The Southwest Australia Hotspot takes over an area of around 356,717 km squared around the southwestern ed of Australia. This hotspot is one of the 5 Mediterranean type ecosystems in the world. The summers in this area are usually dry while the winter months are characterized by rain. Further inland, rainfall decreases even more and the length of rain seasons decrease.Southwest Australia is attributed to millions of years of isolation from the rest of Australia by the country's central deserts. Extreme climate shifts and poor soils also promoted specialization of the region's flora. Out of more than 5,570 species of vascular plants found in this hotspot, nearly 2,950 are endemic, making up about 53 percent. A significant number of genera at this hotspot are also endemic as 12.5 percent are found nowhere else in the world.
Over 280 native bird species occupy the region, 12 of which are endemic. The level of endemism is slightly higher than in other Mediterranean-type hotspots, and the region is considered an Endemic Bird Area.
The region is home to 22 parrot species; three endemics, including Carnaby's black-cockatoo, the noisy scrub-bird, which earned its name through the loud vocalizations of its males, which was presumed extinct until a small population was rediscovered in 1961. Several other bird species are near threatened or rapidly declining in the face of habitat loss, modification and fragmentation and inappropriate fires.
The greatest human impact in Southwest Australia has been the clearing of native vegetation for agriculture. Agricultural development began in 1829, with the arrival of the first European settlers, but because of the poor soils, development progressed slowly until the 1890s, when phosphate fertilizers were introduced. Today, most usable private land in this area is farmed, although it requires the application of phosphate, with zinc, copper, cobalt, and molybdenum. Because of the region's long dry seasons, bush fires have traditionally been used for hunting and clearing land. Even though native plants are highly adapted to fire, the alteration or intensification of fires can dramatically change the composition and condition of the natural vegetation.
There are a number of conservation programs and projects currently operating in Southwest Australia. The Western Shield Program, run by the Department of Conservation and Land Management, is working to bring at least 13 native fauna species back from the brink of extinction by controlling introduced predators, such as the fox and feral cat. The Eden Project project uses innovative techniques to eradicate feral herbivores and predators and rejuvenate 105,000 hectares of arid zone habitation Peron Peninsula at Shark Bay for threatened native fauna, and, to promote their reintroduction into the area (Conservation International).
Work Cited
Caley, Kevin J., ed. “Biological diversity in Southwest Australia.” The Encyclopedia of Earth. N.p., 22 Aug. 2008. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. <http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150629/>.
