Year 9 Australian Climate, Flora and Fauna

DRY SEASON April - October Temperatures are lower ‘ Build up’ is the time of the year between the WET and dry seasons. The average temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius Skies are generally clearer

Wet Season The wet season is about six months, lasting from November to March. It is hotter than the dry season, due to the humidity from the amount of moisture in the air. It is commonly called the monsoon season. A wet season is defined as the time of year when most of a regions average annual rainfall occurs. During the wet season there is a lot of rain, which often causes floods. During the wet season it is mostly hot and humid. Most storms happen during the wet season, the rain is short-lived, heavy and proceeded by strong winds. Zac and Maddy

El Niño Definition: An irregular and complex change of the climatic system results in an El Niño. An El Niño is characterised by unusually nutrient poor soil, dry and warm climate. El Nino is Spanish for ‘Christ Child’ because El Ninos usually happen around Christmas. Potential effects of El Niño on Australia include: - Reduced rainfall - Warmer temperatures - Shift in temperature extremes - Increased frost risk - Reduced tropical cyclone numbers - Later monsoon onset - Increased fire danger in southeast Australia - Decreased alpine snow depths

Australian Flora- Eucalypts Jamie O’Connor & Ellie George The Australian flora is dominated by eucalypts. In wet sclerophyll forests, eucalypts are present, but they dominate dry sclerophyll forests. In dry sclerophyll forests, the eucalypt species have evolved to withstand drought and nutrient poor soils, and regenerate after fire. Australia’s woodlands are a combination of eucalypts and grasslands. The amount of trees is determined by the soil conditions and topography. Lifespan of eucalyptus depends on the species. Most eucalyptus trees can survive more than 250 years in the wild. A sclerophyll is a category of plants with small, hard, leathery leaves.

INTRODUCTION Australia's unique fauna has evolved from older species million years ago. During Australia’s long separation from the rest of the world, the animals were not involved in the mainstream changes that was evolution, causing them to only be found in Australia. Australia is the only continental land mass occupied by all three classes of mammals. Types of Mammals Marsupial Monotreme Placental Mammal S.A & L.S

A mammal that, in the female species, has an external pouch into which incompletely developed young climb to nurse and finish developing. Examples of Australian Marsupials include: kangaroo, koala, wallaby, wombat, possum and a bilby. Many groups of animals whose relatives have long since disappeared from other parts of the world. Abbie Wieland and Andrew Myers

FAUNA PLATYPUSECHIDNA RODENTS BATS MONOTREME PLACENTAL MAMMAL Definition – an egg laying marsupial such as the platypus or echidna Definition – a mammal whose young develop inside the mother and receive nourishment via the placenta 1.1 of only 3 species of monotremes in the world 2.Platypus hunt underwater (they are bottom feeders) 1. Over 90 Australian native species 1.They can live up too 50 years 2.Their spines are actually modified hairs 3.Have no teeth

Platypuses (not platypi) are a unique Australian species. They are in a separate group to mammals known as the monotremes. This means that they are warm blooded and lay eggs. Platypuses are among the few venomous mammals. Males have a spur on the back of their hind feet that is connected to a venom-secreting gland, helps them compete for mates, The venom is not life threatening to humans, but it can cause severe swelling and "excruciating pain." An average platypus is 38 cm long plus 13 cm for its tail, weighting 1.4kg. A Platypus is a carnivore. Its diet consists mainly of shrimp, crayfish, insect larvae and worms. A Platypus also utilizes large pouches in the cheeks to store food, then return to the surface to consume it. The Platypus does not used its bill to eat. Its mouth is actually located under the bill. The average Platypus eats 20% of its body weight every day.