Buckaringa Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
Buckaringa Sanctuary is a 20 km2 nature reserve
in the southern Flinders Ranges
of South Australia
. It is 30 km north of the town of Quorn
. It is owned and managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy
(AWC).
which was taken up in the 1880s, and used for sheep grazing and cereal cropping until 1990. It was acquired by Earth Sanctuaries as a wildlife reserve in the early 1990s, before being purchased by AWC in 2002.
, Acacia
shrubland
, low woodland
dominated by Northern Cypress Pine
, Mallee scrub
, and strips of River Red Gum
woodland along the creeks.
, and the primary management objective of the reserve is the protection of this species through a fox
and goat
eradication program.
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
in the southern Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts approximately north west of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna...
of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. It is 30 km north of the town of Quorn
Quorn, South Australia
Quorn is a township and railhead in the Flinders Ranges in the north of South Australia, 39 km northeast of Port Augusta. At the 2006 census, Quorn had a population of 1068.Quorn is the home of the Flinders Ranges Council local government area...
. It is owned and managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Australian Wildlife Conservancy
The Australian Wildlife Conservancy is an Australian independent, non-profit organisation, working to conserve threatened wildlife and ecosystems in Australia, principally through the acquisition of extensive areas of land on which to establish conservation reserves . These sanctuaries are...
(AWC).
History
Buckaringa was a pastoral leasePastoral lease
A pastoral lease is Crown land that government allows to be leased, generally for the purposes of farming.-Australia:Pastoral leases exist in both Australian commonwealth law and state jurisdictions....
which was taken up in the 1880s, and used for sheep grazing and cereal cropping until 1990. It was acquired by Earth Sanctuaries as a wildlife reserve in the early 1990s, before being purchased by AWC in 2002.
Landscape and climate
Most of Buckaringa consists of rocky ridges, plains with shallow soils and rock debris, and steep-sided gorges with caves, crevices and piles of boulders. The climate is one of cool winters and hot summers in an arid region with an average annual rainfall of 329 mm.Ecosystems
Buckaringa’s habitats include Hummock grasslandGrassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
, Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
shrubland
Shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub or brush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity...
, low woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
dominated by Northern Cypress Pine
Callitris columellaris
Callitris columellaris is a species of coniferous tree in the family Cupressaceae , native to most of Australia. Common names include White Cypress-pine, Murray River Cypress-pine, and Northern Cypress-pine....
, Mallee scrub
Mallee (habit)
Mallee is the growth habit of certain eucalypt species that grow with multiple stems springing from an underground lignotuber, usually to a height of no more than ten metres...
, and strips of River Red Gum
River Red Gum
The River Red Gum is a tree of the genus Eucalyptus. It is one of around 800 in the genus. It is a plantation species in many parts of the world, but is native to Australia, where it is widespread, especially beside inland water courses...
woodland along the creeks.
Fauna
Buckaringa holds one of the largest colonies of the threatened Yellow-footed Rock-wallabyYellow-footed Rock-wallaby
The Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby is a member of the macropod family ....
, and the primary management objective of the reserve is the protection of this species through a fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
and goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
eradication program.