The Eyre Yorke Block, also known as the Eyre and Yorke mallee, is an interim Australian (IBRA) bioregion and a World Wildlife Fund ecoregion covering part of the Eyre Peninsula and all of Yorke Peninsula as well as land to its immediate east in South Australia.IBRA Version 6.1 data
Location and description The peninsulas consist of hilly country originally covered in eucalyptus woodland. However, it has good soil for farming, and the woodland has mostly been cleared for agriculture. The coast has a temperate climate with a wet winter (300mm to 600mm of rainfall per year).
Subregions The IBRA identifies five subregions of the bioregion: Southern Yorke – St Vincent – Eyre Hills – Talia – Eyre Mallee –
Flora The original vegetation of these low hills was woodland of short trees with a shrubby undergrowth. The original woodland consisted mainly of a tea tree Melaleuca lanceolata and mallee box (Eucalyptus porosa), a mallee eucalyptus. The flora of the two peninsulas does differ, with the Eyre Peninsula flora having similarities with areas further west as well as number of endemic species, while the Yorke Peninsula has plants typical of areas to the east.
Fauna Mammals of the region include the western grey kangaroo and the southern hairy-nosed wombat, although many more (such as the tammar wallaby have become extinct on the two peninsulas since they have been cleared for farmland. Birds include the emu.
Threats and preservation Most of the area has been cleared for farmland resulting in reduced populations and local extinction of wildlife, especially on Yorke Peninsula. However, clearance has mostly ceased now and the northern areas of Eyre Peninsula in particular still have large areas of mallee woodland while the coastal dunes remain mostly unspoilt. Weeds, fertiliser and herbicide runoff are still threatening habitats. Protected areas include Innes National Park on Yorke Peninsula.
Protected areas 15.24% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. They include:
References
Further reading Thackway, R and I D Cresswell (1995) An interim biogeographic regionalisation for Australia : a framework for setting priorities in the National Reserves System Cooperative Program Version 4.0 Canberra : Australian Nature Conservation Agency, Reserve Systems Unit, 1995.
External links