Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
branches. This is the tree's inbuilt protection from grass fires. Many a termite-eaten
woolybutt ends up as a didgeridoo.
Plant Invaders
Weed infestations can destroy wildlife habitats and make pastoral and cropping land un-
usable - the cost in environmental and economic terms is incalculable.
In northern Australia, weeds such as para grass, mimosa and salvinia have invaded
floodplains and choked out native vegetation, while gamba grass has devastated large
areas of native woodlands. In the sandy riverbeds of central and southern Australia,
buffel grass is threatening entire ecosystems. Add fire to the mix and you have a recipe
for disaster for native vegetation, as weeds such as buffel and gamba are highly flam-
mable and recover quickly after being burnt; they are thus able to regenerate faster than
the native plants in the area.
