Natural features of Australia. Wonder wild world: fauna of Australia Briefly about Australia area population flora fauna

Australia on the world map

Mainland Australia, on which the only state is located - the Commonwealth of Australia - is located entirely in southern hemisphere. The area of ​​the mainland state is 7.6 million square meters. km.

The Union includes the large island of Tasmania, separated by the Bass Strait, and a large number of small islands - Bathurst, Barrow, King, Kangaroo, etc.

The mainland is located on both sides of the Southern Tropic, most of the mainland lies to the south of it. The Pacific Ocean and its two seas - Coral and Tasmanovo wash the eastern shores of the mainland. The northern and western shores go directly to the Indian Ocean or to the Timor and Arafura seas. The shores of the mainland are very weakly indented, there are few convenient bays for mooring ships.

From north to south, the mainland stretches for 3.1 thousand km, and from west to east - for 4.4 thousand km. The mainland state is geographically isolated from the rest of the world, there are no land borders, and the closest are Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

This land mass is located on an ancient Precambrian platform, which is over 3 billion years old.

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For thousands of years, the nature of the mainland has developed in its own way. Remoteness from other continents contributed to the formation of the uniqueness of the flora and fauna. The uniqueness of flora and fauna is the main feature of Australian nature.

The relief of Australia is represented mainly by plains, and mountainous areas occupy about 1/20 of the territory. The eastern part of the mainland is higher, here the East Australian Mountains or the Great Dividing Range stretch along the coast from north to south. The central part of the range is the widest, and the southern part is higher, called the Australian Alps. The snow here lies within all year round. The top - Mount Kosciuszko (2230 m) is located in this part of the ridge.

The rest of the mainland is occupied by the Central Plains, on which there are areas located below sea level, for example, the basin of Lake Eyre.

The continuation of the Great Dividing Range is the island of Tasmania, which separated from the mainland by a large fault.

• subequatorial,
• tropical,
• subtropical.

Remark 1

Only the southern part of the island of Tasmania lies in temperate zone with cool summers and high rainfall.

The subequatorial climate is characterized by a small amplitude of annual temperature fluctuations and precipitation in summer.

Most of the mainland lies in a tropical climate. The degree of its moisture content is not uniform. Its eastern part belongs to the area of ​​humid tropical climate, and the central and western part is the area of ​​desert tropical climate.

There are three types of subtropical climate:

1. Mediterranean type in the southwest of the continent with dry, hot summers and wet, warm winters;
2. subtropical continental on the coast of the Great Australian Bight with cool winters and less rainfall;
3. subtropical humid - Victoria, areas of Sydney and Canberra, northern Tasmania.

Remark 2

The hydrographic network is poorly developed, the flow into the ocean has only 3/5 of the territory. There are temporary streams, called screams.

Features of the Australian flora

The Australian flora is unique in that it is dominated by elements that are not found in other parts of the world. Its main features are antiquity, and a high degree of endemism which accounts for 75% of the species.

The most popular are some types of eucalyptus and acacia trees. Eucalyptus thickets cover a significant part of the continent, of which there are three thousand species. They perfectly disinfect the air, grow quickly and drain the wetlands. Eucalyptus wood sinks in water but does not rot.

Characteristic of Australia are bottle trees growing in the central and northern parts of the mainland. The tree got its name for its resemblance to a bottle. Inner part The trunk of this tree has two chambers. The chamber close to the root system is filled with water during the rainy season, the second, located above the first, is filled with juice, similar to thick sweet and edible syrup. The plant uses the accumulated water during the drought period.

Eucalyptus, bottle trees, cereals feel very good here.

Within the Mediterranean type of climate in the northwest of the mainland, there is more precipitation, so tropical forests grow here, in which eucalyptus trees, large-leaved ficuses, and sprawling palm trees can again be found. The rainforest is generally damp, dark and gloomy. The tropical coast, protected from the surf by coral reefs, causes the development of peculiar plant formations, called mangrove forests or thickets - "trees growing in the sea" - as travelers describe them. At high tide, their crown rises above the water, and at low tide, bizarre respiratory roots are clearly visible.

Deserts have formed in the central part of the mainland in an arid climate, so the flora is represented by thorns and shrubs that do not have leaves. Acacias and eucalyptus trees become stunted, in some places the plants disappear completely, and in some places they form impenetrable thickets - these are scrubs. Wild cereal crops grow here.

The eastern and southeastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range are covered with tropical and subtropical evergreen forests, again dominated by eucalyptus. Tree-like horsetails and ferns grow here, the height of which reaches 10-20 m. The top of tree-like ferns is a crown of pinnate leaves up to 2 meters long. Higher up the slope of the mountains, an admixture of damarra pine and beech appears.

Features of the Australian fauna

Remark 3

Due to the amazing diversity of the animal world, Australia is not accidentally singled out as a special zoogeographic region. species composition, I must say, is not rich, but in most cases it is endemic, which is one of the features of the animal world.

About 200 thousand species of animals live on the mainland, and 83% of mammals, 89% of reptiles, 90% of fish and insects, 93% of amphibians are indigenous.

Another feature of the Australian fauna was the absence of indigenous predatory mammals, except for the wild dog dingo, which was brought here by the Austronesians.

There were no own pachyderms and ruminants on the mainland. Some animals died out with the settlement of the continent by the natives, including giant marsupials, and with the advent of Europeans, other animals disappeared, for example, the marsupial wolf.

The kangaroo, numbering 17 genera and more than 50 species, and the koala have become the symbol of Australia. These are representatives of marsupials, the presence of which is another feature of the fauna of the mainland.

Among the kangaroos there are dwarfs, 20-23 cm tall and giants, whose height can be more than 160 cm. There are kangaroo rats, rock and tree kangaroos, derby kangaroos. I must say that the Australians consider only the giant gray and red kangaroos to be real kangaroos, and the rest are called wallabies.

Amazing platypuses and flying squirrels, echidnas, wombats and opossums.

Since ancient times, emu ostriches, huge cockatoo parrots, have lived on this land. The sound of a musical instrument resembles the chirping of a lyre bird. Human laughter is emitted amazing birds kookaburra.

In the south of the mainland there are penguins, huge whales, dolphins and sharks in the waters. Crocodiles live in Australian rivers. The Australian barrier reef has become the realm of corals, polyps, moray eels and rays. With the advent of Europeans, domestic animals were brought to the continent - sheep, goats, cows, horses, dogs and cats.

The wildlife of Australia is unique, as many representatives of the flora and fauna live only here. This is due to the isolation of the Green continent and its considerable remoteness from other continents. The most important difference between the nature of mainland Australia is that there are no predators among mammals. This mission was undertaken by wild dogs, foxes and some other animals brought to the continent, which led to a decrease in the population of the main representatives of the fauna of Australia.

Marsupials in Australia are represented by 180 various types, which differ from each other, both in their way of life and in their methods of reproduction, but they are similar in one thing: on the stomach of these marsupials there is a deep fold, which is called a bag, in which they nurse their cubs after birth.

This is extremely necessary, since marsupials are born very weak and are not independent special for a long time. We will now tell you about some representatives of the marsupial animals of Australia.

Marsupial animal, leading a nocturnal lifestyle, lives in trees

Many tourists are interested in the question of where the koala lives. An unusual animal spends most of its life on trees, only occasionally descending to the ground.

When climbing trees, the claws of the animal close into a strong lock, which allows it to stay on any trunk. Exactly the same claws are in the cubs, which move, tenaciously grabbing the mother's fur.

These huge representatives of marsupials differ in their characteristics from other individuals of the same classification. But what is so special about them, you ask, and in general, does a male kangaroo have a bag? In fact, it is the prerogative of the mother to carry the baby in the most secluded place. The pocket, smooth on the inside, is lined with thick fluffy fur at the entrance. Thus, the baby is protected from any bad weather.

Kangaroos and emus have never been official symbols of Australia, but they are associated only with this state. Kangaroos and emu ostriches do not know how to move backwards, which is why they got on the national emblem. These proud shield-holders were called upon to express the federation's confident decision to always go forward! Kangaroos and emus are only found here, as are the koala, the platypus and the cackling kookaburra bird. The platypus, as a symbol of Australia, is depicted on the Australian 20 cent coin.

What kind of animals live in Australia - a small mainland, far removed from the rest of the continents? In our article you will find the answer to this question.

The flora and fauna of Australia amaze with their beauty and exoticism, and you can enjoy them not only far from cities and in specialized reserves, but also in numerous squares and parks where nature is carefully protected and protected.

Many of Australia's animals and plants are unique: some 12,000 wildlife and 550 species of eucalyptus trees are found nowhere else but this amazing continent.

Interesting fact about Australia

Australia - the mainland-record holder for the number of poisonous animals

The secretive platypus lives on the banks of rivers and streams in Eastern and Southern Australia and Tasmania.

The platypus is an extremely peculiar animal that has adapted to the extremely specific conditions of life in the aquatic environment. It has a smooth, streamlined body covered in short, brown fur. Its front paws are equipped with membranes that promote movement in water and life in burrows.

Australia is a continent located in the southern hemisphere of our planet. Australia's nature is diverse and unique. Here you can meet rare species animal and plant world.

Currently, about 1,000 thousand reserves operate in Australia. Unfortunately, every year more and more species of flora and fauna completely disappear.

General characteristics of the nature of Australia

Australia is considered the oldest landmass on earth. The mainland is located on the ancient Precambrian platform, which was formed more than 3 billion years ago.

Australia is located in the aisles of such climatic zones: tropical, subtropical, temperate and subequatorial. The river network of Australia is rather poorly developed: the reason for this is the low amount of precipitation on this continent.

Flora of Australia

Since the Australian climate is particularly dry, mainly dry-loving plants grow here - eucalyptus, cereals, succulent trees, umbrella acacias. Trees that grow on the mainland have a very strong root system.

So the roots of some tree species go as deep as 20 m. In Australia, trees of a rich green color are very rare, most of them have a dull green-gray color.

In some territories of the north of the mother

Thickets of bamboo grow along the Pacific coast. The center of Australia is a semi-desert, where acacia and eucalyptus bushes grow, as well as tall grasses. Many plant species were introduced to Australia by European colonists.

Australia's climate favors the cultivation of crops such as oats, barley, corn, wheat and cotton.

fauna of australia

The fauna of Australia is very rich. A large number of rare animals live here, which cannot be found on any other continent. characteristic feature The fauna of Australia is that there is only one species of predatory mammals in it - the dingo dog.

The first Europeans to set foot on Australian soil were surprised by such animals as the platypus and kangaroo. Australia is also home to such unique animals as the koala, frilled lizards that move on two legs, flying squirrels and echidnas.

The world of Australian birds is also amazing - emu ostriches, cockatoo parrots, crowned pigeons, lyre birds. Many of them are very brightly colored.

Australia pleases tourists with unique landscapes and partially untouched nature. Here the flora spread over different climatic zones. There are animals that are not found anywhere else except Australia. So, let's take a closer look at the flora and fauna on the Australian continent.

Flora of Australia

Australia has been separated from the rest of the world by oceans for over 200 million years. This resulted in a wide variety of plants and animals. The fifth continent has very specific vegetation and has about 22,000 plant species. Of these plant species, approximately 90% are found nowhere else.

Fascinating flora in the rainforest. Eucalyptus and acacia trees belong to the Australian vegetation, there are about 600 species, found in many areas, even in hot and dry central Australia. AT flora Australia has three large zones, broken down as follows:

tropical zone

The tropical zone is located along the northern coast to the middle of the eastern. It falls into the monsoon climate and is densely planted mainly deciduous trees. Ferns and palms thrive among the ash, oak, cedar and birch trees.

temperate zone

The temperate zone runs through the southeastern coastal plain and Tasmania and extends north along the east coast into the tropical zone. The temperate zone is famous for its many shrubs and undersized plants.

In the Australian Alps and the mountain landscapes of Tasmania, predominantly alpine vegetation is found. There are stocks of pines along the east coast to Tasmania. The latter are second only to eucalyptus trees in terms of their economic importance.

Eucalyptus species predominate in wooded areas, warm and well-irrigated southeastern and southwestern regions. Tasmania is known for its beech forests.

dry zone

The dry zone is located throughout the middle, arid zone and in the west of the fifth continent. The vegetation here is adapted to the arid climate. These are mainly eucalyptus trees and acacia (500 species in total). In western Australia, there are two species of eucalyptus, the so-called Jarra and Karri Eucalyptus. They are valued for their hard and durable wood.

There are about 2000 introduced plant species in Australia. Most of them came to the country with the development Agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry. It is believed that before colonization by the first Europeans, a quarter of the country was covered with forest savannah, shrubs and forests. Much of the native flora was destroyed to make room for colonization and agricultural use. This has led to the irretrievable extinction of more than 80 species of native plants. To date, another 840 species are threatened. Therefore, in Australia there are large nature reserves. About 12% of the territory was declared protected.

fauna of australia

The highlight of any trip to Australia is the special Live nature fifth continent. The peculiarity of animals is that they live either only in Australia or in the zoo.

Kangaroo

The national animal of Australia is the kangaroo. This is the most famous marsupial subspecies. It is found in Sydney, Tasmania, New Guinea and other offshore islands in Australia.

parrots

They are found in almost all parts of Australia. They are not only on the coast of New South Wales and Tasmania. Worldwide, only one-sixth of the parrot species found in Australia can be seen. The so-called lorikeets are very trusting. They eat bread right out of their hands. Cockatoos can be seen everywhere.

mammals

Australia is home to six of the ten most poisonous snakes in the world. The most dangerous is the taipan. In addition to him, live in Australia: tiger snake, brown snake, deadly viper and copper snake. Because of the camouflage color, they are barely distinguishable.

crocodiles

The world's largest crocodiles, the so-called marine (salty), are also found in Australia. Salmon crocodiles can grow up to 6 meters in length and are considered very aggressive and cunning. Therefore, you should never swim in rivers or lakes that are not regulated. This can be deadly. Crocodiles live not only in salt water, but also in estuaries. Reptiles have been spotted even as far as 300 km from the coast.

Koala

Australia is also home to koalas. They can be seen not only in zoos, but also in the open air. They mostly sit high in the crowns of eucalyptus trees. Koalas do not just jump from tree to tree, they also live on the ground. To return to their food source, the leaves, they dig their claws into the bark and climb up the tree.

Sea turtle

There are about 20 species of turtles in Australia, six of which are marine. Appearance they have not changed for over 200 years.

Whale shark

Reaches a length of up to 15 m and is not only the largest shark, but also the most big fish in the world. It is harmless to humans, despite its huge size. It feeds mainly on plankton and other microorganisms that it filters out of the water.

Dangerous animals in the water

I wonder how many different dangerous animals live off the coast of Australia? Many of them look quite harmless, and some are deadly.

The reef shark, about 2 m long, is quite harmless to humans. Statistically, more people die each year in Australia from a coconut than from a shark attack. How many sharks will be near the coast depends on the water temperature.

The blue-eared octopus is one of the most poisonous animals in the world. The poison can kill an adult in minutes. So far there is no antidote, the only known treatments are heart massage and artificial respiration until the body has processed the poison.

For swimmers, sea wasps are more dangerous than sharks. The sea wasp is a cube jellyfish, considered the most poisonous marine animal in the world. It has up to 15 tentacles up to three meters long, and the available poison is enough for 200 people. Every year, more people die from the effects of these jellyfish than from shark attacks.

The so-called stone fish, as the name suggests, is more like a stone. She has about 70 spines distributed throughout her body. Of the 70 spines, 18 are poisonous. If not promptly treated after contact with stonefish, the venom can be lethal. It is found mainly in the southern half of Australia. There, the fish lives on coral reefs, mostly near rocks or directly on rocks.

Australia is an amazing continent. According to scientists, this is the oldest continent on our planet, lying on the Pre-Camberian platform, which was formed more than 3 billion years ago.

Due to the fact that Australia was discovered to the world much later than other continents, nature is better preserved here. The mainland itself is located in three climatic zones: tropical in the central part of the mainland, subtropical in the southern and subequatorial in its northern part. From the north, from the equator wind and water indian ocean bring warmth to the coast of Australia. Cold winds often blow from the south, bringing frosts from the coast of Antarctica.

The uniqueness of Australian nature is also explained by its landscape: coastal areas are drowning in the greenery of trees, the center of the mainland is a zone of semi-deserts and savannahs, occasionally interspersed with islands of vegetation in deep lowlands and along floodplains. However, there is little rainfall in Australia, because there are few rivers and lakes.

Mountains are located in the east and southwest. But the mountains are low, not exceeding 1300 meters above sea level, despite their sonorous name - the Australian Alps.

There are currently more than 1000 reserves in Australia, where animals and plants of wildlife are represented.

Flora of Australia

The unique climatic conditions and location of Australia determined the originality of its flora and fauna.

Eucalyptus is considered the plant symbol of Australia. A huge tree has powerful roots that go into the ground for 20 or even 30 meters! An amazing tree has adapted to the arid Australian climate. Eucalyptus trees growing near swamps are able to draw water from a reservoir and thereby drain the swamp. Thus, for example, they drained the swampy land of Colchis on the coast of the Caucasus. In addition, eucalyptus has narrow leaves that are turned to the sun with an edge. Just imagine a huge eucalyptus forest, and there is practically no shade in it!

The east coast of Australia, where it is washed by the Pacific Ocean, is buried in thickets of bamboo. Closer to the south there are bottle trees, the fruits of which resemble the shape of a bottle. Aborigines extract their rainwater from them.

Dense subtropical forests grow in the north. Here you can see huge palm trees and mangroves. The entire northern coast, where precipitation is the most, grows acacias and pandanus, horsetail and ferns. Toward the south, the forest thins out. The savannah zone begins, which in the spring is a lush carpet of tall grasses, and by the summer it dries up, burns out and turns into a soulless desert. Central Australia is a grassland zone.

But cultivated plants were brought to Australia by Europeans. Only after the colonization of the mainland, cotton, flax, wheat, vegetables and fruits, characteristic of the European flora, began to be grown here.

Animal world of Australia

The fauna of Australia is very rich and diverse. The first feature of the animal world: Australia is home to a huge number of endemic animals, that is, animals that are no longer found anywhere else on the planet. These are, of course, kangaroos and koalas, which are recognized as symbols of the southern continent. Kangaroo alone has 17 genera and more than 50 species. The smallest of them are only 20-23 cm tall, and the largest reach a height of 160 cm. Did you know that there are kangaroo rats, rock and tree kangaroos, and even derby kangaroos? However, in Australia itself, the word "kangaroo" refers to only two representatives of this genus of marsupials: a giant gray and a red one. The rest are called wallabies.

And there are also amazing platypuses, brave flying squirrels fluttering from tree to tree, creepy echidnas, funny frilled lizards that can move on two legs. Wombats and possums live in the Australian forests and are valued for their fur. Flying foxes look very bloodthirsty, although they feed on nectar and flowers. But who is truly terrible is the huge Australian the bats. The wingspan of these animals can reach 1.5 meters, and weight - up to 1 kg!

There are also many birds that have lived on these lands for centuries. These are powerful emu ostriches, huge cockatoo parrots, announcing the forests of Australia with their cry. These are lyre birds, whose chirping resembles the sound of a musical instrument and crowned doves. Walking through the forests of Australia, you can hear sounds similar to human laughter. These are the chirping kookaburras, amazing Australian birds that live in tree holes. Many birds are brightly colored.

In the south you can meet penguins, which are brought here from Antarctica. Huge whales plow the waters, which, with the onset of cold weather, migrate north, towards Africa. There are dolphins and bloodthirsty sharks. The rivers of Australia have become home to huge crocodiles. The Great Barrier Reef is the kingdom of corals and polyps, moray eels and rays.

The second feature of Australia: there are no mammals from the class of predators, with the exception of the only representative of this species: wild dogs Dingo.

Europeans also brought domestic animals to Australia. Since the time of colonization, fat herds of sheep began to plow the expanses of the Australian savannah. Goats, cows and horses, dogs and cats appeared.