Hot drought killed desert plants at Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa, and water use may explain who survived

Researchers working with Aṉangu traditional owners report that a severe hot drought has caused widespread plant dieback across Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park in central Australia. Survival differed sharply between species, and the latest findings suggest that the way a plant handles water during drought helps determine whether it lives or dies.

A drought unlike earlier ones

Between 2018 and 2021, the park experienced the most severe drought in its instrumental record. Earlier severe dry spells are documented from the 1880s and from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s. The authors point to temperature as the key difference: heat waves this century have been longer, hotter and more frequent than at any time in the recorded past.

After record heat in 2019-20, Aṉangu observed mass death among normally hardy species. These included kurkaṟa (desert oak, Allocasuarina decaisneana), wanaṟi (mulga, Acacia aneura) and pukaṟa (desert heath myrtle, Aluta maisonneuvei).

Research designed with Country's custodians

Concerns about hot droughts were raised at a 2020 workshop between Parks Australia and the Aṉangu community. Since then, Aṉangu have worked with scientists from Parks Australia, CSIRO and several universities, with the Muṯitjulu Mala Rangers central to the partnership. The projects were co-designed and carried out jointly by Aṉangu and researchers.

Using 360-degree imaging, the team mapped dieback, meaning the death of leaves, shoots or roots, and found it covered hundreds of square kilometres within the park alone. Ground surveys on Country then recorded how many plants of each species had survived.

Why some species fared better

The surveys showed large differences. About 78% of kurkaṟa survived the hot drought, against only 10% of pukaṟa. The authors' most recent published work suggests that water-use strategy is a likely explanation.

• Species with low dieback tended to slow their growth and hold on to water in their tissues.
• Species more likely to die kept using water for growth through summer.

The second approach may serve a plant well in a mild drought. In a severe one, the authors argue, it can drain water reserves quickly and lead to death by dehydration. The source describes this as a suggested explanation rather than a settled mechanism, and it does not report sample sizes or the journal's name.

Wider ecological effects

Plant losses rarely stay contained. When native species die, space opens for others, sometimes with major consequences. Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris), an invasive weed, is spreading quickly through the park, displacing native plants and choking waterholes.

Animals that rely on native vegetation are also under strain. Aṉangu have seen hardy desert lizards die and birds fall from trees during extreme heat. These are community observations, and the source gives no quantified wildlife data.

Why it matters and what follows

The work shows that arid ecosystems, often assumed to be well adapted to harsh conditions, can still suffer large losses when heat and drought combine. Trait-based indicators such as seasonal water use could help managers judge which species and areas are most at risk, although the evidence so far comes from a single landscape and a single drought event.

Aṉangu and Parks Australia are using the findings to guide joint management under more frequent climate extremes. The authors stress that this cannot be done by one party alone, and that Aṉangu, scientists and governments need to cooperate. Open questions include how far the water-use pattern holds in other species and regions, whether affected stands can recover, and how weed spread and wildlife losses will develop as hot droughts recur.

Source: Climate change is killing the plants of Uluṟu‑Kata Tjuṯa: Aṉangu traditional owners are concerned (Phys.org, 2 November 2026).

Image: AI-generated illustration.