Media Release: 90 years of monitoring change in arid zone
A 400 hectare piece of land in South Ӱֱ’s outback, 400 kilometres north-east of Adelaide, is providing important data tohelp researchers and land and environmental managers understand arid zone ecology and the impacts of grazing by sheep andpests.
The , located in the centre of Koonamore Station, is one of the world’s oldest continuouslymonitored scientific sites.
Since it was established by Professor TGB Osborn in 1926, the Koonamore Vegetation Reserve has provided generations ofscientists, students and volunteers the opportunity to help preserve and study the unique ecology.
“Such a long period of data recording is unique in the Ӱֱn arid zone, and one of very few such sites in the world,” says Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Biological Sciences, who has been directing ecological monitoring atKoonamore for 43 years, now in collaboration with
“The reserve has shown the remarkable recovery of overgrazed vegetation after removal of sheep, but more especially after theremoval of rabbits. Clearly rabbits prevent regeneration of trees and shrubs by eating the small seedlings and make a largedifference to the natural vegetation. However, it seems that recovery is only steady after extraordinary rainfall events.
“Germination events are infrequent in low and erratic rainfall, so long-term records are essential to study the way this vegetationworks. We have enormous amounts of data from over the years, but there are many important research questions still to beanswered.”
Fencing the reserve has meant records contain a long history of vegetation without grazing over many years. Change over timeis monitored by recording vegetation changes (species, canopy size and density) within permanent quadrats and with photostaken at 68 photopoints, usually every year.
“There have been several changes in the photographic technology over the years: from glass-slide negatives in the 1920s tolarge format celluloid negatives, 35mm negatives, colour slides, colour prints and now digital,” says Dr Sinclair. More than 8000photos and detailed quadrat data are available via the for any researchers touse.”
While most of the research to date has focussed on plant recovery, more recent research is monitoring animal life and theimpact that controlling grazing pressure has had.
“An increasing number of research studies are able to use these records to reveal how this fragile, arid ecosystem functionsand changes over time,” says Associate Professor Facelli. “As we face new global challenges, this information will becomeeven more important – only by understanding long-term changes can we begin to respond to them. Because of the importanceof the study, every effort is being presently made to ensure continuity of the project for generations of researchers to come.”
The Ӱֱ of Adelaide has just launched the 2016 Koonamore Appeal, seeking support towards improvements required atthe site, including an urgent need for upgrading the fence surrounding the reserve. Anyone interested in supporting the appealshould go tothe Koonamore Appeal Website.
Media Contact:
Dr Russell Sinclair, Phone: +61 (0) 8 8313 5689, Mobile: +61 (0) 418 908 019, russell.sinclair@adelaide.edu.au
Associate Professor José Facelli, Phone: +61 (0) 8 8313 4559, Mobile: +61 (0) 438 027 464, jose.facelli@adelaide.edu.au
Robyn Mills, Media Officer, Phone: +61 (0)8 8313 6341, Mobile: +61 (0)410 689 084, robyn.mills@adelaide.edu.au
The , located in the centre of Koonamore Station, is one of the world’s oldest continuouslymonitored scientific sites.
Since it was established by Professor TGB Osborn in 1926, the Koonamore Vegetation Reserve has provided generations ofscientists, students and volunteers the opportunity to help preserve and study the unique ecology.
“Such a long period of data recording is unique in the Ӱֱn arid zone, and one of very few such sites in the world,” says Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Biological Sciences, who has been directing ecological monitoring atKoonamore for 43 years, now in collaboration with
“The reserve has shown the remarkable recovery of overgrazed vegetation after removal of sheep, but more especially after theremoval of rabbits. Clearly rabbits prevent regeneration of trees and shrubs by eating the small seedlings and make a largedifference to the natural vegetation. However, it seems that recovery is only steady after extraordinary rainfall events.
“Germination events are infrequent in low and erratic rainfall, so long-term records are essential to study the way this vegetationworks. We have enormous amounts of data from over the years, but there are many important research questions still to beanswered.”
Fencing the reserve has meant records contain a long history of vegetation without grazing over many years. Change over timeis monitored by recording vegetation changes (species, canopy size and density) within permanent quadrats and with photostaken at 68 photopoints, usually every year.
“There have been several changes in the photographic technology over the years: from glass-slide negatives in the 1920s tolarge format celluloid negatives, 35mm negatives, colour slides, colour prints and now digital,” says Dr Sinclair. More than 8000photos and detailed quadrat data are available via the for any researchers touse.”
While most of the research to date has focussed on plant recovery, more recent research is monitoring animal life and theimpact that controlling grazing pressure has had.
“An increasing number of research studies are able to use these records to reveal how this fragile, arid ecosystem functionsand changes over time,” says Associate Professor Facelli. “As we face new global challenges, this information will becomeeven more important – only by understanding long-term changes can we begin to respond to them. Because of the importanceof the study, every effort is being presently made to ensure continuity of the project for generations of researchers to come.”
The Ӱֱ of Adelaide has just launched the 2016 Koonamore Appeal, seeking support towards improvements required atthe site, including an urgent need for upgrading the fence surrounding the reserve. Anyone interested in supporting the appealshould go tothe Koonamore Appeal Website.
Media Contact:
Dr Russell Sinclair, Phone: +61 (0) 8 8313 5689, Mobile: +61 (0) 418 908 019, russell.sinclair@adelaide.edu.au
Associate Professor José Facelli, Phone: +61 (0) 8 8313 4559, Mobile: +61 (0) 438 027 464, jose.facelli@adelaide.edu.au
Robyn Mills, Media Officer, Phone: +61 (0)8 8313 6341, Mobile: +61 (0)410 689 084, robyn.mills@adelaide.edu.au
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