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| Biosphere Reserve Information | ||||
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PRINCE REGENT RIVER |
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| General Description | The Prince Regent River Biosphere Reserve is located in the extreme North West of Australia and has a varied relief. In the southern part, the rugged, deeply dissected sandstones of an elevated plateau form a slop going from about 500 meters in the southeast to less than 100 metres around the St. George Basin. The latter site is a deep landlocked harbour bounded by steep cliffs with large expanses of tidal mud flats and mangroves, connected to the sea by a narrow strait. In contrast, the area to the north of the Roe River is underlain by volcanic rocks, interbedded with sandstones and has a subdued topography with rounded hills and deeper soils. Vegetation is diverse, although open tropical woodland covers extensive tracts. Vine thickets, fern gullies and mangroves occur in the area. Patches of rainforest are scattered throughout the biosphere reserve. Although small in size, these patches contain a diverse range of plant species, many of which are endemic. Mangroves cover extensive areas of tidal flats, especially in the King George Basin and Rothsay Waters. The native pine (Callitris intratropica) is widely distributed. Animal species as rock rinktail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus), scaly -tailed possum (Wyulda squamicaudata) and golden bandicoot (Isoodon auratus auratus) are threatened. The area is mainly inhabited and is sporadically occupied by traditional groups. The Ngarinyin and Dambinangari, Australian aborigines, have left many culturally significant art and artifact sites. More than 1,000 tourists (2003) visit the Biosphere Reserve annually for fauna and flora studies, camping, hiking and sailing. | |||
| Major ecosystem type | Tropical dry or deciduous forests or woodlands; mangrove | |||
| Major habitats & land cover types | Mangrove characterized by Aegiceras corniculatum, Camptostema schultzii, Rhizophora stylosa and Sonneratia alba; open woodland with Eucalyptus miniata, E. tetradonta, E. polycarpa and E. latifolia including Melaleuca leucadendra and M. viridiflora; grasslands. | |||
| Location | 15°00' to 16°00'S; 124°45' to 125°45'E | |||
| Area (hectares) | ||||
| Total | 633,825 | |||
| Core area(s) | ||||
| Buffer zone(s) | ||||
| Transition area(s) when given | ||||
| Altitude (metres above sea level) | 0 to +850 | |||
| Year designated | 1977 | |||
| Administrative authorities | Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management | |||
| Last updated: 5/7/2007 |
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