Plant conservation research

Western Australia is renowned for its diverse and spectacular wildflowers, and is one of the premier flora centres in the world. This floral richness is matched by a high number of plants that are threatened with extinction. Our research seeks to conserve and manage Western Australian flora in the wild, by reducing the likelihood of extinction of individual plant species and loss of plant communities. Find out more about threatened species.

The Western Australian Herbarium houses the State's collection of scientific specimens of plants, algae and fungi, which underpins their conservation.

What we do

• Survey current and new plant populations
• Monitor the health of plant populations
• Collect and store seeds
• Research the biology, ecology and genetics of Western Australian plants
• Discover, name and describe plant species
• Research ways to reduce the impacts of threatening processes
• Carry out translocations of threatened plants

Key activities and projects

• Flora translocations
• Seed biology, seedbank dynamics and collection and storage of seed of rare and threatened Western Australian plants
• Genetic analysis to inform conservation status, management and biosystematics of Western Australian plants
• Phytophthora dieback
• Threatened Flora Seed Centre
• Latest projects at the Western Australian Herbarium.

Related resources

Research information sheets

• A new, rare Tetratheca from the Goldfields Region444.25 KB
• Climate-resilient revegetation of multi-use landscapes: adaptation to climate in widespread eucalypt species243.69 KB
• Targeted taxonomy: describing Western Australia’s conservation-listed flora321.32 KB
• A new, rare Hibbertia discovered on Bandalup Hill194.81 KB
• Floristic surveys of the Banded Ironstone Ranges335.35 KB
• Seed conservation: supporting the conservation of plant diversity205.31 KB
• More...

Guides and handbooks

• Threatened Plants series
  Lists declared rare and poorly known plants within each Parks and Wildlife districts.
• Seed Notes for Western Australia
  Information on seed identification, collection, biology and germination for a wide range of seed types for Western Australian native species.
• WA Herbarium guides on collecting and providing specimens
• FloraBase publications
• Perth Fungi Field Book
  A field book with photographs of fungi found in the Perth area, published by the Perth Urban Bushland Fungi Project

Databases and websites

• FloraBase
  Provides botanical information on all Western Australian flowering plant families, genera and species. Includes identification tools, photos, maps, a database of botanical literature and (for registered users) collecting details of more than 700,000 vouchered herbarium specimens from across the State.
• Perth Urban Bushland Fungi Project
  A community based organisation that promotes an understanding of the roles of fungi in bushland.
• Australia's Virtual Herbarium
  An online resource that provides access to the wealth of plant specimen data held by Australian herbaria including the WA Herbarium.
• WorldwideWattle
  To inform, educate and promote the conservation, utilisation and enjoyment of Australian Acacia species.
• Woodland Watch (within FloraBase)
  Floristic surveys of selected remnant eucalypt woodlands of the Avon region — all on private farmlands.
• Swan Weeds database (within FloraBase)
  Provides information on the most problematic environmental weeds in the region.

Posters

• Temperature limits to recruitment in narrow range endemics in south west Western Australia1.91 MB
  Understanding limitations on recruitment in plant populations at the extreme margin of their distributions may provide valuable information on plant response and potential to cope with rapid climate warming, alerting us to species at risk of decline.
• Tackling threats to plant diversity on the south coast of Western Australia2.3 MB 
  Outlines major strategies used to tackle threats to plant diversity on the south coast of WA.
• Molecular testing uncovers new Phytophthora taxa from natural ecosystems in Western Australia41.26 KB 
  Stukely et al. Poster presented at international conference:4th IUFRO Meeting on Phytophthoras in Forests and Natural Ecosystems, Monterey, California, USA, 26-31 August 2007.