General Description
Karakamia Sanctuary
Karakamia Sanctuary is located within the Jarrah forest of the Darling Scarp, which has a maximum elevation of 320 m above sea level. The Darling Scarp represents the western extremity of the granitic ‘Yilgarn Block’, one of the oldest landforms on earth that was formed over 220 million years ago. The westward-facing scarp is deeply dissected by rivers and streams flowing off the plateau and across the coastal plain of the Swan Basin to the sea, thus forming the hills and valleys that comprise the contemporary Darling Range.
At Karakamia Sanctuary an undulating lateritic plateau is dissected by winter flowing watercourses feeding Cookes Brook, a permanently flowing stream dissecting the sanctuary. Granite rock is exposed along the steeper hillsides.
Due to its location, and complex geology and topography, Karakamia Sanctuary contains all the key habitats found within the Jarrah forest complex. The Jarrah forest occurs predominantly on the lateritic duricrust, with Marri woodland on the slopes, and Wandoo woodland on clays weathered from exposed granite. Diverse heathlands and shrublands are found in the shallow soils surrounding the exposed granite. Lower down the slopes Blackbutt woodland is replaced by a Flooded gum and sedge community along the riparian (river) zones. Over 260 species of plants are known to occur at Karakamia Sanctuary.