<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/29/environmental-tragedy-as-fires-burn-through-one-fifth-of-northern-territory-national-park>
"Large fires west of Alice Springs have burnt through 20% of the Tjoritja/West
MacDonnell national park in what conservationists say is a nationally
significant environmental tragedy.
The fires have been fuelled by a hot March, which followed three years of above
average rainfall that increased fuel loads in the semi-arid region.
In the past three weeks, more than 100,000 hectares have burned across the
MacDonnell Ranges area, which the federal government has declared a priority
place under the national threatened species strategy.
The affected area includes sections of the Tjoritja/West MacDonnell national
park that the Arid Lands Environment Centre (Alec) said were close to habitat
for the main remaining strongholds of the critically endangered central rock
rat.
“The Tjoritja/West MacDonnell Ranges wildfire is a tragedy,” said Alex Vaughan,
a policy officer at ALEC.
“This is a place that [federal environment minister] Tanya Plibersek just last
year recognised as one of the most important places nationally for threatened
species conservation.”
Vaughan said the fires were an example of the devastation that could occur when
the threats of climate change and invasive species intersected."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
