Biodiversity is the variety of all life forms – the different plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms, the genes they contain and the ecosystems they form.

WA is one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world. The south-west of WA is one of the world’s 34 internationally recognised terrestrial hotspots for biodiversity and the only one recognised in Australia.

The State boasts:

• a 2.5 million square-kilometre mainland;
• more than 13,500 kilometres of coastline and more than 10,000 offshore islands;
• 26 of Australia’s 80 bioregions, from sub-alpine areas to tropical rainforest and desert;
• 141 of Australia’s 207 mammal species, 25 of which are unique to WA;
• 439 reptile species, 187 of which are unique to WA;
• more than 1600 fish species;
• hundreds of thousands of invertebrate species;
• more than 12,000 species of vascular plants; and
• an unknown number of fungi, lichens and other non-vascular plants.