Yookamurra Sanctuary

Protected area in South Australia

34°30′33″S 139°26′00″E / 34.5091°S 139.4332°E / -34.5091; 139.4332^[1]Area50.55 km² (19.5 sq mi)^[1]Managing authoritiesAustralian Wildlife ConservancyWebsiteYookamurra SanctuarySee alsoProtected areas of South Australia

Yookamurra Sanctuary is a 50 km² private protected area in the Murraylands region of South Australia, between the eastern slopes of the Mount Lofty Ranges and the Murray River, 24 km north-east of the town of Sedan. It is owned and managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC).

History

Yookamurra is a consolidation of several properties acquired by Earth Sanctuaries for wildlife conservation from the late 1980s to 1998, before being purchased by AWC in 2002.^[2]

Landscape and climate

The reserve consists of gently undulating country with shallow soils overlying calcrete, at an altitude of 80-90 m.^[3] It lies at the southern end of the semi-arid zone of South Australia and the climate is one of cool winters and hot summers. The average annual rainfall, mainly falling in winter, is 270 mm.^[4]

Ecosystems

Most of Yookamurra's habitats are variations of mallee woodlands and shrublands.^[5]

Fauna

Threatened fauna species include malleefowl, emu, southern hairy-nosed wombat, western grey kangaroo, red kangaroo, numbat, greater bilby, boodie, woylie and short-beaked echidna.^[6] An attempted reintroduction of the greater stick-nest rat failed.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Terrestrial Protected Areas Detailed List in South Australia (2018) (refer 'Detailed List' tab )". CAPAD 2018. Australian Government, Department of the Environment and Energy. 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
^ Yookamurra: History^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Australian Wildlife Conservancy: Yookamurra Sanctuary - General Description
^ Australian Wildlife Conservancy: Yookamurra Sanctuary - Climate
^ Yookamurra: Ecosystems Archived December 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
^ Australian Wildlife Conservancy: Yookamurra Sanctuary - Wildlife Species
^ Short, Jeff; Copley, Peter; Ruykys, Laura; Morris, Keith; Read, John; Moseby, Katherine (8 October 2019). "Review of translocations of the greater stick-nest rat (Leporillus conditor): lessons learnt to facilitate ongoing recovery". Wildlife Research. 46 (6): 455–475. doi:10.1071/WR19021. ISSN 1448-5494. S2CID 203389727.