 2018. In Northern Kimberley, monsoon rainforests are common on scree slopes at the bottom of escarpments, and at the edges of freshwater swamps and mangroves. They are most extensive on basalt slopes at the foot of the laterite plateaus that top the Mitchell Plateau and Bougainville Peninsula. Mixed evergreen, semi-evergreen, and deciduous trees form a canopy 15–20 meters in height, crowned by emergent trees. Monsoon rainforest trees in the Northern Kimberley include ''
Aglaia elaeagnoidea ''Aglaia elaeagnoidea'', the droopy leaf or priyangu, is a species of plant in the family Meliaceae. It is a 10m tall tree found in American Samoa, Australia (Western Australia and Queensland), Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New C ...
, Albizia lebbeck, Brachychiton diversifolius, Brachychiton xanthophyllus, Bombax ceiba,
Dysoxylum latifolium ''Dysoxylum'' is a flowering plant genus of trees and shrubs from the mahogany family, Meliaceae. Botanical science has recorded about eighty species in this genus, growing widely across the regions of Malesia, the western Pacific ocean, Austr ...
, Ficus (F. congesta, F. geniculata'' var. ''insignis, F. hispida'' var. ''hispida, F. racemosa'' var. ''racemosa'', and ''F. virens'' var. ''virens),
Ganophyllum falcatum ''Ganophyllum falcatum'', commonly known as the scaly ash, is an evergreen rainforest tree. It grows up to 32 metres high and has rough, flaky bark. The species was described by German-Dutch botanist Carl Ludwig Blume in 1851 based on plant mat ...
,
Garuga floribunda ''Garuga'' is a genus of shrubs and trees in the family Burseraceae (the incense or torchwood family). Members are found in Asia and America. Description ''Garuga'' species are deciduous trees. The flowers are bisexual. The fruits are drupes (i ...
, Grewia breviflora,
Litsea glutinosa ''Litsea glutinosa'' is a rainforest tree in the laurel family, Lauraceae. Common names include soft bollygum, bolly beech, Bollywood, bollygum, brown bollygum, brown Bollywood, sycamore and brown beech. The powdered bark, known as jigat, may b ...
,
Miliusa brahei ''Miliusa'' is a genus of plants in family Annonaceae. Species have been recorded from tropical and subtropical Asia to northern Australia. Accepted species ''Plants of the World Online'' currently includes: # '' Miliusa amplexicaulis'' Rid ...
, Mimusops elengi,
Monoon australe ''Monoon''Miquel FAW (1865) ''Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi'' 2: 15. is a genus of plants in the family Annonaceae and the tribe Miliuseae. Species have been recorded from the Indian subcontinent, Indo-China, Malesia, New Guinea and Australia, ...
,
Myristica insipida ''Myristica insipida'', commonly known in Australia as Australian nutmeg, Queensland nutmeg or native nutmeg, is a small rainforest tree in the family Myristicaceae native to parts of Malesia, Papuasia and Australia. It is closely related to th ...
,
Sterculia quadrifida ''Sterculia quadrifida'', also known as the peanut tree, or red-fruited kurrajong is a small tree that grows in the rainforests, vine thickets, and gallery forests of New Guinea and northern Australia. The tree grows to a height of and has a ...
, Terminalia ferdinandiana,
Terminalia microcarpa ''Terminalia microcarpa'' is a tree species in the family Combretaceae. It occurs throughout the Philippines, in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia (Java, Sulawesi, Borneo, Timor, and the Maluku Islands), Papua New Guinea, possibly the Bismarck Ar ...
,
Terminalia petiolaris ''Terminalia petiolaris'', commonly known as blackberry tree or billygoat plum, or ''marool'' in the local Bardi language, is a species of plant in the Combretaceae family. It is endemic to the coast of the Kimberley region of northern Western ...
,
Wrightia pubescens ''Wrightia pubescens''R.Br. (1811) Memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History Society, Edinburgh 1: 75. is a species of small tree in the family Apocynaceae. Its distribution includes: Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland), southern China, Ta ...
'', and ''
Ziziphus quadrilocularis ''Ziziphus quadrilocularis'' is a flowering plant endemic to Australia. Its name in the indigenous Wardaman language is Mardarrgu. Description It is a deciduous, spiny shrub or tree, growing to 2–12 m in height. It bears green and yellow flo ...
''. Woody vines are profuse, and climb into the tree canopies. Small trees and shrubs make up the understory, and include ''Alectryon kimberleyanus, Denhamia obscura, Glycosmis microphylla, Glycosmis trifoliata, Grewia glabra, Micromelum minutum, Murraya paniculata, Strychnos lucida'', and ''Trema tomentosa''. Trees found at the edges of rainforest patches include '' Acacia holoserica'',
boab ''Adansonia gregorii'', commonly known as the boab and also known by a number of other names, is a tree in the family Malvaceae, endemic to the northern regions of Western Australia and the Northern Territory of Australia. Names The specific ...
(''Adansonia gregorii)'', helicopter tree (''Gyrocarpus americanus''), and ''
Antidesma ghaesembilla ''Antidesma ghaesembilla'' is a species of plant in the Phyllanthaceae family. It is native to an area from northern Australia to the Philippines, Zhōngguó/China, and west to India. The shrub or tree usually grows in moist soils in p ...
''. The monsoon vine forests of the northern Dampier Peninsula grow up to 12 meters in height. Common trees include ''Terminalia petiolaris'', mangarr (''
Sersalisia sericea ''Sersalisia sericea'', also known as wild prune, mangarr, and mongo is a species of shrubs or small trees, of the plant family Sapotaceae They grow naturally in monsoon forest, littoral rainforest and occasionally in more open forest types acr ...
''), banyan fig (''Ficus virens'' var. ''virens''), '' Ficus geniculata'' var. ''insignis'',
wild apple ''Malus sieversii'' is a wild apple native to the mountains of Central Asia in southern Kazakhstan. It has recently been shown to be the primary ancestor of most cultivars of the domesticated apple (''Malus domestica''). It was first described as ...
(''Syzygium eucalyptoides'' subsp. ''bleeseri''), with gubinge (''Terminalia ferdinandiana'') growing on the landward fringe. There are localized populations of '' Cupaniopsis anacardioides,
Diospyros maritima ''Diospyros maritima'' (commonly known as the Malaysian persimmon, broadleaf ebony and sea ebony) is a tree in the family Ebenaceae. The specific epithet ''maritima'' means "by the sea", referring to the tree's habitat. Description ''Diospyros ...
, D. rugulosa,
Pittosporum moluccanum ''Pittosporum'' ( or ) is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Pittosporaceae. The genus is probably Gondwanan in origin; its present range extends from Australasia, Oceania, eastern Asia and some parts of Africa. ''Ci ...
,
Trophis scandens ''Malaisia scandens'' (syn. ''Trophis scandens''), the burny vine or crow ash, is a species of large woody vines, constituting part of the fig plant family. They grow naturally in rainforests in Australia and Malesia. In Australia, they grow n ...
'', and ''
Vitex glabrata ''Vitex glabrata'', commonly known as smooth chastetree, bush currant, black plum, black fruit, and black grape, is a species medium-sized deciduous tree in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to Australia (Northern Territory, Western Australia, an ...
''. Coastal monsoon vine thickets extend from the Dampier Peninsula as far south as Broome, in areas with 600 mm or more of annual rainfall. They are found in small, usually linear patches along the leeward side of dunes, sustained by a shallow aquifer. The endemic Cable Beach bloodwood (''Corymbia paractia'') is a characteristic tree, along with Goonj (''
Celtis philippensis ''Celtis philippensis'', is an Asian species of flowering plant in the family Cannabaceae Cannabaceae is a small family of flowering plants, known as the hemp family. As now circumscribed, the family includes about 170 species grouped in abo ...
''), ''Croton habrophyllus'', broad-leaved ballart (''Exocarpos latifolius''), karnbor (''Melaleuca dealbata''), marool or blackberry tree (''Terminalia petiolaris''), and mamajen (''Mimusops elengi''). Vines include ''
Capparis lasiantha ''Capparis lasiantha'' is an endemic Australian plant with a range that extends from the Kimberley region through the Northern Territory and Queensland to northern New South Wales, primarily in drier inland areas although the species extends to t ...
,
Gymnanthera oblonga ''Gymnanthera oblonga'' is a species of vine in the family Apocynaceae (previously Asclepiadaceae) from northern Australia, southeast Asia (Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam), New Guinea, and southern China (Guangdong, ...
, Parsonsia kimberleyensis'', stinking passionflower (''Passiflora foetida''), snake vine (''
Tinospora smilacina ''Tinospora smilacina'' is a woody vine in the Menispermaceae family. It was first described by George Bentham in 1861. The Walmajarri The Walmadjari (Walmajarri) people, also known as Tjiwaling and Wanaseka, are an Aboriginal Australian pe ...
''), and ''
Secamone elliptica ''Secamone elliptica'', also known as corky milk vine, cork vine and secamone, is a species of vines or lianas, of the plant family Apocynaceae. The range extends from southern China through much of Southeast Asia to Northern Australia, from The ...
''. The vine thickets often transition to pindan further inland.


Riparian forests

Riparian forests line rivers and streams. Common riparian trees include river red gum (''Eucalyptus camaldulensis''), ''
Terminalia platyphylla ''Terminalia platyphylla'', commonly known as wild plum, is a tree of the family ''Combretaceae'' native to northern Australia. The tree typically grows to a height of in height and is deciduous. It blooms between January and October producing ...
, Nauclea orientalis,
Melaleuca leucadendra ''Melaleuca leucadendra'', commonly known as weeping paperbark, long-leaved paperbark or white paperbark is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is widespread in northern Australia, Southeast Asia, New Guinea and the Torres Strait Island ...
'', and species of '' Ficus,
Alphitonia ''Alphitonia'' is a genus of arborescent flowering plants comprising about 20 species, constituting part of the buckthorn family ( Rhamnaceae). They occur in tropical regions of Southeast Asia, Oceania and Polynesia. These are large trees or shru ...
, Calophyllum,
Canarium ''Canarium'' is a genus of about 100 species of tropical and subtropical trees, in the family Burseraceae. They grow naturally across tropical Africa, south and southeast Asia, Indochina, Malesia, Australia and western Pacific Islands; inclu ...
, Cryptocarya, Myristica'', and '' Syzygium''. Understory shrubs include ''
Pandanus aquaticus ''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with some 750 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. The greatest number of species are found in Madagascar and Malaysia. Common names ...
'', '' P. spiralis, Antidesma'', and '' Drypetes''. Vines aren't as profuse as in the monsoon rainforests, but the non-native stinking passionflower is abundant in some areas. The riparian forests include many rainforest tree and shrub species with fleshy fruits. These are an important food source for wildlife, and the forests also provide habitat and shelter for many animals.


Fauna

About 230 species of plants are endemic to the ecoregion, along with six endemic species of mammals, two endemic bird species, 31 endemic reptile species, and 16 endemic fish species. Native mammals include the agile wallaby (''Macropus agilis''), common wallaroo (''Osphranter robustus''), antilopine kangaroo (''Osphranter antilopinus''), northern quoll (''Dasyurus hallucatus''), bilby (''Macrotis lagotis''), short-beaked echidna (''Tachyglossus aculeatus''),
northern brushtail possum The northern brushtail possum (''Trichosurus arnhemensis'') is a nocturnal marsupial inhabiting northern Australia. The northern brushtail possum is sometimes considered a species, however more often than not is considered a subspecies of the c ...
(''Trichosurus arnhemensis''), common brushtail possum (''Trichosurus vulpecula''),
rock-haunting ringtail possum The rock-haunting ringtail possum (''Petropseudes dahli''), also known as the rock ringtail possum, is a species of Australian possum. It is found in rocky escarpments in the Kimberley, Arnhem Land and Gulf of Carpentaria across Western Aust ...
(''Petropseudes dahli''), sugar glider (''Petaurus breviceps''), and pale field rat (''Rattus tunneyi''). The golden bandicoot (''Isoodon auratus'') and golden-backed tree-rat (''Mesembriomys macrurus'') were once widespread in the ecoregion, but are now limited to Northern Kimberley. The
boodie The boodie (''Bettongia lesueur''), also known as the burrowing bettong or Lesueur's rat-kangaroo, is a small, furry, rat-like mammal native to Australia. Once common throughout the continent, it is now restricted to a few coastal islands. A memb ...
or burrowing bettong (''Bettongia lesueur''), a formerly-native kangaroo, is now extinct from the ecoregion. The six endemic mammals are the Ningbing false antechinus (''Pseudantechinus ningbing''),
scaly-tailed possum The scaly-tailed possum (''Wyulda squamicaudata'') is found in northwestern Australia, where it is restricted to the Kimberley. They are light grey over most of the body and have relatively short ears and muzzle. The mostly hairless tail is ab ...
(''Wyulda squamicaudata''),
monjon The monjon (''Petrogale burbidgei'') is the smallest species of rock-wallabies ('' Petrogale'') and is found in north-west Australia. They are restricted to a small area of the Kimberley region and on nearby islands in the Bonaparte Archipelag ...
(''Petrogale burbidgei''), yellow-lipped bat (''Vespadelus douglasorum''),
Kimberley mouse The central pebble-mound mouse (''Pseudomys johnsoni'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae, native to Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainla ...
(''Pseudomys laborifex''), and Kimberley rock rat (''Zyzomys woodwardi'').
Windjana Gorge Windjana Gorge is a gorge in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is located within the Windjana Gorge National Park. The gorge was formed by the Lennard River having eroded away a section of the Napier Range. The range was formed over ...
,
Tunnel Creek Tunnel Creek is a creek located within the grounds of Tunnel Creek National Park in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Along with Geikie Gorge and Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek is part of an ancient barrier reef that developed during ...
, and Geikie Gorge have extensive cave systems that support large bat colonies. The black grasswren (''Amytornis housei'') and
white-quilled rock pigeon The white-quilled rock pigeon (''Petrophassa albipennis'') is a dark brown rock pigeon with a white patch on its wing. It has distinctive pale lines across its face curving above and below its eye. It is a species of bird in the family Columbidae ...
(''Petrophassa albipennis'') are endemic. The black grasswren lives in hummock grasslands in the sandstone hills of Northern Kimberley. The ecoregion is home to the near-threatened
Gouldian finch The Gouldian finch (''Chloebia gouldiae''), also known as the Lady Gouldian finch, Gould's finch or the rainbow finch, is a colourful passerine bird that is native to Australia. Taxonomy The Gouldian finch was described by British ornithologi ...
(''Erythrura gouldiae''). The purple-crowned fairywren (''Malurus coronatus'') is threatened by habitat loss, as its riparian habitat, particularly along the Ord and Fitzroy rivers, has been trampled by cattle and converted to agriculture. The ecoregion's wetlands are important habitats for migratory and resident water birds. Glossy ibis (''Plegadis falcinellus'') and
magpie goose The magpie goose (''Anseranas semipalmata'') is the sole living representative species of the family Anseranatidae. This common waterbird is found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. As the species is prone to wandering, especially wh ...
(''Anseranas semipalmata'') are the most abundant. The
Ord River Floodplain The Ord River floodplain is the floodplain of the lower Ord River in the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley, in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia. It lies within the Victoria Bonaparte IBRA bioregion and contains river, seasonal ...
and Parry Creek floodplain, Eighty Mile Beach, and Roebuck Bay are Ramsar sites. Lakes Argyle and Kununurra are artificial reservoirs on the Ord River which have become important dry-season refuges for birds. The rocky northern coast and offshore islands are home to colony breeding sites for herons, cormorants, and other seabirds. The endemic lizards include seven species of
gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...
es ('' Diplodactylus mcmillani,
Gehyra occidentalis The Kimberley Plateau dtella (''Gehyra occidentalis'') is a species of gecko endemic to Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excl ...
, G. xenopus,
Oedura filicipoda The fringe-toed velvet gecko (''Oedura filicipoda'') is a gecko endemic to Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding externa ...
, O. gracilis,
Amalosia obscura ''Amalosia obscura'', also known commonly as the slim velvet gecko is a species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to Australia. Geographic range ''A. obscura'' is native to the Australian state of Western Australia ...
'' and '' Pseudothecadactylus cavaticus''), four agamid lizards (''
Diporiphora convergens ''Diporiphora convergens'', the Crystal Creek two-lined dragon, is a species of agama found in Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Austra ...
, D. pindan, D. superba'', and '' Pogona microlepidota''), and 13 skinks (''
Carlia johnstonei ''Carlia johnstonei'', also known commonly as the rough brown rainbow-skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Australian state of Western Australia. Etymology The specific name, ''johnstonei'', is in ...
,
Ctenotus burbidgei ''Ctenotus burbidgei'', also known commonly as the plain-backed Kimberley ctenotus, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to Western Australia. Etymology The specific name, ''burbidgei'', is in hono ...
, C. mastigura, C. tantillus, C. decaneurus yampiensis, Egernia douglasi,
Eremiascincus brongersmai ''Eremiascincus brongersmai'', also known commonly as Brongersma's tree skink and the brown-sided bar-lipped skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the state of Western Australia. Etymology The specif ...
,
Lerista apoda The Dampier Land limbless slider (''Lerista apoda'') is a species of skink found in Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excludi ...
, L. borealis, L. kalumburu, L. separanda, L. walkeri'', and ''
Cyclodomorphus maximus The giant slender bluetongue (''Cyclodomorphus maximus'') is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the wester ...
''). Endemic snakes are the
rough-scaled python The rough-scaled python (''Morelia carinata'') is a large-scaled python species endemic to Australia. No subspecies are currently recognized. Description The rough-scaled python is able to grow to around in total length. It has a triangular-sha ...
(''Morelia carinata''), Kimberley deep-soil blind snake (''Anilios howi''), Small-eyed blind snake (''A. micromma''), Sandamara blind snake (''A. troglodytes''), Yampi blind snake (''A. yampiensis''), Ord curl snake (''Sula ordensis''), and ''
Simoselaps minimus ''Simoselaps minimus'', also known as the Dampierland burrowing snake, is a species of venomous burrowing snake that is endemic to Australia. The specific epithet ''minimus'' (“least”) refers to the species’ relatively small size. Descri ...
''. The endemic frogs include flat-headed frog (''Limnodynastes depressus''),
cave-dwelling frog The cave-dwelling frog (''Ranoidea cavernicola'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is endemic to Australia where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland ...
(''Ranoidea cavernicola''),
magnificent tree frog The magnificent tree frog (''Ranoidea splendida''), also known as the splendid tree frog, is a species of tree frog first described in 1977. It has a limited range, only occurring on the north-western coast of Australia in the Northern Territory ...
(''Ranoidea splendida''), Derby toadlet (''Uperoleia aspera''),
small toadlet The small toadlet (''Uperoleia minima'') is a species of frog in the family Myobatrachidae. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dom ...
(''U. minima''), fat toadlet (''U. crassa''),
marbled toadlet ''Uperoleia marmorata'' commonly known as the marbled toadlet, is only known by the holotype collected in the Kimberley region of Western Australia by Gray in 1841. Description Gray describe the frog as "…black and green marbled, leaving a tri ...
(''U. marmorata''),
Mjoberg's toadlet Mjoberg's toadlet (''Uperoleia mjobergii'') is a species of frog in the family Myobatrachidae. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland A ...
(''U. mjobergi''), and mole toadlet (''U. talpa'').


Conservation and threats

Threats to the ecoregion's wildlife include: habitat loss from converting land to agriculture and pasture; trampling and overgrazing by livestock cattle and feral cattle, donkeys, pigs, and rabbits; changes to the fire regime from replacing Aboriginal fire practices (small, frequent, and deliberately-set small fires) with widespread fire suppression resulting in larger late-season fires; and the introduction of exotic predators including house cats and foxes. Several introduced plants have become widespread weeds, displacing native plants and disrupting the region's fire and hydrologic cycles and food sources for native animals. These plants include rough cocklebur (''Xanthium strumarium''), parkinsonia (''Parkinsonia aculeata''),
bellyache bush ''Jatropha gossypiifolia'', commonly known as bellyache bush, black physicnut or cotton-leaf physicnut, is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. The species is native to Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean islan ...
(''Jatropha gossypifolia''),
castor bean plant ''Ricinus communis'', the castor bean or castor oil plant, is a species of perennial flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus, ''Ricinus'', and subtribe, Ricininae. The evolution of ca ...
(''Ricinus communis''), and stinking passionflower (''Passiflora foetida'').


Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 84,546 km², or 25%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas but less than 10% is in IUCN Cat 1 & 2 protected areas. Protected areas in the ecoregion include Drysdale River National Park, Keep River National Park, Mitchell River National Park,
Prince Regent National Park Prince Regent National Park, formerly the Prince Regent Nature Reserve, is a protected area in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. In 1978 the area was nominated as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Land The national park covers a tot ...
,
Danggu Gorge National Park Danggu (Geikie) Gorge National Park is a national park in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, (great-circle distance) northeast of Perth and approximately east of Broome by road. The gorge was originally named in honour of Sir Archibald ...
, Mirima National Park,
Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges Conservation Park The Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges (formerly between 1879 and 2020, the King Leopold Ranges) are a range of hills in the western Kimberley region of Western Australia. There are two conservation parks within the ranges, the Wunaamin Conservation P ...
,
Ord River Nature Reserve The Ord River floodplain is the floodplain of the lower Ord River in the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley, in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia. It lies within the Victoria Bonaparte IBRA bioregion and contains river, seasonal cr ...
, Charnley River–Artesian Range Sanctuary,
Marion Downs Sanctuary Marion Downs Sanctuary, a former cattle station, is a nature reserve in the Kimberley region of north-west Western Australia. The once privately owned cattle station that occupied an area of had to sell following years of financial hardship ...
,
Mornington Sanctuary Mornington Sanctuary, formerly Mornington Station, is a nature reserve in the Kimberley region of north-west Western Australia. It contains the Mornington Wilderness Camp and is owned and managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC). ...
, Tableland Wildlife Sanctuary, and the northern and western portions of
Gregory National Park Judbarra National Park, formerly Gregory National Park, is a national park in the Northern Territory of Australia, 359 km south of Darwin. The park is the second largest national park in the Northern Territory, after Kakadu National Park, ...
. Indigenous protected areas (IPAs) in the ecoregion include
Nyangumarta Warrarn Indigenous Protected Area Nyangumarta may refer to: * Nyangumarta people of Western Australia * Nyangumarta language Nyangumarta, also written Njaŋumada, Njangamada, Njanjamarta and other variants, is a language spoken by the Nyangumarta people and other Aboriginal Aus ...
, Yawuru Indigenous Protected Area ( Yawuru people), Bardi Jawi Indigenous Protected Area ( Bardi Jawi peoples),
Dambimangari Indigenous Protected Area The Worrorra, also written Worora, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Kimberley area of north-western Australia. The term is sometimes used to describe speakers of the (Western) Worrorra language, and sometimes groups whose traditiona ...
( Dambimangari peoples),
Karajarri Indigenous Protected Area The Karajarri are an Aboriginal Australian people, who once lived south-west of the Kimberleys in the northern Pilbara region, predominantly between the coastal area and the Great Sandy Desert. They now mostly reside at Bidyadanga, south of Bro ...
,
Uunguu Indigenous Protected Area The Wunambal (Unambal), also known as Wunambal Gaambera, Uunguu (referring to their lands), and other names, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the northern Kimberley region of Western Australia. People The Wunambal were, according to Norma ...
( Uunguu people), Wilinggin Indigenous Protected Area (
Wilinggin The Ngarinyin or Ngarinjin are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Their language, Ngarinyin, is also known as Ungarinyin. When referring to their traditional lands, they refer to themselves as Wilinggin ...
people),
Balanggarra Indigenous Protected Area The Yeidji, also spelt Yiiji and other variants, commonly known as Gwini/ Kwini, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Kimberley area of Western Australia, who also self-identify as Balanggarra. Name In contemporary accounts, the Yeidji ...
(
Balanggarra The Yeidji, also spelt Yiiji and other variants, commonly known as Gwini/ Kwini, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Kimberley area of Western Australia, who also self-identify as Balanggarra. Name In contemporary accounts, the Yeidji ...
peoples), and Wardaman Indigenous Protected Area (
Wardaman people The Wardaman people are a small group of Aboriginal Australians living about South-West of Katherine, on Menngen Aboriginal Land Trust in the Northern Territory of Australia. Language Wardaman is a non Pama-Nyungan language. Though close to ...
).UNEP-WCMC (2020). Protected Area Profile for Australia from the World Database of Protected Areas, September 2020. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net


References


External links

* {{Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) Ecoregions of Western Australia Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands