Pre-1750 Vegetation Complexes of the Swan Coastal Plain

Pre-1750 distribution of vegetation complexes across the Swan Coastal Plain south of Lancelin. The mapping synthesizes work by Heddle et al. (1980) at 1:250,000 scale with corrections from 2015 and later additions by Webb et al. (2016) for the southern section. It was compiled by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Model historical vegetation complex distribution using pre-1750 boundaries and soil landscape phase attributes.
• Analyze vegetation patterns along the Whicher and Darling scarp interface using consolidated complex definitions.
• Compare Heddle et al. (1980) and Webb et al. (2016) mapping methodologies for the Swan Coastal Plain region.
• Integrate vegetation complex data with landform and soil datasets for ecological restoration planning.

Strengths

• Original mapping was conducted at a detailed 1:250,000 scale.
• Dataset incorporates attribution corrections from 2015 and boundary consolidation from 2016.
• Covers a specific, ecologically significant region: the Swan Coastal Plain south of Lancelin.

Limitations

• Mapping was initially restricted to the 'System 6' area, leaving gaps later filled by separate work.
• The pre-1750 baseline may not reflect current vegetation conditions due to centuries of land use change.
• Data format is primarily geospatial, requiring GIS tools for full analysis.

Provenance

Source

Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, authored by Janine Kinloch.

Collection Method

Synthesis of vegetation complex mapping by Heddle et al. (1980) and Webb et al. (2016), with subsequent corrections and consolidation.

Time Range

Pre-1750 historical baseline.

Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

Swan Coastal Plain, south of Lancelin, Western Australia.