Approaching its 30-year anniversary, the Arid Recovery Reserve is a 123 km2 predator-proof fenced reserve and an exemplar of conservation management and ecological research in arid Australia. The first paddock was fenced in 1997, capitalising on the dramatic decline in rabbit populations following the release of calicivirus. By 2007, the reserve had expanded to six paddocks, creating a large-scale refuge for threatened species and ecosystem restoration.
Early vegetation recovery demonstrated the benefits of removing rabbits from the reserve. However, the reintroduction of regionally extinct threatened mammals presented new and complex management challenges. In particular, burrowing bettongs became overabundant and had detrimental impacts on vegetation condition, with their impacts exacerbated by the 2018-19 drought. Bettong populations are now more closely managed, allowing vegetation to recover across the reserve. Even so, the legacy of these past disturbances remains evident. The reserve’s history provides valuable insight into the long-term dynamics of arid ecosystems, highlighting the challenges of both fenced reserve management and climate change.