eucalyptus don't have dormant seeds. so because of the sheer scale it is highly unlikely that eucalyptus will be regenerating or germinating where whole mountainsides are dead below it. so that is effectively ecosystem collapse. kangaroo island's story since the fires is one of extraordinary resilience and recovery. separated from the mainland 10,000 years ago, it lies at the coast of sa, and is the country's third largest island. scientists say the interaction between plants and animals here provides a biological window into the past, a kind of noah's ark of australian wildlife.