"Paradise" and "Cloverdowns": following natural systems

Abstract

Two properties, "Paradise" and "Cloverdowns", are farmed by the Melvin family near Dowerin in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia (see Fig. 1, Hobbs 2003). The annual average rainfall is 350 mm and, before Europeans settled the area, it was well vegetated with perennial vegetation. The sandplain soils were dominated by mallees Eucalyptus spp., Kwongan or heath (predominantly Myrtaceae, Proteaceae and Leguminosae), and patches of York Gum E. loxophleba woodland. The heavier soils such as the brown sandy loams and red brown loams were clothed in woodland of Salmon Gum E. salmonophloia and York gum. The gravelly sands were covered by Tamma scrub which was dominated by sheoak Allocasuarina spp.