Forrestdale and Thomsons Lakes Ramsar Site
| Designations | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Forrestdale and Thomsons Lakes |
| Designated | 7 June 1990 |
| Reference no. | 481[1] |
The Forrestdale and Thomsons Lakes Ramsar Site comprises two separate
fresh to brackish, seasonal lakes in a suburban and agricultural landscape in south-western Western Australia. It lies in the Swan Coastal Plain bioregion and is used mainly for birdwatching and walking. The site is recognised as being of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, under which it was designated Ramsar Site 481 on 7 June 1990.[2]
Description
waterbirds.[3]
Ramsar criteria satisfied by the site are that it:[3]
- contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region;
- supports populations of a plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of a particular biogeographic region;
- regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds; and
- regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird.
Conservation
Conservation management of the site focuses on:
- maintenance of water quality since nutrient levels in the lakes are fairly high, and water levels may be affected by groundwater extraction for domestic and agricultural purposes, or increased drainage discharge from nearby urban areas;
- preventing the spread of Typha orientalis throughout the lakes;
- the need to control chironomid numbers because of their nuisance factor to nearby residents; and
- mitigating further deterioration of wetland and woodland vegetation resulting from over-use by visitors.[3]
References
Notes
Sources
- "The Annotated Ramsar List: Australia". The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. 4 January 2000. Archived from the original on 19 September 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
- "Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands: Forrestdale and Thomsons Lakes". Department of Conservation and Land Management, Western Australia. November 2003. Archived from the original on 13 March 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2010.