Regular "fairy circles" of bare soil in Spinifex grassland has previously been attributed to self-organised resource competition. Australian first peoples said that it was termites, and this supports that.
Conventional ecological studies have limitations in understanding slow processes in landscapes and ecosystems. In our case study about harvester termite pavements and their ecology, desert Aboriginal people’s deep-time knowledge and practices have added to a long-standing international debate about ‘fairy circles’, providing evidence contrary to a prevailing theory. Martu elders and other desert people revealed understanding, practices and stories about linyji circles in spinifex grasslands being occupied by harvester termites. Subsequently, when the scientists in our team excavated trenches on pavements, termite structures were always revealed. Thus, we found congruent lines of evidence to explain the ‘fairy circle’ phenomenon.