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How do humans impact the Australian Koala population? - Coggle Diagram
How do humans impact the Australian Koala population?
Koalas
appearance
adaptations
slow metabolism
able to get more nutrients from eucalyptus leaves.
opposable thumbs
easy grip to trees and branches
thick fur coat
stay warm and keep the rain off them
sense of smell
able to smell the nitrogen in the leaves
Hind toes joined
Grooming and removing ticks
Life style
Tree dwelling marsupials
live between 10 to 20 years
breeding
between September and February
gestation period is around 2 months
new born koalas
blind and hairless
stay in pouch until 7 months old
young male koalas are driven off by older males
7 months old
has out grown the pouch and rides on mothers backs
tries gum leaves
1 year old
mother is able to breed again
Location
Only in Australia
eucalyptus woodlands and forests
are forced to move to different areas due to deforestation
Predictions made they will be forced to move to southeast NSW and QLD
survival
Biotic factors
Food
Gum leaves
Eucalyptus leaves
Water
Parasites
Disease
#
Chlamydia
can cause death in populations
Predators
Food webs
Flow of the energy in the ecosystem
forests
Shelter
Abiotic factors
Sunlight
Rainfall
Temperature
Nitrogen
#
amount of nitrogen in the leaves they eat
effect how strong the koala is
helps with chemical reaction of protein
Fire
injury and death
loss of habitat
Food web
#
flora in koala's habitat
Wollemi Pine
Found in the Blue Mountains
Cycad palm
Golden wattle blossom
Grevillea plants
attract birds and insects
Eucalyptus trees
predators
attack koalas on ground
Threats
disease
Chlamydia
manifests in times of stress
one of the main causes of decline in koala populations
Climate change
Drought
display abnormal behaviour to get survival resources
water
Food
Shelter
arid or semi arid land
make land clearings worse
rising sea levels
koala habitat more vulnerable to drought
Toxic salt levels
nutrient levels in eucalyptus leaves can become unstable
increasing atmospheric CO₂ levels will reduce the nutritional value of eucalyptus leaves.
fires
highly flammable oil within the eucalyptus leaves
kill or severely injure koalas
Die back
causes
land degradation
leaching of soil nutrients
changes in the composition of vegetation communities
rising water levels underground
salization of the soil
erosion caused by wind and water
exposure to weather
excessive defoliation
disturbance of forests
Effects
Koalas lose their habitat and shelter
isolated patchs of trees are prone to die back
75% of koalas main food source are declining
Human impacts
Negative
deforestation/land clearing
removed for human activities and building/roads
Urban sprawl
increases competition for food and shelter
Increases stress levels in koalas
causes
loss of habitat for koalas
#
#
Vehicle strikes
loss of habitat means koalas look for new resources
increased risk of being hit by a car
1920's fur trade
koalas killed for their fur
killed most of population
still recovering
introduced species
examples
foxes
dogs
Attack koalas on the ground
cats
attack wild koalas
attack koalas on the ground
weak and vulnerable koalas are killed
Positive
koala care programs
Organisations protecting koalas
National environment Law
any projects effect the koala population negatively will not be approved
donates money to protect the koalas
koala staus
Vulnerable