Download the effect`s that climate change has on australias

THE EFFECTS THAT CLIMATE
CHANGE HAS ON
AUSTRALIA’S TROPICAL
RAINFORESTS
BY TODD WOODWARD
AND
SAM BRAYSHAW
TROPICAL RAINFORESTS
• Tropical rainforests cover approximately 900,000
square hectares of Australia and contain many
different types of flora and fauna.
• Tropical rainforest must receive 1.3 metres of rain
per year to be classed as a rainforest.
• Australia’s tropical rainforests are known as being
one of the most ecologically fascinating natural
areas in the world.
• The Daintree tropical rainforest is situated near
Cairns in Queensland and is one of the most famous
tropical rainforests in the world.
ANIMALS IN TROPICAL
RAINFOREST
• The Australian tropical rainforests have a wide
variety of animals living in them.
• Some of the animals found in the Australian tropical
rainforests are birds, reptiles, marsupials and
insects including a variety of butterflies.
• The animals are important for the tropical rainforests
especially the birds because they spread rainforest
plant seeds throughout the rainforests.
• The animals are protected in these tropical
rainforests because the forests are protected within
the world heritage sites.
PLANT LIFE IN AUSTRALIAN
TROPICAL RAINFORESTS
• Australia’s tropical rainforests are great because of
their wide range of plant life.
• Although the shape, size and texture of the leaves of
trees and plants in the tropical rainforests differ their
colour is usually always green.
• Australian tropical rainforest plants are beautiful and
fascinating and are a source of food and medicine.
• The Daintree tropical rainforest in Queensland is
home to the widest range of plant life that is
threatened with extinction in the world. The Daintree
rainforest has 12 primitive plant families.
TROPICAL RAINFOREST
LOCATIONS IN AUSTRALIA
Australian tropical rainforest locations in Australia.
THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
ON AUSTRALIAN TROPICAL
RAINFORESTS
• Global climate change is effecting Australia’s
tropical rainforests in a very serious manner even to
the point where they may even become extinct.
• With the decrease in rainfall the conditions in the
tropical rainforests will change. Most plant life in
tropical rainforests require a tropical environment to
survive.
• Flora and fauna will be threatened by the higher
temperature.
• Deforestation also threatens the flora and fauna of
Australian tropical rainforests.
• Trees take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
This process cuts down pollution.
• Drought will threaten the existence of the flora and
fauna in the rainforests.
• Forest fires will be more frequent due to the higher
temperatures and the lack of rain. Plants and
animals will be destroyed.
• More flooding will occur because of the rising sea
level.
• Climate change will cause more severe winds and
cyclones that will cause damage to the tropical
rainforests of Australia.
• Temperature change in the tropical rainforests will
cause animals to relocate
• Pollution caused by humans releasing greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere will damage the
Australian tropical rainforests.
• If climate change destroys flora and fauna in the
Australian tropical rainforests tourist numbers will
decrease and the economy will be effected.
• Climate change disrupts the ecosystem and the
tropical rainforest becomes vulnerable to weeds,
feral animals and disease.
• The cloud base will rise in altitude because of
climate change resulting in less cloud striping in the
tropical rainforests.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO
REDUCE THE IMPACT OF
CLIMATE CHANGE ON
AUSTRALIAN TROPICAL
RAINFORESTS
• To reduce the impact of climate change Australian’s
need to reduce greenhouse pollution. Participating in
the carbon pollution reduction scheme is essential.
• Australian’s can find alternative electrical supply. An
example of this is wind turbines.
• We must all reduce our carbon footprint by driving
less, using less water at home and using less
electricity.
• We must protect Australian tropical rainforests from
deforestation.
• Australian tropical rainforests need to be made more
resilient to higher temperatures and changing
rainfall.
• We need to increase awareness of the damage
human behaviour has on climate change.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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http://www.skyrail.com.au/rainforests.html
http://www.wildlife-australia.com/
http://www.daintreerainforest.com/flora.html
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1691
452
http://www.princesrainforestsproject.org/whats-happening-tothem/global-problem/climate-change-a-positive-feedback
http://knowledge.allianz.com/en/globalissues/climate_change/cl
imate_solutions/deforestation_emissions.html
http://www.duke.edu/web/nicholas/bio217/jmz28/climate%20cha
nge.htm
http://www.wettropics.gov.au/mwha/mwha_pdf/ClimateChange
Book2008.pdf