Wafa.org.au
Title
WAFA
Description
For hundreds of thousands of years the only jarrah forest in the world has been evolving in the south-west corner of Western Australia.
This unique forest ecosystem, called ‘jarrah’ after the major tree species Eucalyptus marginata, has thrived in adversity: growing on infertile, often salt-laden soils, adapting to annual drought, and coping with occasional wildfire. At the time of European occupation there were about 3.9 million hectares of jarrah forest and woodland, extending from north of Perth to the south coast.
Beneath the canopy of giant trees, which often includes other tree species such as marri (Corymbia calophylla) and wandoo (E. wandoo), a wondrous profusion of wildflowers, birds and mammals has flourished in ecosystems of great diversity, complexity and interdependence. There are about 1200 species of vascular plants found in the jarrah forest, 29 mammal species, 45 reptile species, 17 frog species, 4 fish species and 150 bird species.
