Congratulations Professor Anya Reading!
RST Apology to Tasmanian Aboriginal people 2021.
RST Apology to Tasmanian Aboriginal people 2021.
East Kangaroo Island is a low, mostly calcarenite-covered granitic island in the Furneaux Group which was observed in 1828 to have been fertile and well-wooded by Allocasuarina verticillata. Over 160 years of grazing and a succession of drought years have contributed to the decline of the native vegetation in biomass, ground cover and native species diversity. In the summer of 1999/2000, bare ground comprised 80% of the island, and the sparse vegetation mostly consisted of heavily browsed exotic grasses and herbs. The meagre flora of 91 taxa comprises 45% introduced species. The increased exposure from lack of vegetative cover has assisted the salt-wind-tolerant Austrostipa stipoides to spread inland, particularly from the west coast. An evaluation of the biomass puts the island within the range of that recorded for semi-arid deserts. Stock were removed in early 2000, and methods to restore the vegetation are proposed.
Royal Society of Tasmania, RST, Van Diemens Land, natural history, science, ecology, taxonomy, botany, zoology, geology, geography, papers & proceedings, Australia, UTAS Library
Published Papers
The Royal Society of Tasmania acknowledges, with deep respect, the traditional owners of this land, and the ongoing custodianship of the Aboriginal people of Tasmania. The Society pays respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge that Tasmanian Aboriginal Peoples have survived severe and unjust impacts resulting from invasion and dispossession of their Country. As an institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, the Royal Society of Tasmania recognises Aboriginal cultural knowledge and practices and seeks to respect and honour these traditions and the deep understanding they represent.
On 15 February 2021, the Royal Society of Tasmania offered a formal Apology to the Tasmanian Aboriginal people.
