Tropical Rainforest (Daintree Rainforest)

Physical Characteristics

Soil Quality

There is a low soil quality due to leaching. This is when all the nutrients is absorbed by water and drained out of the soil.

Location

The majority of Australia's tropical rainforests are located on the north east coast.

High Canopies

16.1700° S, 145.4185° E

Human interventions

Climate

Situated in between the tropic of Capricorn and the equator, there is warm climate with the lowest temperature reaching around 25 degrees Celsius.

Threats

Human Uses

Benefits/importance

Flora

Fauna

The Daintree Rainforest has a high tree canopy alowing little light to get through

Mostly trees and small shrubs

Due to the low soil quality it is hard for some plants to grow. Despite there being a huge variety of plants, in the thickest parts of the rainforest where the tree canopy blocks out most of the sunlight only small shrubs that don't need much nutrients grow.

Biodiversity

There are estimated 3000 different species in the Daintree rainforest, many of which are endemic to the area.

An importance in tropical raiforests is the biodiversity there is. Although they cover less than 2 percent of Earth's surface, rainforests house an estimated 50 percent of all life on the planet's land masses. If all the rainforests were to suddenly disappear hundreds of thousands of species would go extinct. In the Daintree rainforest alone there 83 endemic animal species and 700 endemic plant species.

There are over 270 groups of plant species in the Daintree rainforest mostly due to the tropical climate

Tourists visit the national parks as it is a world heritage area. There are many tours offered as well as Aboriginal experiences. The money earned can be used to help protect the rainforest

Counter measures

Deforestation

Farming

As well as standard crops the tropical climate allows for sugarcane farming being popular in Daintree.

Land is being cleared for lumber and as land for farming destroying habitats for animals.

Farmers often burn areas of plant life to clear land for farms

Birds

Reptiles

Mamals

There are 450 species of bird in the Daintree rainforest 12 of which are endemic to the area. There are alot of ground dweling birds due to the lack of large predators and the aubundance of low frowing flora.

There are lots of mammals in the area. Most being bats rodents and marsupials.

There are around 860 species of reptile in the Daintree region. Mostly being snakes small lizards and crocodiles. Corocodile tours are a popular atrcting tourists

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Examples

Southern Cassowary, Buff breasted paradise kingfisher

Examples

Examples

Lumholtz tree kangaroo, Daintree river ring tail possum

Salt water corcodile, boyds forest dragon

Many different measures are being employed to stop deforestation the big one being increasing land prices in the area as well as making it illegal to clear patches of land without government permission