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The Becher Point Wetlands site is a
wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...
nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
in Port Kennedy on the
Swan Coastal Plain The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature which contains the Swan River as it travels west to the Indian Ocean. The coastal plain continues well beyond the boundaries of the Swan River and its tributaries, as a geol ...
of south-western
Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
. The coastal site lies in the
City of Rockingham The City of Rockingham is a council and Local government areas of Western Australia, local government area, comprising the south coastal List of Perth suburbs, suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth. History Rockingham is loca ...
, about south of the state capital, , and is largely surrounded on the landward side by residential
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
s. It comprises about 200 very small wetlands among sand ridges between
Becher Point Becher Point is the southernmost point of Warnbro Sound in Port Kennedy in Western Australia. It was the site of multiple ship beachings. It is a reference point for the adjacent Ramsar Becher Point Wetlands that lie inland from the point. It ...
the Perth-Mandurah Road.


History and recognition

The nature reserve was established in 1996–97; the site is recognised as being of international importance under the
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It is ...
, under which it was designated Ramsar Site 1048 on 5 January 2001. The sedgelands of the site are listed as a
threatened A threatened species is any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which is vulnerable to extinction in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensatio ...
ecological community In ecology, a community is a group or association of populations of two or more different species occupying the same geographical area at the same time, also known as a biocoenosis, biotic community, biological community, ecological communit ...
under the
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
''
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 The ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and cult ...
''. The site is also listed on Australia’s
Register of the National Estate The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heri ...
.


Description

The reserve lies on the beach ridge plains adjoining the coast at Becher Point. Its wetlands are within of the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
. The wetlands are arranged in about ten groups roughly parallel to the coast, and separated by sand ridges. The system contains examples of
shrub swamp Shrub swamps — also called scrub swamps or buttonbush swamps — are a type of freshwater wetland ecosystem occurring in areas too wet to become swamps ("true" or freshwater swamp forest), but too dry or too shallow to become marshes. They a ...
s and seasonal
marsh In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p More in genera ...
es formed in a sequence of inter- dunal swales resulting from coastal advancement over the last three thousand years, a type of wetland system rare in
Southwest Australia Southwest Australia is a biogeographic region in Western Australia. It includes the Mediterranean-climate area of southwestern Australia, which is home to a diverse and distinctive flora and fauna. The region is also known as the Southwest Au ...
. They form one of the youngest wetland systems on the Swan Coastal Plain and show a continuum of development in
hydrology Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and drainage basin sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is called a hydro ...
,
geomorphology Geomorphology () is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features generated by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or near Earth's surface. Geomorphologists seek to understand wh ...
and
vegetation Vegetation is an assemblage of plants and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular Taxon, taxa, life forms, structure, Spatial ecology, spatial extent, or any other specific Botany, botanic ...
unique in Western Australia. Median and mean annual rainfall at Rockingham are and respectively, mainly falling in winter from May to August, while annual evaporation is about . The site’s wetlands are seasonal; they normally lack surface water in summer and autumn. The fresh surface water of winter comes from rainfall and groundwater flow and is usually less than deep.


Flora and fauna

The swamps support sedgeland, tall open
shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally o ...
and low open
forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...
or
woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...
. The sedgeland is dominated by ''
Baumea articulata ''Baumea articulata'', commonly known as jointed rush, is a sedge in the sedge family, Cyperaceae, that is native to Western Australia. The grass-like plant is rhizomatous and perennial, it typically grows to a height of . It blooms between Septe ...
'', '' B. juncea'', ''
Typha ''Typha'' is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrushStreeter D, Hart-Davies C, Hardcastle A, Cole F, Harper L. 2009. ' ...
'' spp. and ''
Lepidosperma ''Lepidosperma'' is a genus of flowering plant of the family Cyperaceae. Most of the species are endemic to Australia, with others native to southern China, southeast Asia, New Guinea, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Species The following species ...
'' spp. ''
Schoenoplectus validus ''Schoenoplectus'' (club-rush ld World species bulrush or tule ew World species is a genus of plants in the sedge family with a cosmopolitan distribution. Note that the name bulrush is also applied to species in the unrelated genus ''Typha'' a ...
'', '' Isolepis nodosa'' and ''
Juncus kraussii ''Juncus kraussii'' commonly known as salt marsh rush, sea rush, jointed rush, matting rush or dune slack rush, is of the monocot family Juncaceae and genus ''Juncus''. It grows in salt marshes, estuarine and coastal areas. This species is idea ...
'' also occur. The forest and woodland is dominated by the paperbarks ''
Melaleuca rhaphiophylla ''Melaleuca rhaphiophylla'', commonly known as swamp paperbark is a plant in the myrtle Family (biology), family, Myrtaceae and is Endemism, endemic to the Southwest Australia, south west of Western Australia. It has narrow, needle-like leaves an ...
'', '' M. hamulosa'', '' M. cuticularis'' and '' M. teretifolia''. Surrounding areas support open
heathland A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...
. Native fauna found at the site include the
quenda The quenda (''Isoodon fusciventer''), also known as the southwestern brown bandicoot or western brown bandicoot, is a small marsupial species endemic to Southwest Australia. Though it was originally treated as a subspecies of the southern brown ...
,
southern carpet python ''Morelia imbricata'', also known Common name, commonly as the southwestern carpet python, is a large species of snake in the Family (biology), family Pythonidae. The species is native to southern regions of Western Australia and western regions ...
and black-striped burrowing snake. At least four species of
frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...
and 21
reptile Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...
s have been recorded.


References


Further reading

* {{Ramsar sites in Australia Nature reserves in Western Australia Ramsar sites in Australia Swamps of Australia Protected areas established in 1996 Swan Coastal Plain Port Kennedy, Western Australia Wetlands of Western Australia