ABSTRACT
A shallow, unconfined aquifer underlies much of coastal south-western Australia. Groundwater abstraction from this aquifer has increased significantly since the 1970s in response to declining rainfall and increasing domestic and commercial demand. With the subsequent decline in groundwater levels has come evidence of ecological change and degradation. A wetland vegetation monitoring program was established in the mid-1990s to address these issues. Vegetation Response patterns appear to be the cumulative result of groundwater abstraction, reduced rainfall and fire. This paper describes the outcomes of 14 years of vegetation monitoring, examining the degree and rate of change of vegetation in wetlands of varying geomorphology, hydrology and disturbance regimes, and identifies ecological thresholds that could be used to trigger a management response.
