Parks and reserves

 

Desert skink Taylorville station

Calperum and Taylorville Stations Plants and Animals

Flora

More than 800 plants have been identified within Riverland Biosphere Reserve. Many of these species grow in semi-arid conditions and have special adaptations to withstand low erratic rainfall, harsh sunlight, salinity, low soil nutrient level and seasonal fires.

The plants have developed various techniques to reduce water loss, including reduced leaf surface area, leaves hanging vertical to decrease the impact of direct sunlight, while other plants orientate their leaf edges towards the sun. Leaf colours, such as blue-grey, reflect more sunlight and reduce the evaporation loss for the plant. Some species are perennial, waiting on seasonal conditions to germinate seed. Other species are reliant on fire to crack open and release seeds for germination.

Fauna

The present fauna is only a remnant of what once existed before European settlement. Most fauna species that have declined were small ground dwelling animals, which depended on coarse grass, small shrubs for food and shelter. The loss of these habitats, the introduction of hard hoofed animals and rabbits, land clearing and salinity levels rising, have been major factors in declining animal numbers in the Mallee.

The Mallee

The mallee country has an extremely fragile soil structure, formed from wind blown particles deposited on a clay layer. The organic matter adds to an already thin nutrients layer of soil. The soil is held together by lichen crust and plant litter and shallow plant roots. Hard-hoofed animals and rabbits that crop plants close to the ground expose this layer to wind & water erosion.

The floodplains have been modified by locks and dams built along the Murray River. The river experiences dry periods, forming a string of pools to periods of varying flood levels enriched with nutrients and silt deposits. With the introduction of locks and dams there are smaller floods and the river and creeks flow all year round. The diversity of land and animal communities has been altered by the regulation of the river flow. There have been other changes, such as rising saline water table. Grazing and tree clearing have added to the modification of the landscape.