Conservation of mobile species in a variable environment: The problem of reserve design in the Northern Territory, Australia

Mobility and massive population fluctuations in response mainly to a highly variable climate are pervasive features of the wildlife of both the monsoonal and the arid halves of the Northern Territory, Australia. These characteristics defy the adequate conservation of these species in a conventional system of formal reserves, and pose substantial problems for reserve design. We argue that protection of the still extensive natural vegetation outside the reserve system will be vital for the persistence of mobile species in this landscape.