Lake Bryde-East Lake Bryde
Encyclopedia
Lake Bryde-East Lake Bryde is a DIWA
-listed freshwater wetland
system in Western Australia
. It is located at 33°21′S 118°49′E, in the Shire of Kent, 34 kilometres south-west of Newdegate
. It in part of the Western Mallee
biogeographic
subregion of the Mallee
region of the South West Botanic Province.
The system consists of two lakes: Lake Bryde, with an area of 0.5 square kilometres; and East Lake Bryde, with an article of about 1.4 square kilometres. They are located at the head of a chain of lakes that extend to Lake Magenta
, and ultimately form part of the Swan
-Avon
drainage system.
The Lake Bryde-East Lake Bryde system contains the only shrub
-dominated lake bed vegetation community in the province. This community, which consists mainly of the critically endangered
Muehlenbeckia horrida subsp. abdita
(Remote Thorny Lignum) and Tecticornia verrucosa, has been declared a critically endangered threatened ecological community
under the name "Bryde".
The lakes experience a regular cycle of freshwater flooding followed by gradual drying, and their vegetation depends upon that cycle for its survival. Since the 1980s, rises in the water table
caused by extensive land clearing for agriculture has resulted in greatly increased salinity
of the area, increating the lakes' salt load from 160 tons to around 1200 tons. Furthermore, changes to the area's hydrology
have greatly increased the frequency of flooding. These factors have caused a severe decline in the extent and condition of the shrub beds. Because of the threat to M. h. subsp. abdita and the ecological community as a whole, the lakes are protected by the Lake Bryde Nature Reserve.
The lake system has been identified as important to bird life, with sixteen bird species recorded there. It has also been found to support a substantially greater diversity of aquatic invertebrates than surrounding lake systems.
A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia
A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia is a list of wetlands of national importance to Australia. Intended to augment the list of wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, it was formerly published in report form, but is now essentially an online publication...
-listed freshwater wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
system in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It is located at 33°21′S 118°49′E, in the Shire of Kent, 34 kilometres south-west of Newdegate
Newdegate, Western Australia
Newdegate is a townsite in the great southern agricultural region, 399 km south-east of Perth and 52 km east of Lake Grace in Western Australia. The townsite was gazetted in 1925 and honours Sir Francis Newdegate, the Governor of Western Australia from 1920 to 1924...
. It in part of the Western Mallee
Western Mallee
Western Mallee is an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia subregion in southern Western Australia. It is a sparsely populated subregion with an area of about 47,000 square kilometres, roughly centred on the town of Newdegate...
biogeographic
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
subregion of the Mallee
Mallee (biogeographic region)
Mallee, also known as Roe Botanical District, is a biogeographic region in southern Western Australia. Located between the Esperance Plains, Avon Wheatbelt and Coolgardie regions, it has a low, gently undulating topography, a semi-arid mediterranean climate, and extensive Eucalyptus mallee...
region of the South West Botanic Province.
The system consists of two lakes: Lake Bryde, with an area of 0.5 square kilometres; and East Lake Bryde, with an article of about 1.4 square kilometres. They are located at the head of a chain of lakes that extend to Lake Magenta
Lake Magenta
Lake Magenta is an ephemeral salt lake in the Wheatbelt area of Western Australia.The lake is located approximately North East of Jerramungup and approximately West of Ravensthorpe....
, and ultimately form part of the Swan
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
-Avon
Avon River (Western Australia)
The Avon River is a river in Western Australia. It is a tributary of the Swan River totalling 280 kilometres in length, with a catchment area of 125,000 square kilometres.-Catchment area:...
drainage system.
The Lake Bryde-East Lake Bryde system contains the only shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
-dominated lake bed vegetation community in the province. This community, which consists mainly of the critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
Muehlenbeckia horrida subsp. abdita
Muehlenbeckia horrida subsp. abdita
Muehlenbeckia horrida subsp. abdita, commonly known as Remote Thorny Lignum, is a critically endangered shrub endemic to Western Australia.-Description:...
(Remote Thorny Lignum) and Tecticornia verrucosa, has been declared a critically endangered threatened ecological community
Threatened ecological community
Threatened ecological community is a term used in Australia for ecosystems that are in danger of being lost due to some threatening process. Federally, threatened ecological communities are identified and protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Some states...
under the name "Bryde".
The lakes experience a regular cycle of freshwater flooding followed by gradual drying, and their vegetation depends upon that cycle for its survival. Since the 1980s, rises in the water table
Water table
The water table is the level at which the submarine pressure is far from atmospheric pressure. It may be conveniently visualized as the 'surface' of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in a given vicinity. However, saturated conditions may extend above the water table as...
caused by extensive land clearing for agriculture has resulted in greatly increased salinity
Salinity in Australia
Soil salinity and dryland salinity are two problems degrading the environment of Australia. Salinity is a concern in most states, but especially in the south-west of Western Australia....
of the area, increating the lakes' salt load from 160 tons to around 1200 tons. Furthermore, changes to the area's hydrology
Hydrology
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
have greatly increased the frequency of flooding. These factors have caused a severe decline in the extent and condition of the shrub beds. Because of the threat to M. h. subsp. abdita and the ecological community as a whole, the lakes are protected by the Lake Bryde Nature Reserve.
The lake system has been identified as important to bird life, with sixteen bird species recorded there. It has also been found to support a substantially greater diversity of aquatic invertebrates than surrounding lake systems.