Gum Lagoon Conservation Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gum Lagoon Conservation ParkSouth Australia |
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IUCN Category VI (Managed Resource Protected Area)
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The conservation park has a "significant Malleefowl population."
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 Gum Lagoon Conservation Park
Location in South Australia
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| Nearest town or city | Keith |
| Established | 20 August 1970 |
| Area | 89.06 km2 (34.4 sq mi) |
| Managing authorities | Department for Environment and Water |
| See also | Protected areas of South Australia |
Gum Lagoon Conservation Park is a special protected area in South Australia. It's about 40 kilometers southwest of Keith. This park is very important because it protects a unique type of forest called mallee woodland. It's also home to a significant number of malleefowl, which are special birds.
Park History
The park started as Gum Lagoon National Park in August 1970. Back then, it was about 2,700 hectares. In 1972, its name changed to Gum Lagoon Conservation Park. This happened when the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 was put into law. Over the years, the park has grown bigger. More land was added to it bit by bit to help protect more nature.
What the Park is Like
The Gum Lagoon Conservation Park is located in areas called Laffer, Petherick, and Tilley Swamp.
The park has sandy hills called calcarenite dunes. Between these hills are flat areas. Water moves slowly through these flat parts. You can find different types of plants here. These include tea-tree scrub, wet heathland, and mallee woodland. A key part of the park is the Duck Island Watercourse. This area has wide, flat spaces with temporary swamps and sandy islands. The park gets about 500 millimeters of rain each year.
The park is known as an IUCN Category VI protected area. This means it's a place where nature is protected, but people can also use some of its natural resources in a careful and sustainable way.
Plants and Animals
Gum Lagoon Conservation Park is home to many different plants and animals. The plants include Banksia ornata shrubs and Melaleuca brevifolia low shrubs. You can also see Eucalyptus arenacea open woodland and Eucalyptus diversifolia open mallee trees. In the wetter parts, there are red gum woodlands and water-loving plants.
Scientists have found 11 different plant communities here. There are 375 types of native plants. Four of these plants are rare or threatened across Australia. The park also has 12 types of mammals, 19 types of reptiles, 5 types of amphibians, and 141 types of birds. Unfortunately, there are also 62 types of plants and 13 types of animals that are not native to the area.
Birds
BirdLife International has named Gum Lagoon Conservation Park an Important Bird Area. This is mainly because it has a healthy population of malleefowl. These birds are considered a vulnerable species. It's estimated that there are 13 to 14 malleefowl nesting mounds in the park. Another special bird found here is the purple-gaped honeyeater.
