Restoring 100,000 ha of tropical woodlands by establishing herbivore free area

There is a well documented, continuing and catastrophic decline in the abundance of small mammals across northern Australia due to the interaction of altered fire regimes, feral cats and introduced large herbivores. AWC intends to reverse this decline over a 100,000 ha area of Wongalara Sanctuary by reducing the frequency and extent of late dry season fires and by removing the impacts of large introduced herbivores. This approach has successfully reversed the decline of small mammals at AWC's Mornington Sanctuary (Kimberley). As Wongalara is immediately adjacent to Arnhem Land, successful restoration of ecosystem function here will be immediately relevant to management of an additional 9.7million ha that is continuing to suffer declines.

澳大利亚北部小型哺乳动物的种群丰度正经历有据可查、持续且灾难性的下降，其诱因是火灾动态格局改变、野猫（feral cat）与外来大型草食动物三者的交互作用。澳大利亚野生动物保护协会（AWC）计划在翁加拉拉保护区（Wongalara Sanctuary）10万公顷的区域内扭转这一衰退趋势，具体手段为降低旱季后期火灾的发生频率与波及范围，并消除外来大型草食动物带来的负面影响。该修复方案已在AWC旗下的莫宁顿保护区（金伯利地区）成功逆转了小型哺乳动物的种群衰退。由于翁加拉拉保护区与阿纳姆地（Arnhem Land）直接接壤，若在此地成功恢复生态系统功能，将对管理仍在经历种群衰退的额外970万公顷土地具有直接的借鉴价值。