Athels inland
Research has recently identified a new potential menace to the ecosystem of our arid interior. It is a tree which seems ideal for planting in the Centre. The Athel tree (Tamarix aphylla) was imported into Australia and grown as shade trees in the Northern Territory and arid and semi arid areas of other States. Now they are spreading and displacing the native trees, causing unwanted changes in the ecology of the river systems.