The Clay Pans of the Swan Coastal Plain ecological community occurs in Western Australia where clay soils form an impermeable layer close to the landscape surface, and wetlands form that rely solely on rainfall to fill and then dry to impervious pans in summer.
Clay Pans of the Swan Coastal Plain
Status: Critically Endangered on the EPBC Act list
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Approved Conservation Advice for Clay Pans of the Swan Coastal Plain
The main potential threats to the Clay Pans of the Swan Coastal Plain include Observed and predicted climate change may significantly impact the ecological community and individual species in each clay pan as winter rainfall declines over the Swan Coastal Plain.
The main and ongoing threats to the Clay Pans of the Swan Coastal Plain include Hydrological changes and clearing for urban; industrial or rural development; weed invasion; inappropriate fire regimes and feral animals (predation and soil disturbance).
Fire is a significant threat to integrity of the community; especially the impact of inappropriate fire regimes.
Fire is not a part of the ecology of this wetland community and is the greatest threat to the survival of the fauna in the clay pan wetlands.
Changes to the natural hydrology of the wetlands are the most significant threat to the ecological community; as the vegetation suite is dependant on the wetlands filling and drying at appropriate times of the year.
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