The Swan Weeds Database
Environmental weeds pose a serious threat to the rich natural biodiversity of the Swan Region in Western Australia. Swan Weeds is a database developed to provide accessible information on the most problematic environmental weeds in the region.
The database is a collaboration involving the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions’ (DBCA) Western Australian Herbarium, DBCA’s Urban Nature Program and the 2006–2008 Invasive Species Project administered by the Perth NRM (formerly the Swan Catchment Council). The latter project was funded through the Commonwealth Government’s Natural Heritage Trust program. Production of the grass and herbaceous species management notes was funded by DEC as a Specific Nature Conservation Project. This formed part of a $4.75 million targeted investment by DEC over 2009–10 to implement projects for the conservation of Western Australia’s native plants, animals and ecosystems.
Swan Weeds aims to provide web-based delivery of information on the biology and management of environmental weeds which are problematic in Western Australia, with particular emphasis on those species occurring on the Swan Coastal Plain and Darling Scarp and Plateau (the Jarrah Forest IBRA Region). This area is shown in Figure 1.
Information housed in the database links into and is available online here in the Department’s Florabase, where it supplements the descriptions, images and distribution information with additional details of weed taxa origin, biology, and suggested methods of management and control. The database features over 300 serious weed species covering all life and growth forms, with scope for more species to be added in the future.
The full list of taxa included in the database is now available
Florabase also displays the project information for a weed on the plant’s profile page.
Data sources and contributing agencies
The information has been collated from a large number of sources and agencies, the major ones include:
- Brown, K. and Brooks, K. (2002) Bushland Weeds; A practical guide to their management, Environmental Weeds Action Network, Greenwood, Western Australia.
- Hussey, B.M.J., Keighery, G.J., Dodd, J., Lloyd, S.G. and Cousens, R.D. (2007) Western weeds. A guide to the weeds of Western Australia, Second Edition, The Weeds Society of Western Australia, Victoria Park, Western Australia.
- Weeds Australia
- Weeds Cooperative Research Centre
- Keighery, G. (2007) Environmental weeds in the Swan NRM Region (unpublished data).
- Agriculture and Food (DPIRD)
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
- Perth Region NRM (formerly the Swan Catchment Council)
Project team
The development and management of this project was a collective effort. The project team included Karen Bettink, Kate Brown, Brett Glossop, Greg Keighery, David Mitchell and Ben Richardson.
Citation
Brown, K.L. and Bettink, K.A. (2009–) Swan Weeds: Management Notes, Florabase—the Western Australian flora. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. https://florabase.dbca.wa.gov.au/projects/swanweeds/
Project Sponsors
