from the ark - arkaroola

From the ARKFrom the ARK NEWSLETTER SEVENTEEN SUMMER 2012/13

ARKAROOLA WILDERNESS SANCTUARY

IN THIS ISSUE

Message from Marg News From The Ark Sprigg Geobiology Centre A Heliva Team Lay to Rest… Geological Gardens Plant Profile & Creature Feature A Hummock, a Hammock, or Both? Conservation & Research The Ex(o) Factor Feral Fighting Funds From the Arkhives No Such Thing as No Geonote The Rusted Heart Galactic Gossip Monsters or Microbes? Product Information Still Top of the Class Ark Postcard Four Unforgettable Hours

Images provided by Arkaroola Archives, Lorraine Edmunds, Peter MacDonald, Ryan & Natalie McMillan, Phil Porter, Marg Sprigg

Written and produced by Lorraine Edmunds

Some people keep a constant eye on the ASX. Not me. My radar is firmly fixed on weather maps, as I remain ever hopeful that troughs and fronts will bear gifts for Arkaroola. And once again they have. Late summer/autumn rains often wreak havoc with our track network. But they are the ‘investment’ Doug and I dream about. They recharge our aquifers, flush out our permanent waterholes, (a lifeline for the sanctuary’s wildlife), and they keep recruitment going. Thanks to the rains that keep on coming, our biodiversity stocks are booming, Nature’s assets yielding handsome returns! Now that Arkaroola’s long-term future is secure, we have more time for work on the ground or up trees collecting seed from threatened species! It’s an amazing time to be at Arkaroola. Why not come and see for yourself…. Marg

NORTHERN FLINDERS RANGES SOUTH AUSTRALIA FROM THE ARK NEWSLETTER SEVENTEEN SUMMER 2012/13

It has been an extraordinary few years for Arkaroola, one of South Australia’s most inspiring places. The La Niñas of 2010 and 2011 might have vanished into the oceans that wrap around our island continent. But the rains continue to fall across the wild granite country of Arkaroola, consolidating what has become one of the most important regeneration events in a century. Yellowfoots are a common sight along the main road into the Sanctuary, and, as we sleep, lay claim to the Village. And like the yellowfoots, the threatened slender bell-fruit tree flourishes in astonishing numbers from one end of the sanctuary to the other. These are precious times in a part of the world where climate is so variable. In this issue of From the Ark we explore Arkaroola’s resilience, recovery and challenges for the future. To join our mailing list just email us at [email protected] To download From the Ark visit our Web site at www.arkaroola.com.au/breakingnews.php

A MESSAGE FROM MARG

NEWS FROM THE ARK



It’s a shocking admission but not all of Arkaroola’s visitors are welcome! A quick glance though the pages of our Hotel Lodger’s Register will reveal why some visitors don’t receive the hospitality they might expect. And why some are of particular interest to ‘Team Heli’. Since late 1986, we have documented all of our vermin control activities in an old surplus Hotel Register. Thumbing through its pages is a sobering reminder of the scale of activities over the past two and a half decades. The blame-game of the mid to late 1980s, when thousands of goats roamed much of the Flinders Ranges, has gone. For the last fifteen years Arkaroola has partnered with Bounceback. Working together, we have achieved a reduction in numbers, unimaginable twenty-five years ago. No goats were observed on the sanctuary during Bounceback’s annual aerial cull in March 2012, with just 33 animals in this year’s bag. This is welcome news after a run of the best rainfall years since the mid 1970s. In these optimal conditions feral goat numbers usually sky-rocket. But thanks to Arkaroola’s own ‘Team Heli,’ we are maintaining pressure on feral goats throughout the year. Feral goat control will remain a priority at Arkaroola. The widespread recovery of plant communities and spectacular recruitment of threatened species, following a decade of drought, are ecological assets that must be protected. We must make the most of ‘the boom’. And that means “boom boom” for all feral goats that enter Arkaroola!

SPRIGG GEOBIOLOGY CENTRE A HELIVA TEAM

He was a man with an extraordinary vision, always interested in the big picture and the connections between things. With a huge intellect, terrifying energy and a habit of crashing through barriers to reveal new truths, it is not surprising that Reg Sprigg’s life work is the inspiration behind the University of Adelaide’s recently launched Sprigg Geobiology Centre. On November 8th 2012, ninety guests gathered in the Pacific Cultures Gallery at the South Australian Museum to launch the Sprigg Geobiology Centre. A new initiative of the University of Adelaide, the centre will bring together geologists and biologists to deliver an integrated teaching and research program. The Centre, part of the University’s Environment Institute, will be the first such institution in Australia to take an interdisciplinary approach to the study of biological and geological processes and their interactions. The Centre’s inaugural director, Professor Martin Kennedy, explains:

“Biological and geological processes are intertwined and act together to control the habitability of our planet.” Research areas will include palaeobotany, palaeoecology and ancient DNA, soils and landscape development, geophysics, geomicrobiology, water quality, ecological modelling, and climate change. In true Sprigg fashion, the Centre will also foster research that currently sits on the boundaries between disciplines. Podcasts of presentations by the Centre’s research scientists can be downloaded at www.adelaide.edu.au/environment/sgc/ news

Helicopter pilot Ashley Dickson and accredited pest animal controller Tony Morgan, keeping up the pressure on feral goats.

Marg Sprigg with Professor Martin Kennedy, Director of the Sprigg Geobiology Centre, at the November launch.

“The latest revolution in geoscience research recognises the inseparable nature of

life from the Earth system.”

Sprigg Geobiology Centre webpage

NEWS FROM THE ARK


FROM THE ARK NEWSLETTER SEVENTEEN SUMMER 2012/13

Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is one enormous rock garden. With a very short grazing history of just 37 years for most of the property, Arkaroola’s 65000 hectare native garden is still intact. But much of it is inaccessible for many visitors, so we have created a geological garden feature in the village. Former Arkaroola tour guide, Ryan McMillan, has more than a knack for landscaping. Using rocks, soil and representative plantings from several different geological formations, Ryan has created a living interpretive space for visitors. The gardens were planted with stock propagated at Arkaroola or supplied by the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens. Spidery wattles, a threatened species in South Australia, are thriving in the geological garden, and can now be enjoyed by visitors unable to see them in their natural habitat. Special thanks to Ryan for a first-class job.

LAY TO REST...

NORTHERN FLINDERS RANGES SOUTH AUSTRALIA

GEOLOGICAL GARDENS Most things have a use-by date but it can be hard to let some things go. For Marg and Doug Sprigg, replacing the old with the new has meant laying to rest some of what their parents created at Arkaroola during its establishment years. Past staff and loyal visitors will remember Reg Sprigg’s ‘Sundial Park’. This quirky space has some enduring exhibits - a 150 million year old fossilised pine log from Quinyambie Station, a rock wall that mimics the steeply dipping strata of the surrounding hills, a gem cave, and a sundial collection. But the sandpit and maypole, the wishing well and the old tractor in resplendent Crows colours, have all been laid to rest. The redevelopment of Sundial Park began in 2006 with the creation of native gardens featuring local species. A random-paved slate slab, which would become a seating area, replaced the old sand pit. Many seating options were considered, before friend and volunteer, Bren Lay, came up with a proposal. With a few tools and the energy of a cyclone, the extended Lay family set to work in late spring 2012. Using local stone sourced from creek beds near the village, they built a rock wall to provide protection from the winter wind. Bren, with friend John Blow, created seats from one of the many young red gums that had died during the long drought. With only a chainsaw, an electric sander, and plenty of muscle, the team created a wonderful organic feature that provides seating for twenty people. Sincere thanks to all staff and volunteers who contributed to a re-imagined Sundial Park. Perhaps now we might be able to lure the Lays to rest on one of their future visits to Arkaroola!

Left: The newly installed seating area in Sundial Park. Above: Volunteer stonemasons, the extended Lay family.

Spidery wattles flourish in the ‘geological garden’.




A HUMMOCK, A HAMMOCK, OR BOTH? People and pets love their creature comforts. Wild animals are probably no different. Whether it’s a bean bag, hammock, basket or nest, most creatures seem to enjoy a safe cosy place, protected from the elements, where they can relax and nap. In this issue of ‘From the Ark’ we are combining the Creature Feature and Plant Profile features, to explore how the desire of one species for comfort contributes to the health of an entire ecosystem. The most common kangaroo in the northern Flinders Ranges, the euro, (Macropus robustus), is ubiquitous across Arkaroola. With its chunky body, short legs, and low centre of gravity, the euro thrives in rough hilly country, sometimes sharing yellow-footed rock-wallaby habitat. Also ubiquitous is the hummock grass Triodia, known generically as spinifex and locally as porcupine grass. Find a clump of mature porcupine grass and you will discover that euros and porcupine grass go together like coffee and cake. Hummock grasses are a group of plants that form dense rounded clumps and function in a very specific way. As they exhaust the nutrient supply in the soil, plants grow out from the centre forming rings with dead hearts. For euros, Triodia rings are like day beds, cosy places sheltered from the wind and warm in winter. As they lounge about, scratch and move in and out of their cosy retreats, euros break up the old dried plant material. Dense mats may form and over time the Triodia, and abundant droppings left by euros, are broken down by termites, returning nutrients to soils that have been depleted. For ecologists, hummock grasslands are much more than great places to shelter and snooze. They are functioning ecosystems which are very important at a landscape scale. They provide perennial cover in areas with shallow, infertile soils. During big rain events, the patchwork distribution of Triodia slows the movement of water across the landscape. Individual plants function in much the same way as artificial barriers used in landscape restoration to impede water flow along gutters and eroding creeks. The result is greater water infiltration, with less lost from the system, and no erosion. Hummock grasses also capture water and wind-borne materials which gather around their bases, adding to the carbon available for recycling by termites and other soil organisms. The needle-sharp leaf tips of porcupine grass are no deterrent for a community of kangaroos, small mammals, birds, reptiles and insects, that make their homes among the hummocks. Before thick- mattressed, mosquito-netted swags became a standard item in the expedition kit, prospectors and geologists picked up a few clues from the hummock dwellers. Inverted Triodia plants made comfortable bush beds, with the old spongy matted material uppermost and the pointy bits pushed into the ground. Euro and prospector, both knew where to find a cosy bed in the bush!

PLANT PROFILE & CREATURE FEATURE



Signature La Niña years, bundled together as back-to-back wet summers and winters, drive regeneration and recovery in South Australia’s arid lands. But they also deliver benefits for introduced plants and animals. Early intervention is crucial to securing a lasting benefit from the bounty of the boom. The South Australian Arid Lands (SAAL) NRM Board will fund two pest control projects on Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in 2013. Arkaroola applied for early-intervention funding to control rabbits and to continue cactus eradication, through the SAAL ‘NRMs Pest Management and Rangelands Rehabilitation Program.’ Historically, rabbits have not been much of a problem at Arkaroola. The rocky terrain of most of the Sanctuary provides an effective barrier against colonisation by rabbits. But the softer, powdery soils of southern Arkaroola are much more ‘rabbit-friendly’. And it is here that one of our most threatened species grows, the endemic spidery wattle (Acacia araneosa). During the last twelve months rabbits have been seen regularly in the village and camping areas, which are less than one kilometre from the western boundary of the spidery wattle population. The rabbits appear to be using buildings, logs and flood debris, which provide sufficient cover for them to live successfully above ground. Look for a report about the rabbit control project in the next issue of ‘From the Ark’. The Arkaroola Landcare Group (ALG) will receive $18480 to continue its cactus control program. In April, the ALG will spend two weeks at Arkaroola searching for and treating outliers, to prevent the spread of invasive jumping cholla into the greater Arkaroola Protection Area and neighbouring Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park.

CONSERVATION & RESEARCH THE EX(O) FACTOR FERAL FIGHTING FUNDS

Under-valued, poorly understood, and largely invisible, insects make up the bulk of all terrestrial fauna. But they struggle to secure a place in the hearts of many for whom mammals and birds are the animal aristocrats. Through their survey work on Arkaroola, Natalie Andrews and Ryan McMillan have discov-ered some of Arkaroola’s most extraordinary ‘invisible’ animals. Although the focus of their 2012 survey was small mammals, Nat and Ryan photographed and documented many insects as they explored areas around their trapping sites. With bizarre body plans, complex life stages and extraordinary behaviours, many of these creatures seem to inhabit a world half-way between science and sci-fi. In future issues of ‘From the Ark’ we will look at some of Arkaroola’s animals that wear their hard parts on the outside (exoskeletons) and take several forms throughout their lives. Ryan and Natalie are now based in Blinman, the operational base for their camel safari business, ‘Flinders and Beyond Camel Treks’. We wish them every success. Ryan and Nat can be contacted at [email protected]

Above: Motion sensor cameras are now part of the feral animal control toolkit. Below: Red-backed kingfisher impaled on a jumping cholla plant.

Matchstick grasshoppers, colourful shield bugs and large metallic cockroaches are just some of Arkaroola’s extraordinary insects.



NO SUCH THING AS NO

Below are some of Reg’s lesser known achievements: • As a sixteen-year old, Reg geologically mapped 250

square kilometres of Yorke Peninsula during his school holidays, documenting most of the Peninsula’s Cambrian fossil beds and mines.

• In 1936, barely 17, Reg was elected to the Royal Society of South Australia Inc, the youngest person ever to be admitted as a member.

• Reg had an oceanographic research vessel, Saori, purpose built so that he could search for the ancient Murray River mouth, discovering submarine canyons cutting across the continental shelf.

• He led teams of divers to systematically collect sea floor biota in South Australia’s Gulfs and south coast.

• He had a diving chamber constructed so that he could undertake submarine gravity surveys.

• For a time, Reg and two colleagues held the deepest compressed air diving record in the Southern Hemisphere.

• He conducted tidal surveys along the coast to try to determine what sea level was doing, long before any conversation about global warming began.

• He built a prototype wind turbine near Gawler. • With his wife and children, Reg made the first motorised

crossing of the Simpson Desert in 1962. The expedition was part of a gravity and general scientific survey.

• His company, Geosurveys, did submarine survey work for the second Morgan to Whyalla pipeline, which crosses Spencer Gulf, and delivers Murray River water to the regional city.

• Reg erected recording anemometers on towers across SA, to capture wind data. Knowledge of modern wind systems enabled him to create a model for the wind systems of the Pleistocene and their role in forming the dune systems of our central deserts.

FROM THE ARKHIVES

“No such thing as NO. No such thing as NO.” These would have been the first words this young galah would have learned had it chosen to ride regularly with Reg Sprigg on his cherished front-end loader. It was this message that Reg’s daughter Marg shared with guests at the recent launch of the University of Adelaide’s new Sprigg Geobiology Centre.

“Whether it was searching for indications of ancient life which he discovered in 1946 in the Ediacaran Hills; or realising that the huge fossil dunes running parallel to the coast between Naracoorte and Robe were the remnants of stranded beach systems created by sea level oscillation and climate changes over the past 700,000 years; Reg didn’t believe in the word NO and grabbed every opportunity that came his way.”

RAINFALL 2012

390.4 mm (about 15½ inches on the old scale)

So far for 2013

71.1 mm

Top left: Reg Sprigg with a young wild galah for company, late 1980s. Bottom left: Reg Sprigg looks over Arkaroola Village, 1990s.

GEONOTE GALACTIC GOSSIP



THE RUSTED HEART

Of all our sibling planets, Mars lives largest in the human imagination. But perhaps the most imaginative minds on the blue planet are our scientists whose curiosity has taken them more than fifty million kilometres to find out if our rusty neighbour has ever been habitable. From the 1898 HG Wells classic, War of the Worlds, to Marvin the Martian (Looney Tunes), from Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles to Edgar Rice Burroughs, CS Lewis, Arthur C Clarke, Kim Stanley Robinson and a host of others, the red planet has fuelled our imagination. Writers for film, television, computer and video games continue the fantasy. Most writers of Martian fiction have given us a hostile and horrific red planet, a place of desolate landscapes inhabited by demonic life forms, colonized by Earthlings or others fleeing their own apocalyptic territories. In the beautifully written Mapping Mars: Science, Imagination and the Birth of a World, Oliver Morton brings us a ‘fact is stranger than fiction’ view of Mars. Scale is his monster. Morton tell us that our neighbour’s largest mountain is too big to exist on our planet — the Earth’s crust could not support Olympus Mons. Morton also describes the imaginative massif driving Mars exploration, that, a decade after his book was published, successfully landed the robotic rover, Curiosity, on the planet of our dreams. In another well crafted book, The Planets, science writer Dava Sobel heads her Mars chapter ‘Sci-Fi’. With its insect-like legs, cyclopsian ‘eye’, crab-like robotic arm, and various mountings and antennae, Curiosity or the Mars Science Laboratory, would surely get a gig in any sci-fi fantasy. But now fact is trumping fantasy. Using a remote lab more than fifty million kilometres away, the Curiosity team has analysed the first drill sample ever to be collected from another planet. The result? The red planet has taken on another hue.

“ We have characterized a very ancient, but strangely new grey Mars, where conditions once were favourable to life.” John Grotzinger, Caltech. Clay minerals were identified in the sediments drilled near an ancient stream bed in the Gale Crater. These are usually formed in water, in low energy environments like marine basins or large lakes. Other chemicals including sulphur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon were also present, and could have provided a chemical energy source for microbes. Soils were probably neutral to slightly alkaline, suitable for microbial life. So, if it existed, what might Martian life have looked like? Probably more microbe than monster!

MONSTERS OR MICROBES?

♂

From Uluru to the Peron Peninsula (Shark Bay), from Mount Painter to the dunes of Merty Merty Station, much of the Australian heartland is red. We might live on the blue planet but for many Australians, our soils, rocks, ranges and dunes, like the dust on our shelves and the mud on our boots, are the colour of rust. Iron is the second most abundant metal on Earth, comprising about 5% of our planet’s crust and 80% of its core. When iron is exposed to atmospheric oxygen, it rusts. Rocks that contain iron minerals weather chemically when exposed to oxygen in the air or water, forming strongly coloured hydrated iron oxides (aka rust). It is that rusting process that gives inland Australia and its Martian neighbour, their striking red and orange hues. We live on an iron-rich continent. But the origins of our iron ore deposits reach back to a time long before our continental margins formed. Ancient oceans had high concentrations of soluble iron. When blue-green algae oxygenated our planet more than two billion years ago, iron began to combine with oxygen in seawater. Hydrated iron oxides sank to the ocean floor forming rhythmically banded iron-rich layers, records of fluctuating levels of oxygen in the ancient oceans. Much of our mineral wealth has come from these ancient, distinctively banded iron formations.

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/ for information about the Curiosity mission

Fe 3+



PRODUCT INFORMATION


FROM THE ARK POSTCARD

STILL TOP OF THE CLASS

Doug’s Ridgetop tour was 10 stars Heather & Martin Harvey Canada

The most wonderful experience ever Pat & John Troy Sydney

There might be a lot of imitations out there, but, like a Rolex watch, Arkaroola’s Ridge Top Tour has no peers. This breathtaking tour remains Australia’s premier guided 4WD experience. They might head out most days, but Arkaroola’s guides never tire of the thrill of sharing this extraordinary adventure with visitors. They have countless stories to tell, but allow plenty of time for some quiet reflection on top of the world.

Cost: $120 per person $360 per family (2+2)

ARKAROOLA’S RIDGETOP TOUR

Four Unforgettable Hours

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