NATIONAL WILDERNESS RED INDEX

Published by the Colong Foundation for Wilderness Ltd. 30/09/94
Level 2, 332 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000.
Ph (02) 9261 2400; Fax (02) 9261 2144.

Name:

TANAMI

Nominated by:

Not recorded

Location:

Not recorded

Size
For size and tenure information contact the Colong Foundation.

DESCRIPTION

The Tanami area consists mainly of a large, featureless plain wiht widely spaced
parallel dunes. Claypans and rocky outcrops occur around the edges of the plains
country. Cambrian and Proterozoic sediments dominate the geology, with
significant areas of younger sediments and scattered outcrops of Proterozoic
granites also occurring. Ancient stream beds traverse the area. [1]

Hummock grasslands of spinifex (Triodia and Plectrachne) dominate, with low
woodlands of mulga or Eucalyptus spp. scattered throughout. [2]

The area includes possibly the richest assemblage of native desert fauna in
Australia. This could be due to the fact that foxes and rabbits presently reach
their northerly limit in the south of the area and have therefore had little or
no impact over most of the remainder. [3]

STATE FORESTS

ENDANGERED SPECIES

LAND USE HISTORY

1982
The large Tanami Desert Wildlife Sanctuary is revoked in favour of an Aboriginal
land claim. [4]

CONSERVATION HISTORY

THREATS

CONTACTS

No contacts are recorded from that area.
ENDNOTES
1
Prineas, P., Lembit, R., Fisher, N., 1986, "Australia's Wilderness An
Inventory".

2
Prineas, 1986.

3
Prineas, 1986.

4
Prineas, 1986.

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