Karte Conservation Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Karte Conservation Park South Australia
IUCN Category Ia (Strict Nature Reserve)
Karte Conservation Park Location in South Australia
Nearest town or city	Pinnaroo
Established	4 September 1969 (1969-09-04)
Area	35.90 km2 (13.9 sq mi)
Managing authorities	Department for Environment and Water
See also	Protected areas of South Australia

Karte Conservation Park is a special natural area in South Australia. It is a protected area, which means it's set aside to keep nature safe. This park helps protect important plants and animals.

It is located about 193 kilometers (120 miles) east of Adelaide. You can find it near the towns of Karte and Parilla. It is also about 26 kilometers (16 miles) north-west of Pinnaroo.

Protecting Karte Conservation Park

Karte Conservation Park has a history of being a protected place. It was first called "Karte National Park" on September 4, 1969. This happened under a law called the National Parks Act 1966.

How the Park Became Protected

Later, on April 27, 1972, its name changed to "Karte Conservation Park". This new name came from a different law, the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. Over the years, more land was added to the park. This helped to make the protected area even bigger. As of 2016, the park covers about 35.90 square kilometers (13.86 square miles).

Why This Park is Special

In 1980, experts described Karte Conservation Park as a unique place. It has steep, uneven sand dunes. These dunes are home to very old mallee vegetation. Mallee is a type of plant, usually a eucalyptus tree, that grows with many stems from a single root.

Important Plants and Animals

The park is a habitat for many mallee species. A habitat is the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism. One very important animal found here is the mallee fowl. This bird is considered a threatened species, meaning it is at risk of disappearing.

The main plants in the park include tall, thick Eucalyptus incrassata mallee. Other plants like Melaleuca lanceolata, M. uncinate, and Callitris verrucosa also grow there.

Keeping the Park Healthy

This park has not been disturbed much by human activities. However, some animals that cause problems, like foxes, rabbits, and house mice, are present. These are called pest mammals because they can harm the native plants and animals. The park has also not had any fires for a long time, which helps the plants grow very old.

Strict Nature Reserve

Karte Conservation Park is classified as an IUCN Category Ia protected area. This means it is a Strict Nature Reserve. These are the most protected areas in the world. They are kept wild and natural, with very little human interference. This helps to protect the unique ecosystems and wildlife within them.

The park was also listed on the now-closed Register of the National Estate in 1980. This register used to list places in Australia that were important for their natural or cultural value.