Lake Magenta (24841)
Australia, Australasia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: Lake Magenta

Central coordinates: Latitude: -33.5555, Longitude: 119.1058

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 280 to 374

Area of KBA (km²): 1342.47677

Protected area coverage (%): 71.90

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The IBA is comprised of the remnant vegetation of the Lake Magenta Nature Reserve, but excluding the lake itself, and a large area of unallocated Crown Land to the east, which is also managed by the Department of Environment and Conservation. It is situated in the south of the Western Australian wheatbelt, about 190 km north-east of Albany. The site consists primarily of mallee and mallee-heath, with woodlands occurring to a lesser degree. The IBA represents the largest remaining area of high productivity mallee in Western Australia, with the IBA typically receving over 400 mm of rain per year. The area represents one of the largest remaining remnants within the wheatbelt and contains high productivity mallee and intact woodland communities that have largely been cleared elsewhere. It supports relatively large numbers of Malleefowl and is known as the 'Chook Reserve' to the local community.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)

Additional biodiversity: Other birds have not been documented for this IBA.

Other site values: Western Australian State Government with the nature reserve and the unallocated Crown Land managed by WA Dept of Environment and Conservation, although the unallocated Crown Land is not formally listed. Permits are required for access to Lake Magenta Nature Reserve.

Habitats

Land use: nature conservation and research (60%) | not utilised (40%)

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Savanna	2
Wetlands(Inland)	5
Shrubland	93

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Investigate the impact of fire regimes on Malleefowl persistence. Investigate the effect of fox control on Malleefowl.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression	Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Ongoing
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Named species	Ongoing

Additional information

References: Barrett, G.W., Silcocks,A., Barry, S., Cunningham, R. and Poulter, R. (2003) The New Atlas of Australian Birds. Melbourne: Birds Australia. Benshemesh, J. (2000) National Recovery Plan for Malleefowl. Adelaide: Department of Environment and Heritage. Bureau of Meteorology (2007) Climate Data Online (on-line). http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages Accessed December 2007. Crook, I.G. and Burbidge, A.A. (1982) Lake Magenta Nature Reserve. Perth: Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. Department of Environment and Heritage (2003) National Vegetation Information System (NVIS). Pre-European and Present Native Vegetation. (Published Data-Stage 1, Version 2) National Land & Water Resources Audit (on-line) Accessed 2006. Harold, G. and Dennings, S. (1998) The first five years. Unpublished report. Malleefowl Preservation Group, Ongerup, Western Australia. Parsons, B.C., Short, J.C. and Roberts, J.D. (2008) Contraction in the range of Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata) in Western Australia: a comparative assessment using presence-only and presence-absence datasets. Emu 108: 221-231. Parsons, B.C., Short, J.C. and Roberts, J.D. (in press) Using community observations to predict the occurrence of Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata) in the Western Australian wheatbelt. Biological Conservation.