Byrd 1
Bethany Byrd
Period 4
November 13, 2012
Ms. Carpenter, Biology
Biomes of Australia
Most people think of Australia when they see a kangaroo, but what truly
makes up Australia would be the different biomes within the country, such as:
Tropical Rain Forest, Savanna, and Desert. The Tropical Rain Forest is in the
western corner of Western Australia, in all of Tasmania, almost all of Victoria, and
the eastern shores of New South Wales and Queensland (“Australian Biomes”).
The Desert is in most of Western Australia, half of the south side of the Northern
Territory, almost all of South Australia, and in about half of the western part of
Queensland (“Australian Biomes”). The Savanna is in almost all of New South
Wales, in the eastern parts of Queensland (between Tropical Rain Forest and the
Desert), in the northern half of the Northern Territory, and in some of the northern
part and western parts of Western Australia (“Australian Biomes”). Within this
report the research collected while researching the biomes of Australia, a great
amount of data was found about flora and fauna, climate, and terrain.
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Each of the three different biomes in Australia all have different
characteristics in the aspects of climate and terrain. First, we have the Tropical
Rain Forest biome.
This biome’s climate is very humid with an average
temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit and never goes below 64 degrees Fahrenheit
(G, Michael). In one month Tropical Rain Forests get an average of 4 inches of
rain, ending up being about 70- 80 inches of rain per year (G, Michael). It rains
more than 90 days per year; being a very wet biome, 50 % of all rain in the
Tropical Rain Forest comes from its own evaporation (“G, Michael). The Tropical
Rainforests in Australia have a many different terrains (Chambers). This includes:
rocky shores, mangroves, beaches, woodlands, and many more (Chambers).
Below is a chart listing the most common flora and fauna within the Tropical
Rainforest biome of Australia.
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What you will see next is a food web put together to show how energy
transfers between the different species within the Tropical Rainforest biome of
Australia.
The Savanna is both wet and dry. It is very wet in the summer, but every
dry in the winter. Overall the temperature difference is from 68- 86 degrees
Fahrenheit (P., Alex). In the winter the temperature is anywhere from 68- 78
degrees Fahrenheit, while in the summer the temperature is anywhere from 78- 86
degrees Fahrenheit (P., Alex). There are about 10- 30 inches of rain per year, but it
barely rains throughout December to February (P., Alex). Researchers would
describe the terrain of the Savanna biome as grassland, but also includes thorny
scrubs and some deciduous forests (“Savanna”).
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Another flora and fauna chart is shown below, but lists the most common
animals, of the two categories, within the Savanna biome of Australia.
Once again, we have a food web to show the energy transfers of the animals
that habitat in the Savanna biome of Australia.
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The last biome researched was the Desert biome. This is the driest biome of
all the biomes in the world, due to the lack of rain (S., Justin). Deserts have an
average of 1 inch of rain and they have an average temperature of 68- 77 degrees
Fahrenheit (S., Justin). The Desert biome covers about 1/5 of Earth (S., Justin).
The terrain of this barren area would be given the description of uninhabited,
unfertile soil, very sandy, and waterless (“Desert”).
The last flora and fauna chart is up next, showing the most common Desert
flora and fauna species.
Now the last food web will show you the feeding relationships throughout
the Desert biome.
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Below is a map, showing where each biome is located in Australia.
"Australian Biomes." Australian Biomes. MUSC, n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2012.
There are relationships between the climate, terrain, flora, and fauna within
each biome. You see, the climate of each biome affects the types of flora and their
adaptations, which then affects the types of fauna that are able to live off of the
flora that can survive in the climate. The climate also determines the type of
terrain and what kind of soil can be produced for the biome. For example, the
Desert biome is very dry with hardly any rain, making the plants and animals
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needed to adapt to the dry heat (S., Justin). The Savanna biome is wet in the
summer and dry in the winter, so the plants and animals here would have to be able
to live in either, or hibernate during times of non-adaptation (P., Alex). Lastly, the
Rainforest climate is very humid and wet, so a desert plant or animal wouldn’t
survive here. The organisms need to be used to the wet and humid climate (G.,
Michael).
Knowing the relationships between the different biotic and abiotic
factors of an area can help you better understand your surroundings and how
everything functions together.
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Candelabra Tree. N.d. Photograph. Savanna Main Trees. Wordpress. Web. 12
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2007. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
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Grasslands. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
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***Flora and fauna charts and food webs were all created by me. I cited the
websites used to find the information, but no citation below charts and webs
because I created them.***