Wongalara

The Sanctuary

Covering over 190,000 hectares on the southern edge of Arnhem Land, Wongalara对保护条件差的海湾瀑布和高地生物区做出了重要贡献. 它包含一系列的地形和各种各样的景观，支持不同的植物和动物组合.

The property is dissected by the mighty Wilton River, which has carved a deep valley through the ancient sandstone. 沿着它的路径是长长的水坑，点缀着翻滚的岩石激流, flanked by tall gallery forests and overlooked by rugged escarpments. During summer floods, 水从山谷中涌出，在绵延数公里的洪泛区上形成连绵不断的水波. In the northern part of the sanctuary, 马诺鲁河流经众多的河道，这些河道分开并以编织的形式连接在一起, feeding an extensive system of billabongs and forests.

该项目的中心是一个深解剖的砂岩高原，支撑着阿纳姆地砂岩生态系统的最南端. Covered in a complex pattern of open woodland communities, and supporting permanent wetlands, this plateau features the striking Mount Throsby on its western edge. 风化砂岩中的裂缝和洞穴为害羞的岩石动物提供了避难所.

The various ecosystems on Wongalara form an intricate and complex pattern, with fine-scale variation and numerous refugial habitats for wildlife. Wetlands, sandstone communities and patches of monsoon rainforest and heathland, plus blacksoil plains and alluvial flats, provide a contrast to the drier, 刺状植物覆盖的山脉和砂岩高原占据了保护区的大部分. 土壤类型的范围支持不同的桉树和金合欢为主的林地. Shallow soils carry stringybark, woolybutt and acacia scrub with spinifex, annual sorghums and spear grass; whereas the valley floors carry silver box, bloodwood, ti-tree, quinine, bauhinia, coolibah and paperbarks. There are snappy gum and lancewood on escarpment edges.

Wongalara的大部分生态系统要么被认为面临灭绝的威胁，要么没有受到生物区的任何国家公园的保护. 保护区有超过560种植物，包括许多稀有和特有的植物.

Wildlife at Wongalara

The diversity of habitats on Wongalara, and its location on the edge of Arnhem Land and the Gulf bioregions, 使它成为顶级野生动物的热点，包括特有物种，如兜帽鹦鹉(在白蚁丘中筑巢)和卡卡杜·邓恩特. Wongalara的Kakadu Dunnart记录代表了一个范围的扩展，可能是一个新的亚种.

Wongalara是几种濒临灭绝的物种的家园，其中包括色彩斑斓的Gouldian Finch, the Orange Leaf-nosed Bat, the Red Goshawk, the Spectacled Hare-wallaby and the Northern Brown Bandicoot.

哺乳动物群还包括一组大型足类动物——威尔金岩小袋鼠, Agile Wallaby, Northern Nailtail Wallaby, 普通Wallaroo和Antilopine Wallaroo，以及较小的有袋动物和本地啮齿动物，如长尾Planigale和草原大鼠. Rock Ringtail Possums haunt the rock outcrops of Wongalara’s “lost city”. Sheltered spring areas support Water Rats and Top End Brushtail Possums.

这里有两条主要河流，威尔顿河和迈诺鲁河，全长超过55公里，是咸水鳄和淡水鳄的家园, at least one unidentified shark species (probably Bull Sharks), turtles, water rats, water monitors and a large number of freshwater fish species.

AWC Field Programs at Wongalara

AWC在Wongalara的管理旨在阻止和扭转席卷澳大利亚北部的野生动物数量下降的趋势, 包括在附近的卡卡杜国家公园(Kakadu National Park)等保护区(这里的小型哺乳动物数量在十多年里减少了75%). 皇冠体育app下载已经建立了澳大利亚大陆最大的野生无草区(1),000 square kilometres); implemented a fire management regime that has significantly reduced the impact of wildfires; and begun the process of reintroducing regionally extinct mammals such as the Pale Field Rat.

AWC开展了广泛的生态健康监测计划，包括对多达4种鱼类的监测,2000个陷阱夜，并有针对性地对标志性和濒危物种进行深入调查，如古地雀, Hooded Parrots and Spectacled Hare-wallabies, plus aerial surveys for feral herbivores and vegetation surveys. This effort measures ecological health indicators across the Sanctuary. AWC is playing a vital leadership role by demonstrating practical, science-based strategies to address declines in wildlife, 皇冠体育app下载在Wongalara的开创性举措为上海湾地区树立了榜样.

AWC在澳大利亚北部的Wongalara建立了第一个野猫隔离区. 这些无猫区在皇冠体育app下载的野猫研究项目中发挥着关键作用. Wongalara与皇冠体育app下载的邻居一起进行杂草管理，并分享皇冠体育app下载长期控制杂草的知识, supported by the Federal Government. 入侵杂草正在对大部分地区的环境产生重大影响. Wongalara remains relatively weed-free, 但是，由于他们加强了牧民的活动，邻近的财产有很大的入侵风险.

Active fire management at Wongalara has delivered exceptional results, 大大减少野火的影响:在旺加拉腊，每年因晚季火灾造成的火灾比例已从60%以上减少到20%左右，“长期未被烧毁”的植被范围有所增加，并在整个景观中分布得更均匀.

Ongoing research and survey efforts by our ecologists, volunteers and interns, 包括调查动植物对野生食草动物移除的反应(使用皇冠体育app下载的野生食草动物无区内外的地点), 利用重新引入小型本地哺乳动物的无猫围栏区域调查野猫的影响(这项研究是澳大利亚研究委员会资助的一个项目的一部分，涉及一系列合作伙伴)。.