Sunday, November 22, 2015
Introduction
The Australian Outback is home to many indigenous peoples, animals, and plantlife. Also known as the rangelands, the Outback comprises of various diverse ecosystems that are quite unique from each other. These include tropical savannas, grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands, all of which differ in the amount of rainfall per year, temperature, and climate.
Hot Desert Ecosystem
We decided on the Hot Desert ecosystem of the Australian Outback due to the sheer diversity of habitats, cultural significance, and species of animals that inhabit this ecosystem. Not to mention the cool factor; deserts are just awesome! Compared to other deserts around the world, the deserts of Australia receive a relatively high amount of rainfall - over 100 mm per year.
The Hot Desert ecosystem tend to be characterized by the following traits:
Animals that live in the harsh desert environment have developed many survival mechanisms that allow them to adapt to the desert climate. Many of these adaptations include the avoidance of heat and the ability to find, conserve, and even create water. Some animals, such as the Australian Feral Camel, store fat in the form of a lump in their bodies, transforming the fat into water when needed. The camel also has large hoofs that are split, allowing it to travel in the desert sand without sinking in too deeply. In contrast, there are some animals that either dig burrows or remain immobile underneath plant shade or rocks to escape and avoid the heat.
Plant Adaptations
Plants are similar to animals in their development of survival mechanisms to adapt to desert climate. The main adaptations are their ability to conserve and store water and the ability to reduce water loss. Most desert plants are low shrubs with thorns, spines, and small leaves. The thorns and spines are not only used to protect the plant from hungry animals, but to also give the plant shade and prevent it from losing water vapor. Moreover, there are numerous plants that have an extensive underground root system that is far away from the trunk in order to maximize the amount of rainfall that is collected.
The Hot Desert ecosystem tend to be characterized by the following traits:
- Warm seasons throughout the year
- Very little or no rainfall during winter
- Extreme variation in temperature between night and day (from -18°C to 49°C). The reason for this is that heat escapes rapidly during the night due to lack of moisture in the air
- Unpredictable rainfall (intense short bursts, long rainless periods or low rainfall
- Coarse soils with good drainage, with no subsurface water
Animals that live in the harsh desert environment have developed many survival mechanisms that allow them to adapt to the desert climate. Many of these adaptations include the avoidance of heat and the ability to find, conserve, and even create water. Some animals, such as the Australian Feral Camel, store fat in the form of a lump in their bodies, transforming the fat into water when needed. The camel also has large hoofs that are split, allowing it to travel in the desert sand without sinking in too deeply. In contrast, there are some animals that either dig burrows or remain immobile underneath plant shade or rocks to escape and avoid the heat.
Plant Adaptations
Plants are similar to animals in their development of survival mechanisms to adapt to desert climate. The main adaptations are their ability to conserve and store water and the ability to reduce water loss. Most desert plants are low shrubs with thorns, spines, and small leaves. The thorns and spines are not only used to protect the plant from hungry animals, but to also give the plant shade and prevent it from losing water vapor. Moreover, there are numerous plants that have an extensive underground root system that is far away from the trunk in order to maximize the amount of rainfall that is collected.
Historical State of the Ecosystem
One big desert region covers a vast majority of the interior of Australia. While in the past these areas have been dangerous to visit, however, the desert region is becoming increasingly popular for tourists trying to visit somewhere new.
Historically, the ecosystem has changed very little over time. Australia was first settled in the middle of the 19th century, and it was soon found out that horses were of little use for traveling in the harsh conditions of the desert. Covering 70% of the main land of Australia, a new way was needed to be able to explore the majority of the newfound continent (1). Bringing in cameleers, called Afghan Cameleers, the outback was able to be explored. These cameleers were crucial in building up some of the initial infrastructure of the outback such as its railways, and they served in bringing the contractors supplies needed for building along with food and water (3).
The main reason the deserts of Australia exist is their location. Like most deserts in the world, these occur around thirty degrees south of the equator. Moisture collects at the equator, moves south towards the tropic savannah region of northern Australia, rain falls, and dry air sinks creating a desert below this region. This being said, there has been slight human impact on the ecosystem due to global warming. While climate change has meant that Australia in general is experiencing a drought, the desert is experiencing the most rain it has ever gotten! (2)
With more rain in the desert, the feral camels brought from India, Arabia, and Afghanistan were able to reproduce at higher levels than ever before. These animals were causing a disruption in the native ecosystems of the Outback. With the population growing at a rate that would double every 10 years, something had to be done to stop this rapid growth. In 2008 the government issued a culling order to reduce the total population from one million to three hundred thousand (4). Hopefully, this will allow for the native ecosystems to continue to prosper, and with the increasing rainfall government intervention might need to become a common place in the deserts of the Australian Outback.
Historically, the ecosystem has changed very little over time. Australia was first settled in the middle of the 19th century, and it was soon found out that horses were of little use for traveling in the harsh conditions of the desert. Covering 70% of the main land of Australia, a new way was needed to be able to explore the majority of the newfound continent (1). Bringing in cameleers, called Afghan Cameleers, the outback was able to be explored. These cameleers were crucial in building up some of the initial infrastructure of the outback such as its railways, and they served in bringing the contractors supplies needed for building along with food and water (3).
The main reason the deserts of Australia exist is their location. Like most deserts in the world, these occur around thirty degrees south of the equator. Moisture collects at the equator, moves south towards the tropic savannah region of northern Australia, rain falls, and dry air sinks creating a desert below this region. This being said, there has been slight human impact on the ecosystem due to global warming. While climate change has meant that Australia in general is experiencing a drought, the desert is experiencing the most rain it has ever gotten! (2)
With more rain in the desert, the feral camels brought from India, Arabia, and Afghanistan were able to reproduce at higher levels than ever before. These animals were causing a disruption in the native ecosystems of the Outback. With the population growing at a rate that would double every 10 years, something had to be done to stop this rapid growth. In 2008 the government issued a culling order to reduce the total population from one million to three hundred thousand (4). Hopefully, this will allow for the native ecosystems to continue to prosper, and with the increasing rainfall government intervention might need to become a common place in the deserts of the Australian Outback.
Human Impact
While the desert of the outback takes up 70% of the mainland, most of the population is confined to the coastal areas of Australia. The Australians living in the arid zones make up 1% of the entire countries population with about 180,000 people in combination with the Australians living in semi arid zones that make up a mere 2% of the population with about 394,000 people (3). Permanent desert residents such as the Aboriginal people as well as a migrant population of mostly white miners, government agency workers and service personnel inhabit the desert outback. With such a small percentage of the population living there, the geographic footprint of the area is relatively small.
Some impacts are they introduce fire, for hunting and warmth, which is not a natural part of the desert ecosystem and disrupts the natural balance of the indigenous plants of the ecosystem. They also introduce foreign industries to the area such as converting land into pastoral areas, mines which create pollution, and military bases that disrupt the natural habitat (3). They have also introduced invasive species such as camels, donkeys, the cane toad, and the European rabbit, that are killing trees, over-grazing and making other species go endangered, and are consuming part of the limited water supply. Another impact is “off roading” which causes pollution, trail damage, erosion, species extinction, habitat destruction, and noise pollution (6). The last major impact is tourism, where visitors dump non-biodegradable waste in the deserts causing harmful effects such as extinction to flora and fauna, and pollution being released into soil, groundwater, and the air.
Some impacts are they introduce fire, for hunting and warmth, which is not a natural part of the desert ecosystem and disrupts the natural balance of the indigenous plants of the ecosystem. They also introduce foreign industries to the area such as converting land into pastoral areas, mines which create pollution, and military bases that disrupt the natural habitat (3). They have also introduced invasive species such as camels, donkeys, the cane toad, and the European rabbit, that are killing trees, over-grazing and making other species go endangered, and are consuming part of the limited water supply. Another impact is “off roading” which causes pollution, trail damage, erosion, species extinction, habitat destruction, and noise pollution (6). The last major impact is tourism, where visitors dump non-biodegradable waste in the deserts causing harmful effects such as extinction to flora and fauna, and pollution being released into soil, groundwater, and the air.
Future of the Outback
Australia is one of the few remaining large natural areas remaining on the planet. In fact, the Australia leads all countries in number of mammal and reptile species (4). This vast ecosystem, however, is in danger.
A combination of wildfires, invasive weeds, and feral animals are huge threat to the longevity of the desert ecosystem of the Australian Outback. A recent study shows that all native mammals in Australia will be extinct in the next 10 to 20 years (7). With the small amount of the population living in the desert, there are not enough people to properly care for such a vast proportion of the continent. In order to help rectify this, many organizations have been created to help look out for this ecosystem.
To help protect the outback in general, the Wild Australia Program has joined forces with The Nature Conservatory in order to use conservation approaches that care for the region as a whole (4). In addition, the state government issued the Wild Rivers Act which will stop intrusive mining and irrigation on the Cooper Creek, one of the three main rivers in the Outback (4). The other two are the Georgina and the Diamantina which are not protected yet. By protecting these rivers, the heavy rains will continue to cause flooding across the vast landscape resulting in an explosion of life when they come. Also, certain species of birds from around the world migrate to Australia in order to breed, and these rivers are a main reason for their appearance.
In conclusion, the Australian Outback has not been impacted by human life too badly yet, however, human intervention is going to be needed if we want to preserve one of the most vast areas of wildlife still on the planet today. With areas starting to become protected, more individuals and organizations getting involved, and the government also helping, the future is bright for Australian deserts. If global warming, and the increasing levels of rainfall, do not have an effect too great for preservation groups and the government to offset, then the Outback isn't going anywhere. Action is required though because at the rate things are currently going, the native animals are going to be displaced by the ferrel ones that were introduced with the humans that settled Australia.
A combination of wildfires, invasive weeds, and feral animals are huge threat to the longevity of the desert ecosystem of the Australian Outback. A recent study shows that all native mammals in Australia will be extinct in the next 10 to 20 years (7). With the small amount of the population living in the desert, there are not enough people to properly care for such a vast proportion of the continent. In order to help rectify this, many organizations have been created to help look out for this ecosystem.
To help protect the outback in general, the Wild Australia Program has joined forces with The Nature Conservatory in order to use conservation approaches that care for the region as a whole (4). In addition, the state government issued the Wild Rivers Act which will stop intrusive mining and irrigation on the Cooper Creek, one of the three main rivers in the Outback (4). The other two are the Georgina and the Diamantina which are not protected yet. By protecting these rivers, the heavy rains will continue to cause flooding across the vast landscape resulting in an explosion of life when they come. Also, certain species of birds from around the world migrate to Australia in order to breed, and these rivers are a main reason for their appearance.
In conclusion, the Australian Outback has not been impacted by human life too badly yet, however, human intervention is going to be needed if we want to preserve one of the most vast areas of wildlife still on the planet today. With areas starting to become protected, more individuals and organizations getting involved, and the government also helping, the future is bright for Australian deserts. If global warming, and the increasing levels of rainfall, do not have an effect too great for preservation groups and the government to offset, then the Outback isn't going anywhere. Action is required though because at the rate things are currently going, the native animals are going to be displaced by the ferrel ones that were introduced with the humans that settled Australia.
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