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Research and Conservation Projects on the NullarborThe ASF Library contains many titles devoted to the Nullarbor, and links to caving club journals and research papers. Club journals can be searched for trip reports and maps and in some instances for specific caves. The Library's holdings include works on flora and fauna, geology, palaeontogy, ecology, plans of management, photographs, and exploration history, among other things. If you cannot find something you are after in the catalogue, please contact the ASF Librarian.Most ASF clubs conduct trips to the Nullarbor periodically, but there are several who research this area intensely. These include CEGSA, FUSSI, SRGWA, VSA and WASG. All of these clubs have their own extensive libraries and databases and it is recommended you contact the club librarian or secretary for more information about the work they have been doing in the Nullarbor (contact details can be found in the State Clubs list on the ASF website). Dr Sue White from the Victorial Speleological Association (VSA) is currently updating a definitive list of Nullarbor bibliography (we hope to have this information available on the website soon, but in the meantime please contact asf.caves.nsig@gmail.com for a copy of the list). Major Research FindingsThe Nullarbor has a unique ecosystem and history. Research into this area ranges from large scale geological surveys funded by mineral companies and the CSIRO, to major paleontological findings in new caves discovered by speleological societies. Recently, Dr Matej Lipar uncovered the ring shape structure of an ancient coral atoll which was at first thought to be an impact crater. Mineralogical studies have revealed the shift from a warmer, wetter climate 3-5 million years ago to the arid landscape we see today. In 2002, the Cave Exploration Group of South Australia (CEGSA) discovered three new caves, one of which contained the first complete skeleton ever found anywhere in the world, of a Thylacoleo Carnifex, more than 50,000 years old. The two other newly discovered caves contained more Thylacoleo bones and giant kangaroo bones from the genus Sthenurus(1).Conservation of the Nullarbor PlainThe vast landscape of the Nullarbor Plain - the world's largest area of arid karst - has until recently been protected through its remoteness and general inaccesibility. Grazing (pastoralism) is the major industry on the Nullarbor, covering almost 50% of the available land, and overgrazing has had an impact in many places, leading to the loss of perennial vegeation and increased erosion (2). Monitoring of stocking rates and moving watering points is important in managing land degradation. The Nullarbor is a fragile landscape with limited resources and it does not have the capacity to sustain a large population involved in any industry. The Australian Speleological Federation Conservation Commission and the Australian Karst Conservation Fund (the KCF) are committed to preserving and researching the wild wonder that is the Nullarbor karst.(1) MacLucas, June, 2002, CEGSA News, Vol.87 No.3, August., p.68-69. (2) Waddell, P A, Gardner, A K, and Hennig, P. (2010), An inventory and condition survey of the Western Australian part of the Nullarbor region. Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, Perth. Technical Bulletin 97.
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