Tropical rainforests in Australia are found on the North east coast mostly in Queensland. Some notable and easily recognizable ones include the Kuranda Rainforest and the Daintree - the oldest tropical rainforest on earth. The Wet Tropics of Queensland was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1988. These are well known as they are some of the very few on the continent. These rainforests are expansive and are home to much or Australia's defining flora and fauna. On the map (pictured left), the area is the location of Queensland's rainforests.
|
Why do Rainforests form the way they do?Climate - In an average year in a rain forest the climate is very humid because of the rainfall, of which it gets around 200cm annually. It has a lot of rain because of the hot and wet weather. This climate is generally found in regions near the equator. Which would have more direct sunlight hitting the land and sea (or anywhere else) which warms it, soon evaporating into air. Warm air holds a lot of water vapor whereas if the air rises it cools meaning it holds less water vapor. The high rainfall and year round high temperatures are ideal conditions for a tropical rain forest to form, and a great variety of plants encourage species of insects, birds and animals to live in this habitat.
|
Examples of fauna and floraRainforests have a wide range of species inhabiting them, contributing to the biodiversity. Mammals such as kangaroos and possums take the tropical forests as their home, but reptiles such as the carpet python and the leaf tailed gecko (pictured above), and monotremes like the platypus also live in these areas. A well known endangered species is the cassowary, a bird found exclusively in the rainforest. These species have adapted to their environment and are able to survive in the humid, dangerous rainforests, which to a human is quite a feat. There are also many plants, with a majority being ferns and trees, such as paper barks and ribbon woods. But, there are also many flowers, in particular, orchids and lilies. There is also coffee and many varieties of edible plants, such as walnuts and ginger.
|