Daintree rainforest
- Created by: Anoush
- Created on: 16-12-15 16:08
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- The Daintree rainforest
- The Wet Tropics
- The Daintree rainforest is in northern Queensland, Australia.
- It's part of a huge stretch of rainforest, the Wet Tropics which runs parallel to the Queensland Coast. This coast runs alongside the Great Barrier Reef.
- Highest level of biodiversity and regional endemism in Australia. Covers almost 900 000 hectares (nearly 1/2 size of Wales)
- Adjacent to the GBF- 400 types of coral, 1500 species of fish.
- The Daintree rainforest is in northern Queensland, Australia.
- Why is the Daintree rainforest so special?
- Of 19 primitive plant families on Earth, 12 are found here
- E.g. the idiot fruit is found only in the Daintree.
- Has almost 1/2 of Australia's bird species, and 13 species found nowhere else in the world.
- E.g. the Cassowary is a large bird- unlikely to meet a southern Cassowary unless you go to the tropical ranforests of north-east Queensland.
- In 1993,there were 54- birds left in the Daintree rainforest but, since ty became protected in 1999, their numbers have increased- estimated 500 in 2009.
- The Cssowary is vital to the rainforest ecosystem.
- 'Seed dispenser' for100+ species of rainforest plants with large fruits. Without thenm, new plants would concentrate around the parent plant and would not spread throughout the rainforest.
- The Cssowary is vital to the rainforest ecosystem.
- In 1993,there were 54- birds left in the Daintree rainforest but, since ty became protected in 1999, their numbers have increased- estimated 500 in 2009.
- E.g. the Cassowary is a large bird- unlikely to meet a southern Cassowary unless you go to the tropical ranforests of north-east Queensland.
- Has 65%+ of AU's butterfly and bat species.
- E.g. the Ulysses butterfly- icon of tropical northern AU's.
- Has 28 of AU's 36 mangrove species.
- Of 19 primitive plant families on Earth, 12 are found here
- Is 135m years old.
- Takes up less than 0.2% of the landmass of AU.
- The tropical rainforest ecosystem:
- Climate (found in places with an equatorial climate).
- A low daily range of temp. Rarely drop below 22oC at night, or go above 32oC in the day.
- Low annual temp. range.
- High annual rainfall (2000+mm) in intense convectional storms.
- Daintree has 120 days of rain per year.
- Year-round growing season.
- A low daily range of temp. Rarely drop below 22oC at night, or go above 32oC in the day.
- Vegetation
- The trees are deciduous, but the rainforest looks evergreen as the year-round growing season means they can shed their leaves at any time.
- As many as 200 species of tree per hectare (rugby pitch).
- Rainforests are the most productive terrestrial ecosystem.
- Mangroves fringe the coast of the Daintree.
- Soils
- Rapid leaching of ntrients.
- Bedrock is intensely weathered due to the hot, wet, conditions.
- Climate (found in places with an equatorial climate).
- Ecosystem servies
- Carbon sequestration
- Trees absorb CO2 and give out O2, removing GHG'S from the air. Helps reduce pollution and regulate climate change.
- People of the rainforest
- The natural features of the rainforest are interwoven with the people's religion spirituality, economic use (food, medicine, tools) and social + moral organisation.
- Medicine (last mind map)
- Logging + deforestation
- Commercial timber industry began in Daintree in 1930's. 1980's- centre of arguments between conservationists + timber industry.
- Queensland- most land clearance is now undertaken for pasture (86%),crops (10%), mining, infrastructure + settlement (4%). Shiften from Central to Southern Q.
- Tourism- the most dangerous threat.
- Daintree attracts nearly 1/2 a m a year
- In 2002, tourism + recreation was worth A$141.7m a year; creating 3500 jobs.
- 1983=17 000 visited the Daintree 436 000 a year in 2002.
- 1999, 37% of visitors thought there was a need for more walking tracks in Daintree. 40% in 2001.
- Carbon sequestration
- Development- growth + change in Port Douglas
- Its pop. is only 4000 but a rise in the num. of visitors has:
- A large supermarket was built in the centre of the village in 1999: Local shops deteriorated.
- A property boom led to rising house prices. Some benefited from selling their land to developers. Others found it difficult to buy a house
- 2008, 5 new resorts were built/ planned.
- In Daintree, there were 550 residents (2002).
- Tarmacking opened up the region.
- Most turned to cattle ranching. E.g. red cedar family of trees became extinct in 2000 when a landowner cleared a plot of land.
- If deforestation is not reduced, 85 rare plant species now on private land will become extinct.
- Areas of forest divided into 1000+ plots for sale.
- Most turned to cattle ranching. E.g. red cedar family of trees became extinct in 2000 when a landowner cleared a plot of land.
- Tarmacking opened up the region.
- Its pop. is only 4000 but a rise in the num. of visitors has:
- The Wet Tropics
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