Clearing in the wheatbelt region of Western Australia has been rapid and extensive. The mapping of remnant vegetation in the shires of Dumbleyung, Lake Grace, Pingelly and Tammin with the use of the most recent aerial photography (1984) demonstrates the extent of clearing especially in the old established farming areas. Only 7 per cent of the Tammin shire had been retained under native vegetation, 10 per cent of the Dumbleyung shire and 14 per cent of the Pingelly shire. In the Lake Grace shire where large areas have only recently been developed for agriculture, approximately 31 per cent had been retained under native vegetation. Most of the blocks of remnant vegetation in the older farming areas were small and scattered and therefore prone to deterioration and in need of active management
