presence of natural areas on the mainland and their location is directly dependent on climatic zones.Based on the fact that Australia is considered the most arid continent, it becomes clear that great diversity here just can not be.But natural areas in Australia are extremely unique flora and fauna.
Many deserts and forests
little on the smallest continent is well traced zoning.This is due to the prevailing flat relief.Natural areas of Australia gradually replace each other in the meridional direction following the change in temperature and precipitation.
Tropic of Capricorn crosses the continent almost in the middle, and a large part of its territory is in the hot tropical climate zone, which makes the climate dry.According to the number of annual precipitation shortfall in Australia is among the continents in the last place.Most of its territory for the year receives only 250 mm of rainfall.In many parts of the continent for several years not a drop of rain falls.
Australia, natural areas that split the continent into three parts, east and west, has several zones extending along the coast, where rainfall is much larger.The mainland is the first place in the relative area of desert areas and in last place in the forest area.In addition, only 2% of Australian forests has industrial importance.
Features natural areas
savannas and woodlands are located in the subequatorial climate zone.The vegetation is dominated by grasses, among which grow acacia, eucalyptus trees, bottle trees.
In the east of the continent, in the conditions of sufficient moisture, there are natural areas of Australia, as wet rainforests.Among the palms, ficus trees and tree ferns live marsupial anteaters, wombats, kangaroos.
Natural areas in Australia differ from similar areas in other continents.For example, semi-deserts and tropical deserts occupy huge areas on the continent - almost 44% of its territory.In Australian deserts can be found unusual dry thickets of thorny shrubs, called skrebami.Semi-desert land, overgrown with stiff cereal plants and shrubs are used as pasture for sheep.There are large sandy deserts, which differ from the deserts of other continents so that they are no oases.
In the south-eastern part and in the south-west of the continent are subtropical forests, which grow eucalyptus trees and evergreen beech.
originality of the organic world
Flora of Australia, prolonged isolation from other continents, has a large number of endemic plants.Almost 75% of them can be seen only here and nowhere else.More than 600 species of eucalyptus trees, 490 species and 25 species of acacia kazaurinov found on the mainland.
fauna is even more peculiar.Among the animals endemic to account for almost 90%.Only in Australia can meet mammals that on other continents have disappeared a long time ago, for example, the echidna and the platypus - ancient primitive animals.
