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Relative influence of compaction, PH and vehicle disturbance on lifeforms within drylands of Yookamurra Sanctuary, River Murray catchment, South Australia
  • Vatsal Pravin Patel
Vatsal Pravin Patel
University of South Australia

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

Vegetation patterns often affected by the soil pH, soil compaction and human mediated disturbance. Several studies have explored how pH, compaction and human disturbance have altered the ecosystem patterns, functioning and services. These studies about semi-arid drylands, explain how lifeforms and productivity resulting from soil acidity, hardness and human disturbance in arid-land. To further enhance the understanding of this correlation, we have surveyed five different eco-system within Yookamurra Sanctuary (Murray lands of South Australia), which is protecting over 5000 hectares of epidemic vegetation and wildlife species. Data has been collected by random sampling method with 150 quadrate samples for soil pH, soil compaction, litter depth, disturbance (Animal or Human) and lifeforms within Yookamurra region. Results suggest that the impacts of pH and compaction are varying across five different ecosystems. Moreover, vehicle disturbance has greater consequences at Roadside ecosystem. These findings amend our understanding of the interaction of soil characteristics with the vegetation patterns, especially in semi-arid region, such as Yookamurra wildlife sanctuary.