Mortality rates of desert vegetation during high‐intensity drought at Uluru‐Kata Tjuta National Park, Central Australia

A severe drought from 2018 to 2021 caused widespread plant mortality at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, with species-specific death rates ranging from 91% for desert myrtle to 0% for quandong. The study, conducted in 2021 by indigenous rangers, scientists, and national parks staff, used spatially randomized quadrat sampling of eight common plants to assess dieback. Record-low rainfall (27 mm in 2019) and extreme heat (47.1°C in December 2019) were key drivers of mortality, with minimal seedling recruitment observed except for soft spinifex grass. A generalized linear mixed model revealed interactions among species, plant size, and stand density as critical predictors of survival. The findings suggest significant biodiversity loss and vegetation restructuring under future climate change scenarios.

Wright, B. R., Nipper, M., Nipper, N., Merson, S. D., & Guest, T. (2023). Mortality rates of desert vegetation during high‐intensity drought at Uluru‐Kata Tjuta National Park, Central Australia. Austral Ecology, 48(4), 699–718. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.13290