Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park is experiencing widespread plant dieback linked to increasingly hot and severe droughts. Aṉangu traditional custodians, who jointly manage the World Heritage-listed park with Parks Australia, say they are seeing native plants and the animals that depend on them decline.
The most severe drought recorded at Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa occurred between 2018 and 2021. Although the region experienced serious droughts in earlier periods, temperatures are now higher, producing longer, hotter and more frequent heat waves. Following extreme heat in 2019 and 2020, Aṉangu observed mass mortality among species including desert oak, mulga and desert heath myrtle.
A 2020 workshop involving Parks Australia and the Aṉangu community led to collaborative research with scientists from Parks Australia, CSIRO and several universities. Muṯitjulu Mala Rangers have played a central role in surveys and monitoring, combining scientific work with long-standing knowledge of Country.
Using 360-degree imaging, researchers and rangers found that plant dieback covered hundreds of square kilometres within the national park. Field surveys showed that species were affected at very different rates: 78% of kurkaṟa, or desert oak, survived the hot drought, compared with just 10% of pukaṟa, or desert heath myrtle.
The research indicates that water-use strategies may help explain the difference. Plants that slowed their growth and conserved water in their tissues generally experienced less dieback. Species that continued using water for summer growth were more vulnerable during severe drought because they lost water rapidly and died from dehydration.
Aṉangu are also concerned about the wider effects of plant loss. As native species disappear, invasive buffel grass is spreading through Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa, competing with native plants and choking waterholes. Animals are being affected as well, with Aṉangu reporting deaths among desert lizards and birds falling from trees during extreme heat.
The findings are being used to guide management of the park as climate extremes intensify. Aṉangu representatives say protecting the area will require immediate action and continued cooperation between traditional custodians, scientists and governments.
Sources: Phys.org.