Tanami Desert

The Tanami Desert is a desert in northern Australia situated in the Northern Territory. It has a rocky terrain with small hills. The Tanami was the Northern Territory's final frontier and was not fully explored until well into the twentieth century. It is traversed by the Tanami Track.

Under the name Tanami, it is one of the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) regions.[1][2]

Contents

Biological resources

According to government commissions, the Tanami desert is uniquely "one of the most important biological areas to be found in Australia particularly as it provides refuge for several of Australia's rare and endangered species." [3][4]

The species that are found include:

Significant bird species include:

Local indigenous groups

The Tanami Desert is Kukatja and Walpiri country. The Tjurabalan live at the edge of the desert. [5]

Notes

  1. ^ Environment Australia. Revision of the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) and Development of Version 5.1 - Summary Report. Department of the Environment and Water Resources, Australian Government. Archived from the original on 2006-09-05. http://web.archive.org/web/20060905215218/http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/nrs/ibra/version5-1/summary-report/index.html. Retrieved 2007-01-31. 
  2. ^ IBRA Version 6.1 data
  3. ^ page 79 of Gibson, D. F. (David F.) (1986) A biological survey of the Tanami Desert in the Northern Territory Alice Springs, N.T. : Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory, 1986. Techniacal report 072-9990 ; no. 30. ISBN 0724508368
  4. ^ http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/publications/series/paper4/tan.html
  5. ^ Elias, Derek J. (2001) Golden dreams : people, place and mining in the Tanami desert. Thesis (Ph. D.) -- Australian National University.

References

External links