Dung beetles and soil testing feature in APY trip

The week-long trip visited Umuwa and Balfour’s Well in the APY Lands of the Alinytjara Wilurara (AW) region, and nearby Mount Willoughby.

While few dung beetles were found in the dry conditions, there were signs of their work, including holes on cow pats, and buried bits of dung in the soil. Workshop discussions included which soil types hold more carbon, and ways of increasing carbon storage of soils.

In looking for dung beetles, SAAL’s Carbon Outreach Officer Jade Leyden and AW’s Leah Kyriacou overturned cow pats to explore and share how dung beetles significantly improve soil health and soil organic carbon by burying and dispersing dung, leading to increased nutrient cycling, improved soil structure, and enhanced water infiltration of the soil. Dung beetles also promote plant growth and increase capture of carbon dioxide.

Mt Willoughby Indigenous Rangers William, Wayne, Wayne and Dallas, and Ranger coordinator Janet Walton led a tour of six sites on Mt Willoughby. It included a site where a song meter has been installed to try to capture signs of the vulnerable Plains-wanderer. The rangers pointed out completed works and soil scientist Michael Eyres discussed soil type and structure and demonstrated soil testing, pH and collected samples for laboratory analysis to measure soil characteristics including organic carbon levels and salts.

Part of Mt Willoughby is also an Indigenous Protected Area, and the work the rangers have completed in this area since 2016 was showcased. In the past nine years they have been able to rehydrate the landscape through filter and swale placement across areas affected by erosion and roads, to slow down the water when it rains to give it time to soak into the soil. Changes to the landscape were visible, with one side of the filter dry and displaying little vegetation, while the other side was displaying green vegetation.