Bioregional priorities: The Flinders-Olary and Gawler ranges

The Flinders-Olary and Gawler ranges are extremely important refuges for ecological diversity in South Australia.

The importance of these areas is linked to the complex landscape and location that spans three of Australia's six major bioclimatic regions. These are:

eyrean - surrounds the ranges on all sides and includes arid plains and arid ranges habitats (tussock grasslands, chenopod low shrublands, hummock grasslands and Acacia shrublands)
bassian/eyrean - includes areas of the ranges that extend into the eyrean region and is typified by mallee, mallee/heath and grassy woodland communities
bassian - occurs in areas with greater that 500mm rainfall that supports sclerophyll woodlands and forests as seen in the southern Flinders Ranges.

From a geographic perspective, the Flinders, Gawler and Olary Ranges are of great significance because they provide a climatic refuge from the arid regions that surround them.

This has allowed species of flora and fauna that occur in more temperate southern and eastern regions to extend their distribution into the interior. It also provides habitat for species adapted to arid ranges, including a large number of endemic species.

Timeframe for recovery

Recovery and responses in semi-arid systems, where rainfall is irregular and unpredictable, can take a long time, at least compared with traditional project timelines. This makes it difficult to predict how long it would take to see improvements in vegetation and the recovery of regionally rare and threatened fauna species.

Realistic expectations are that it will take many years (even decades) to see major improvements and be dependent on: