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At around 1200 square kilometres the Wet Tropics Rainforest is a part of Australia's largest contiguous area of rainforest. Contains 30% of frog, marsupial and reptile species in Australia, and 65% of Australia's bat and butterfly species. 20% of bird species in the country can be found in this area including the threatened cassowary. Added to ...
The WWF ecoregions are classified by biome type (tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands, tundra, etc.), and into one of eight terrestrial realms. Australia, together with New Zealand, New Guinea and neighboring island groups, is part of the Australasian realm. The IBRA bioregions ...
Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere. Relief map showing major rivers of Australia Climate of Australia. The Australian environment ranges from virtually pristine Antarctic territory and rainforests to degraded industrial areas of major cities. Forty distinct ecoregions have been identified across the Australian mainland and islands.
These forests occur in a belt around the equator, with the largest areas in the Amazon basin of South America, the Congo Basin of central Africa, the Wet Tropics of Queensland in Australia and parts of the Malay Archipelago. About half of the world's tropical rainforests are in the South American countries of Brazil and Peru.
Fossil pollen records indicate closed forest covered most of Australia between 50 and 100 million years ago. [8] These forests represent the closest living remnant of the vegetation type from which all of Australia's unique vegetation developed. [8] [9] [10] The vegetation remained across Australia and Antarctica until about 15 million years ago.
Climate map of Australia. By far the largest part of Australia is arid or semi-arid. A total of 18% of Australia's mainland consists of named deserts, [20] while additional areas are considered to have a desert climate based on low rainfall and high temperature. Only the south-east and south-west corners have a temperate climate and moderately ...
Another factor causing the loss of rainforest is expanding urban areas. Littoral rainforest growing along coastal areas of eastern Australia is now rare due to ribbon development to accommodate the demand for seachange lifestyles. [47] Forests are being destroyed at a rapid pace. [48] [49] [50] Almost 90% of West Africa's rainforest has been ...
On 9 November 2012, the Australian Government also acknowledged the Indigenous heritage of the area as being nationally significant. The Aboriginal Rainforest People of the Wet Tropics of Queensland have lived continuously in the rainforest environment for at least 5000 years, and this is the only place in Australia where Aboriginal people have permanently inhabited a tropical rainforest ...