Natural features of Australia. Fauna of Australia Fauna and flora of western australia

Vegetation and rainfall

Obviously, the distribution of individual plant groups depends on the microclimate and soils, but the distribution of large Australian plant zones (at the level of formation types) reveals a close relationship with the average annual precipitation. A striking feature of the Australian climate is the presence of an arid center of the mainland, from which the amount of precipitation consistently increases towards the periphery. Accordingly, the vegetation also changes.

1. Average annual amount rainfall less than 125 mm. Developed sandy deserts. Hard-leaved perennial grasses of the genera Triodia and Spinifex dominate.

2. The average annual rainfall is 125–250 mm. These are semi-arid regions with two main types of vegetation. a) Shrub semi-desert - open areas dominated by representatives of the genera Atriplex (quinoa) and Kochia (prutnyak). Native plants are exceptionally drought tolerant. The area is used for sheep pastures. b) Arid scrub on sandy plains or bedrock outcrops on remnant hills. These are dense thickets of low-growing trees and shrubs with a predominance of various kinds acacias. The most widely used mulga scrub is made from veinless acacia (Acacia aneura). Both types of vegetation are characterized by the exuberant development of annual plants after infrequent rainfall.

3. The average annual rainfall is 250–500 mm. There are two main types of vegetation here. In the south, where precipitation falls only in winter months, malli scrub is common. These are dense thickets dominated by various shrubby eucalyptus trees, which form several trunks (coming from one underground root) and bunches of leaves at the ends of branches. In the north and east of Australia, where rain falls mainly in summer, grasslands are common with a predominance of representatives of the genera Astrebla and Iseilema.

4. The average annual rainfall is 500–750 mm. Savannahs are presented here - open park landscapes with eucalyptus trees and a grass-forb lower tier. These areas were intensively used for grazing and growing wheat. Cereal savannahs are sometimes found on more fertile soils and in the zone of sclerophyllous (hard-leaved) forests.

5. The average annual rainfall is 750–1250 mm. For this climate zone sclerophilic forests are typical. They are dominated by different types of eucalyptus, forming a dense forest stand, and a dense undergrowth of hard-leaved shrubs is developed, and the grass cover is sparse. On the more arid margin of this zone, forests give way to savanna woodlands, and on the more humid margin, to tropical rainforests. Relatively dry sclerophyllous forests are characterized by the highest concentration of typical Australian species. These forests are an important source of hardwood timber.

6. Average annual rainfall over 1250 mm. Wet rainforests confined to areas with big amount sediments and soils, usually developed on basaltic rocks. The species composition of trees is very diverse, without clearly defined dominants. Characterized by an abundance of vines and dense undergrowth. These forests are dominated by species of Indo-Melanesian origin. In the more southerly temperate forests, the role of the Antarctic element of the flora intensifies (see below).

Floristic analysis

In Australia, approx. 15 thousand species of flowering plants, and about 3/4 of them are indigenous local. Even J. Hooker in the Introduction to the Flora of Tasmania (J.D. Hooker, Introductory Essay to the Flora of Tasmania, 1860) pointed out that three main elements played a decisive role in the development of the Australian flora: Antarctic, Indo-Melanesian and local Australian.

Antarctic element

This category includes groups of species common to the southeast of Australia, New Zealand, the subantarctic islands and the southern Andes. South America. Examples of genera with such ranges are Nothofagus, Drimys, Lomatia, Araucaria, Gunnera, and Acaena. Their representatives were also found in fossil remains of the Paleogene age on the now ice-covered island of Simor and on Graham Land (Antarctic Peninsula). Such plants are not found anywhere else. It is believed that they or their ancestors originated at a time when Australia was part of Gondwana. When this supercontinent broke up into parts that moved to their current positions, the ranges of representatives of the Antarctic flora turned out to be very fragmented. However, it is clear that these plants had a wide distribution in Australia in the Paleogene, since Nothofagus and Lomatia were found in the Oligocene deposits of South Australia and Victoria, along with such Australian genera as Eucalyptus, Banksia and Hakea. Currently, this element of flora is best represented in temperate forests. Sometimes the term "antarctic element" refers to larger groups of plants currently found only in the southern hemisphere and which are common to South Africa and Australia, such as the genera Caesia, Bulbine, Helichrysum and Restio. However, Australia's links with South Africa appear to be more distant than those with South America. There is an opinion that closely related plants found in the first two regions descended from common ancestors who migrated there from the south.

indo-melanesian element

These are plants common to Australia, the Indo-Malay region and Melanesia. Floristic analysis reveals two distinct groups: one is of Indo-Malay origin, the other is of Melanesian origin. In Australia, this element includes the paleotropical representatives of many families, especially the tropical herbaceous, and is closely related to the flora of the Asian continent, especially India, the Malay Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago.

australian element

It includes genera and species that are found only in Australia or are most common there; there are few endemic families, and their role is insignificant. Typical Australian flora concentrated in the southwest and southeast of the mainland. The southwest is rich in characteristic Australian families: about 6/7 of them are best represented in this area, and the rest in the southeast. Whether this element really formed in situ or whether it comes from older paleotropic or Antarctic migrants is difficult to ascertain. In any case, it is clear that some groups of modern plants are found exclusively in Australia.

The importance of native plant species to humans has only recently come to be recognized, although many of them have been eaten by indigenous Australians for thousands of years. For example, macadamia ternifolia (Macadamia ternifolia) has been widely cultivated in Australia since the 1890s for its tasty nuts (in Hawaii it is cultivated to an even greater extent and is known as the "Queensland nut"). Gradually, in Australia, the cultivation of such plants as the local species of ficus (Ficus platypoda), santaluma (Santalum acuminatum, S. 1anceolatum), gray eremocitrus, or desert lime (Eremocitrus glauca), Australian capers (Capparis sp.), various so-called. n. "desert tomatoes" from the genus nightshade (Solanum sp.), small-flowered basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), local mint species (Prostanthera rotundifolia) and many other cereals, root crops, fruits, berries and herbaceous plants.

Australia forms the main part of the Australasian zoogeographical region, which also includes Tasmania, New Zealand, New Guinea and the adjacent islands of Melanesia and the Malay Archipelago west of the Wallace Line. This imaginary line, limiting the distribution of typical Australian fauna, goes north between the islands of Bali and Lombok, then along the Makassar Strait between the islands of Kalimantan and Sulawesi, then turns to the northeast, passing between the islands of Sarangani in the Philippine archipelago and Miangas Island. At the same time, it serves as the eastern border of the Indo-Malayan zoogeographic region.

mammals

There are 230 species of mammals known in Australia. Three of them are monotreme oviparous, about 120 are marsupials, bearing their young in “pockets” on their belly, the rest are placental, in which embryonic development ends in the uterus.

The most primitive order of mammals now in existence is the monotremes (Monotremata), which are not found in other parts of the world. The platypus (Ornithorhynchus), with a duck-like beak, is covered with fur, lays eggs and feeds the hatchlings with milk. Thanks to the efforts of Australian conservationists, this species is relatively abundant. Its closest relative, the echidna (Tachyglossus), looks like a porcupine but also lays eggs. The platypus is found only in Australia and Tasmania, while the echidna and the closely related prochidna (Zaglossus) are also found in New Guinea.

The kangaroo, the well-known symbol of Australia, is far from being a typical marsupial. The animals of this order of mammals are characterized by the birth of immature cubs, which are placed in a special bag, where they carry on until they can take care of themselves.

The fact that marsupials have long lived in Australia is evidenced by the fossil remains of a giant wombat (Diprotodon) and a carnivorous marsupial "lion" (Thylacoleo). On the whole, the less adapted groups of mammals were slowly pushed aside. southern continents as more aggressive groups emerge. As soon as the monotremes and marsupials retreated to Australia, the connection of this region with the Asian continent was cut off, and both groups were spared competition from placentals better adapted to the struggle for survival.

Isolated from competitors, marsupials have split into many taxa, differing in animal size, habitat, and adaptation. This differentiation took place largely parallel to the evolution of placentals on the northern continents. Some of the Australian marsupials look like carnivores, others look like insectivores, rodents, herbivores, etc. With the exception of American opossums (Didelphidae) and peculiar South American coenolesidae (Caenolesidae), marsupials are found only in Australasia.

Predatory marsupials (Dasyuridae) and bandicoots (Peramelidae) with 2–3 low incisors on each side of the jaw belong to the group of multi-incisors. The first family includes marsupial martens (Dasyurus), marsupial devils (Sarcophilus) and arboreal brush-tailed marsupial rats (Phascogale), which feed on insects, etc. The latter genus is widely distributed throughout Australasia. A close relative of predatory marsupials is the marsupial wolf (Thylacinus cynocephalus), which was widespread in Tasmania at the beginning of the era of European settlement, but is not found anywhere else, although there is evidence of its presence in prehistoric time in Australia and New Guinea. Despite problematic sightings in some areas, most experts consider the species to be extinct as it was extirpated by hunters and the last specimen died in captivity in 1936. from a group that unites predatory marsupials and a marsupial wolf. The bandicoot family (Peramelidae), distributed throughout Australasia, occupies the same ecological niche as insectivores (Insectivora) on the northern continents.

Two-incisor marsupials, distinguished by the presence of only one pair of low incisors, are known more widely than multi-incisor ones. Their distribution is limited to Australasia. Among them are the families of climbing marsupials (Phalangeridae), which includes the body, or brushtails (Trichosurus); dwarf couscous (Burramyidae), including the pygmy flying couscous (Acrobates pygmaeus), which can slip between trees and climb up to 20 m, and marsupial flying squirrels (Petauridae), numbering several species. Everyone's favorite koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), looking like a funny miniature bear cub and chosen as an emblem Olympic Games 2000 in Sydney, belongs to the family of the same name. The wombat family (Vombatidae) includes two genera - long-haired and short-haired wombats. These are rather large animals that look like beavers and are found only in Australia. Kangaroos and wallabies, belonging to the kangaroo family (Macropodidae), are common throughout Australasia. The large gray, or forest, kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), the most numerous member of this family, lives in light forests, while the gigantic red kangaroo (M. rufus) is distributed on the plains in the interior of Australia. Open habitats are characteristic of rock kangaroos (Petrogale sp.) and pygmy rock kangaroos (Peradorcas sp.). Tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus) are interesting, in which the limbs are adapted for climbing trees and jumping.

The fact that marsupials have long lived in Australia is confirmed by the findings here of the fossil remains of a giant wombat (Diprotodon) and a predatory "marsupial lion" (Thylacoleo).

Before the advent of Europeans, placental mammals were represented in Australia by bats and small rodents, which probably entered there from the north. The former include numerous genera of both fruit bats (Megachiroptera) and bats(Microchiroptera); flying foxes (Pteropus) are especially notable. Rodents, including anisolis (Anisomys), rabbit rats (Conilurus), earless rats (Crossomys), and Australian water rats (Hydromys), probably traveled across the sea on their fins. Man and dingoes (Canis dingo) were the only large placentals, and dingoes were most likely brought to Australia by humans about 40,000 years ago.

Australia's ecological balance was greatly disturbed by the introduction of exotic placental mammals after the arrival of Europeans. Rabbits, accidentally introduced in the 1850s, and livestock began to destroy native vegetation in much of Australia, which - albeit on a smaller scale - were also contributed by wild boars, goats, buffaloes, horses and donkeys. Foxes, cats and dogs competed with local animals and often hunted them, which led to their extermination in various parts of the mainland.

The avifauna of Australia includes many very valuable and interesting views. Of the flightless birds, the emu (Dromiceius novaehollandiae) and the helmeted or common cassowary (Casuarius casuarius), confined to northern Queensland, are found here. The Australian mainland is replete with different types of ducks (Casarca, Biziura, etc.). Found predator birds: wedge-tailed eagle (Uroaetus audax), Australian kite (Haliastur sphenurus), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and Australian hawk (Astur fasciatus). Weed chickens (Leipoa) are very peculiar, constructing mounds-"incubators"; shrub bigfoot (Alectura); gazebos (Ailuroedus, Prionodura) and birds of paradise (Paradisaeidae), honeyeaters (Meliphagidae), lyrebirds (Menura). The variety of parrots, pigeons and ducks is great, but vultures and woodpeckers are completely absent.

reptiles

Australia is home to many reptiles including snakes, crocodiles, lizards and turtles. Only snakes here are almost 170 species. The largest of poisonous snakes- taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus), and the Queensland python (Python amethystinus) reaches a length of about 6 m. Crocodiles are represented by two species - combed (Crocodilus porosus), which attacks people and kills them, and Australian narrow-nosed (C. johnsoni); both of them live in northern Australia and New Guinea. Turtles about 10 species - from the genera Chelodina and Emydura. Among more than 520 species of Australian lizards, legless lizards (Pygopodidae), found in Australia and New Guinea, and large monitor lizards (Varanidae), reaching a length of 2.1 m, deserve attention.

The fauna of Australia is characterized by the complete absence of tailed amphibians (Urodela) and the diversity of frogs and toads. Among the Australian toads of the subfamily Criniinae, morphologically the most primitive of true toads, the genera Crinia, Mixophyes and Helioporus are typical, and there are 16 of them in the region.

In Australia ca. 230 types of local freshwater fish, but there are no carp, carps, salmon and few catfish. Most representatives of freshwater ichthyofauna descended from marine ancestors - cod-like (Oligorus), perch-like (Percalates, Plectoplites, Macquaria), terapone (Therapon), herring (Potamalosa), half-fish (Hemirhamphus) and goby (Gobiomorphus, Carassiops). There are, however, two notable exceptions, the lung-breathing horntooth (Neoceratodus) and the bone-tonguing Scleropages. In Australia and New Zealand there are a number of species of Galaxias (Galaxias), as well as Gadopsis (Gadopsis).

Invertebrates

The invertebrate fauna of Australia includes at least 65,000 species of insects, some of which are very peculiar.

Bibliography

For the preparation of this work, materials from the site http://www.krugosvet.ru/ were used.

The differences between the areas of relict and young endemics are illustrated by the diagram: An indispensable condition for the existence and preservation of endemism is isolation. And the longer the isolation persists, the higher the degree of endemism in flora and fauna, the more peculiar the biota. Therefore, the proportion of endemism on the islands and in the high-altitude mountain zones is understandable: Caucasus - 25% Mountains of Central Asia -30% Japan - 37% Canary Islands -45% ...

The waters dwell a large number of aquatic life dangerous to humans. One of the most dangerous is, perhaps, the geographic cone1. 13. Australian Sports and Cultural Events Australia's tourist attractions include sports events. Adelaide hosts an annual Formula 1 race at the Australian Grand Prix; Melbourne - Australian Open...

Orogeny, there was a rise of platforms and regression of the sea. In some areas, the climate became drier, but still remained warm and mild, even at high latitudes. The Mesozoic stage in the development of life on Earth and the evolution of the biosphere ended with the Cretaceous period. It was during this period that one of the most extensive transgressions of the Phanerozoic occurred. The maximum development of transgression accounted for approximately...

Species, including hare, hare, wild rabbit, tolai, Manchurian hare. Separate types adapted for fast running, digging, swimming, climbing. Widespread throughout, with the exception of the island of Madagascar, southern regions South America and Antarctica. Lead an active, solitary lifestyle; do not have permanent shelters. They breed up to 4 times a year. There are 2-8 (up to 15) cubs in a litter. Cubs appear on...

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. A characteristic feature of 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.

The vegetation of Australia and Oceania is very peculiar.

This is especially true of Australia, which for a long period geological history developed in isolation from other parts the globe.

The composition of the Australian flora is dominated by elements that are not found in other parts of the world.

The geological features of the development of the Australian flora determined its main features: antiquity and a high degree of endemism. In terms of the number of endemic plants, the Australian region has no equal on the globe - 75% of the species growing within it are endemic.

Australia's main types of vegetation

Vegetation maps of Australia, built using remote sensing, show that the dominant types of vegetation in Australia are turf-grass steppes (occupying 18% of the area), eucalyptus woodlands (12%) and acatniki (11%).

The largest five types of vegetation in terms of area occupied are not associated with forests - these are steppes, shrubs, scrubs and savannas.

Over the past 200 years, eucalyptus sparse forests have reduced their area the most due to anthropogenic pressure.

Other reduced vegetation types are mallee woodlands and scrubs, eucalyptus bleached woods and acacia woodlands and woodlands. The vegetation types occupying the smallest area (less than 2% all together) are rain forests and creepers, tall eucalyptus light forests, forests and woodlands or cypress pine, closed low forests and closed high shrubs, mangroves, low eucalyptus woodlands.

For general idea On the distribution of vegetation, we give a rough diagram of the vegetation of Australia.

1 - woodlands and malli scrubs

2 - urban areas

3 - shrub communities of different types

4 - fields and improved pastures

5 - savannas

6 - clarified and closed forests

7 - mangroves

8 - turf steppes and meadows

9 - deserted steppes with sparse shrub savannahs

Eucalyptus is a miracle tree.

And what other tree could have been born on the amazing land of the Green Continent. Eucalyptus trees are special in that they can adapt to the conditions of frequent fires in Australia (they recover quickly).

Eucalyptus trees are able to disinfect the air, grow quickly and drain wetlands. In the humid eastern regions of Australia, you can see the regal eucalyptus. These are very tall trees: eucalyptus at the age of 350-400 years reaches a height of 100 meters.

Eucalyptus wood is very dense, heavy (sinks in water) and does not rot. Eucalyptus absorbs and evaporates 320 liters of moisture from the soil per day (for comparison, birch - 40 liters).

It is always light in eucalyptus forests, because the leaves of this tree turn in parallel with the falling rays of the sun. This helps the tree retain moisture. It is easy to breathe in the eucalyptus forest - the air is filled with the fresh smell of essential oils. And they are known to kill various harmful bacteria.

Australians respect eucalyptus for its unusual love of life - frequent fires that occur in the country's dry climate are not able to destroy green spaces. Eucalyptus trees crack in the fire, and after a few days, shoots begin to grow violently from the cracks.

Eucalyptus trees have a weapon against pests: their leaves contain a whole cocktail of odorous monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and formylated phloroglucinol derivatives. And, as it turned out, the proportion between the components of the odorous mixture in the tree is different for different branches and for different leaves, the tree had a genetic mosaic. That is, in different parts of it, different genes worked to produce a working mixture. So, even if the insects almost completely exterminated the leaves, the tree still had resources to continue photosynthesis, growth and reproduction.

Also very common are trees with thickened trunks, in which a store of moisture accumulates, represented by several species of the genus Strecularia, the so-called "bottle trees".

bottle tree

(Latin name Brachychiton rupestris) are trees native to Australia. The area of ​​​​their distribution covers the entire central and northern parts of the mainland.

Height bottle tree rarely exceeds 15 meters. At the soil, the diameter of the trunk is one and a half - two meters. The trunk begins to branch high above the ground. Outwardly, the tree trunk resembles a bottle or a flask. The foliage of the bottle tree is quite densely covered with a few branches. The leaf is small, only 8 centimeters long.

But it was not the external similarity with the bottle that gave the name to the plant, the fact is that the bottle tree has two chambers inside the trunk. One of them (it is located closer to the root system) is filled with water, which the root absorbs during the rainy season. The second chamber (it is located above the first) is filled with juice, which in its consistency resembles a thick syrup. This sweet juice is quite edible and tasty. The plant uses the accumulated water in hot and dry periods.

eucalyptus savannas characterized by a large distance between trees, so that the landscape is dominated by steppe or shrub vegetation types. They are found mainly in arid areas on plains and foothills, sometimes on rocky slopes. In southern Australia, many savannahs have been cleared for fields or pastures. In northern Australia, livestock is grazed in the eucalyptus savannas. Most of these savannahs are located on the lands of the traditional nature management of aboriginal communities and therefore are characterized by good condition.

Desert spinifex steppes are formed by perennial grasses that form cushion-like clumps - Triodia spp. and spinifex Plechrachne spp. (both are often called spinifex).

Spinifexes are evergreen, perennial, hard-leaved grasses that grow on loose sands and rocky soils, forming sparse but dense bushy turfs. After seasonal or cyclone rain between spinifex (and growing through cushions) numerous colorful annuals appear, ephemeral and short lived. Steppes run along hilly or slightly undulating plains on sandy or skeletal soils in semi-arid and arid regions of Australia, but not only inland: for example, they are common on the limestones of Barrow Island in Western Australia.

Vegetation of the tropical deserts of Western and South Australia

Surface Great Sandy Desertelevated above sea level to a height of 500–700 m.

The usual form of relief is latitudinal sand ridges running from east or southeast to west.

The Great Sandy Desert is characterized by red sandy desert soils. They are developed on eolian ridges of red sands.

Coarse and medium-grained sands with the inclusion of coarse gravel and crushed stone predominate.

The region is characterized by steppes dominated by the Basedow triodia Triodia basedowii. Significant areas are covered with light forests and savannahs, mainly eucalyptus with an admixture of Acacia aneura malga.

Spinifex, or Basedow's Triodia basedowii, is a common grass of the deserts of Australia, forming desert steppes and ground cover in savannahs and light forests.

Old individuals form rings up to 20 m in diameter. Triodia, growing on loose sands, fix them.

The so-called “Giles Corridor” runs through the entire Victoria Desert - a narrow strip of katniks, the only continuous contour of shrubs here. This corridor connects the Pilbara region of Western Australia with the Central Ranges, it passes through the region of Lake. Carnegie in the Victoria Desert and the southern part of the Gibson Desert.

One of the desert acacias, Acacia tetragonophylla, grows in the upper reaches of dry riverbeds and on the slopes of quartzite hills.

It is a shrub or tree 2–3 m tall with phyllodes instead of true leaves, which have long, sharp, spiny ends.

This acacia got its local name "finish" from the fact that it is last view, eaten by animals during a drought - it is too prickly.

Variable sclerolena Sclerolaena divaricata is another shrub from the family. Marevs (Chenopodiaceae), very prickly and common in the desert.

Many species of this family are rich in mineral salts.

Its leaves are succulent, glabrous, and the fruits are yellowish. Succulents (from Latin succulentus, “juicy”) are plants that have special tissues for storing water. As a rule, they grow in places with an arid climate.

Leafy succulents retain moisture in thick leaves.

Savannahs and Woodlands of Northern Australia

The tropical savannah region of the Arnhem Land Peninsula is a geographical landmark of northern Australia, which determines the entire structure of the ecosystems of the peninsula. Rivers flowing from the mountains to the coast are flooded during the summer monsoon, and have developed vast floodplains in the sandstones.

Most of the peninsula is covered by wet savannahs, combined with fragments of rainforests and shrubs on ledges of the sandstone massif. The sandstone massif has a highly endemic biota, including many rare plant species.

Cordyline southern (lat. Cordyline australis) is a New Zealand species of woody plants. Endemic to New Zealand. Grows on rocky open slopes and damp plains. James Cook called it "cabbage tree".

Young leaves are edible. The sap of the plant has anti-infective properties.

Cordilina southern has a high content of carbohydrates and, after cooking, becomes edible. For eight centuries, it has been an important source of food for the Maori.

Mangroves or mangroves

Where in the tropics the seashores are protected from huge waves of surf by nearby islands or coral reefs, or where rivers flow into the seas and oceans, one of the most peculiar plant formations of this zone develops - mangroves, mangrove forests, or mangroves. According to the descriptions of travelers, these are “trees growing in the sea”, in which at high tide only crowns rise above the water, and at low tide, bizarre respiratory roots, different in different species of these plants, become visible and bizarre.

Nepenthes, or pitcher (lat. Nepenthes) is the only genus of plants of the monotypic family Nepenthes, which includes about 120 species. In the east - New Guinea, Northern Australia and New Caledonia, the amazing Nepenthes (Nepenthes mirabilis) grows. Along with ordinary leaves, peculiar pitcher leaves are developed. In such leaves, the lower part of the petiole, closest to the stem, is flat, wide and green. Further, the petiole is transformed into a thin long tendril, wrapping around the branch of the host tree. At its end, formed by a leaf blade, hangs a jug for catching insects, somewhat reminiscent of an unusual bright flower. Different types of Nepenthes have jugs of different sizes, shapes and colors. Their length varies from 2.5 to 30 cm, and in some species it can reach 50 cm.

Grevillea parallel Grevillea cf. parallela is a tree from the Proteaceae family. State of Queensland, Australia.

Melaleuca bracteata is a plant of the family. Myrtle (Myrtaceae), Queensland, Australia.

Eremophila Fraser, Eremophila fraseri tarpentine is a shrub from the family. Myoporaceae (Myoporaceae). Eremophiles are extremely characteristic of the shrub communities of western Australia.

Keradrenia like Keraudrenia velutina is a shrub from the family. Sterculiaceae (Sterculiaceae), common in southwestern Australia.

During the flowering period, the desert grasslands and savannahs of Australia are spread with colorful carpets of the ubiquitous daisies and other field plants. From June to September, over 12,000 species of wildflowers bloom across Western Australia. From late August to mid-October, over 100 varieties of wildflowers can be found on Kangaroo Island in South Australia, many of which grow only here. As soon as snow melts in the Australian Alps, alpine meadows are covered with placers of silver and snow-white daisies, yellow daisies and pink stylidiums.

The unique Australian flora also boasts representatives of the Proteaceae family, such as Banksia, Grevillea and Telopea. About 80 percent of all plants, in particular all members of the Proteaceae family, growing in the southwest of Western Australia, are found nowhere else in the world. The wasteland that stretches along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria can be compared with very few areas of Australia in terms of orchids.

Esperance, Nullarbor and Coolgardie Plains in southwestern Australia

Andersonia large-leaved Andersonia parvifolia is a low shrub, common in Esperance, below 1 m tall from the family. Heathers (Ericaceae).

There are over 20 species in the genus. Under culture conditions, it can reach a height of 2 m or more. Characteristic of non-carbonate sands and pebbles throughout the Esperance Plain and in the Malli zone.

It quickly recovers after fires (in the second or fifth year).

Blooms mainly from August to October.

The pink astroflowered callithrix Calytrix duplistipulata is a common shrub for Esperance from the fam. Myrtle (Myrtaceae).

Typical of Mount Ridley and northern Esperance.

It usually forms compact clumps 1 m high, very often after clearing, felling or fires.

The bright pink flowers are about 2 cm in diameter.

Another type of callitriks Calytrix leschenaultii - has blue, purple, lilac or purple flowers with bright yellow stamens, red in maturity.

A species common to Western Australia, found mainly in non-forest (low shrub) communities, on non-carbonate sands or in the mallee zone.

The leaves of this shrub are so small (2 mm long) that it is literally not visible in the vegetation outside of the flowering period. Shrub height 0.6–1 m.

Dodonea Dodonaea lobulata is a shrub from the family. Sapindaceae (Sapindaceae) up to 3 m in height, distributed within a radius of 400 km around Kalgoorlie.

The species Dodonaea lobulata may be common in the Esperance region, but mostly on red-colored loams around low-altitude granite outcrops (within a radius of 20 m from them), as well as on fine limestones slightly overlying granites. This type of ecotopes is characteristic of the Malli zone and the northeast of the Esperance Plain. Dodonea fruits, similar to hops, are greenish-yellow at first, but quickly turn red and become scarlet as the fruit ripens.

Isopogon alcicornis is a strange-looking shrub from the family. Proteaceae (Proteaceae) with almost vertical olive-green long (up to 1.6 m long) leaves.

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 different species that 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 young 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 extremely specific living conditions in 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. The capital is Canberra. Area - 7682 thousand square meters. km. The share of the land area of ​​the globe is 5%. Population - 19.73 million people (2003). The population density is 2.5 people per 1 sq. km. km. The share of the world population is 0.3%. The highest point is Mount Kosciuszko (2228 m above sea level), the lowest is Lake. Air (16 m below sea level). The length of the coastline is 36,700 km (including Tasmania). The northernmost point is Cape York. The southernmost point is Cape Yugo-Vostochny. The easternmost point is Cape Byron. The westernmost point is Steep Point. Administrative division: 6 states and 2 territories. National holiday - Australia Day, 26 January. National Anthem: "Go Australia Beautiful!"

Mainland Australia is separated by Bass Strait 240 km wide from about. Tasmania in the southeast and the Torres Strait 145 km wide from about. New Guinea in the northeast. The shortest distance from Australia to Indonesia via the Timor Sea is 480 km, and to New Zealand via the Tasman Sea 1930 km.

Australia extends 3180 km from north to south and 4000 km from east to west, or from 10°41 to 43°39S. and from 113°9 to 153°39 E This is the smallest continent: its total area, including the island of Tasmania, is 7682.3 thousand square meters. km. Length coastline 36,700 km. In the north, the Gulf of Carpentaria juts deep into the land, and in the south, the Great Australian Gulf.

Although the Australian mainland is one of the oldest in the world, it long time was isolated from other land masses and therefore many unique animals have survived there, including various marsupials (for example, kangaroos and koalas) and egg-laying ones (platypus and echidna).

Probably, the first settlers of Australia migrated from the north 40-60 thousand years ago. Europeans discovered this continent only at the beginning of the 17th century. England declared it its colony in 1770. The first English settlement was founded in 1788.

The descendants of the indigenous people were moved during the colonial period to special areas - reservations, and their number is currently approx. 375 thousand people, or 2% of the total population of the country. Currently, Australia has almost 19 million people, of whom 72% are Anglo-Celts, 17% are other Europeans and 6% are Asians. About 21% of current Australians are not native to this country and another 21% are descendants of second-generation immigrants who have at least one parent who was not a native of this country.

Australia is highly developed Agriculture and mining industry and is one of the main suppliers of coal, gold, wheat and iron ore to the world market. The manufacturing industry is also highly developed, but it is mainly focused on the domestic market. Australia imports a lot of cars, equipment (computers, communications equipment, and other products of the chemical industry).

Australia has a federal system of government. A national government was created in 1901 on the basis of an agreement to form a federation of six states. Among them are New South Wales (area 801.6 thousand sq. km; population 6.3 million people), Victoria (227.6 thousand sq. km and 4.6 million people), Queensland (1727.2 thousand sq. km and 3.4 million people), South Australia (984 thousand sq. km and 1.5 million people), Western Australia (2525.5 thousand sq. km and 1.8 million people ) and Tasmania (67.8 thousand sq. km and 0.5 million people). There are also two territories which, according to the constitution, are under the jurisdiction of the central government, but are acquiring ever greater rights of self-government, approaching the level of the states. These are the Northern Territory (1346.2 thousand sq. km and 0.2 million people) and the Australian Capital Territory (2.4 thousand sq. km and 0.3 million people), where the city of Canberra is located - the capital of the country and seat of government.

Australia owns the Cocos Islands and Christmas Island Indian Ocean, Norfolk, Lord Howe and Coral Sea Islands in pacific ocean, Heard and McDonald Islands in Antarctic waters. Australia owned the southeastern part of New Guinea (the territory of Papua) and ruled northeastern part of this island (UN Trust Territory New Guinea) until 1975, when both territories became the independent state of Papua New Guinea. Australia claims land in Antarctica with a total area of ​​6120 thousand square meters. km, which, however, is not recognized by the parties to the 1961 Antarctic Treaty.

Australia is an unusually compact landmass. Since the processes of mountain building during the last few geological periods were not as active there as on many other continents, the mountains that formed during the earlier periods were subjected to strong weathering and erosion. 75% of the territory of the mainland is located in the altitude range from 150 to 460 m above sea level. and only 7% are raised more than 600 m. The general range of heights ranges from 16 m below sea level. at Lake Eyre up to 2228 m a.s.l. on the town of Kosciuszko in the Snowy Mountains in the southeast of New South Wales.

Geological history.

Many facts convince us that for most of the geological history, Australia, along with South America, Africa, Antarctica and India, was part of the large "supercontinent" Gondwana. About 160 million years ago, Gondwana split into parts, and its fragments, which became the continents, "moved" to their current positions. Thus, during a long early period, the evolution of the continent proceeded in full accordance with the development of other land masses in the Southern Hemisphere.

The western part of the Australian mainland is made up of one of the six ancient stable shields of the Earth, formed at the end of the Precambrian (more than 570 million years). Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks are represented here, partly overlain by younger sandstones, shales and limestones. At the end of the Precambrian eastern outskirts the shield formed a long trough - the Adelaide geosyncline, where sediments were discharged during the early Paleozoic. In the Precambrian, gold, uranium, manganese, iron and other ores were deposited.

At the beginning of the Paleozoic era (570-225 million years), a chain of mountains formed at the site of the Adelaide geosyncline - the core of the Flinders Range, and a much larger Tasmanian geosyncline formed at the site of the mountains of Eastern Australia. Thick strata accumulated in this trough in the Paleozoic various rainfall, although sedimentation was sometimes interrupted by local mountain building accompanied by volcanism. Some parts of the shield were sometimes also subjected to marine transgressions. The Permian period (280–225 Ma) was of particular importance, since then thick coal seams accumulated in the Bowen and Sydney basins and most of the ore deposits of Eastern Australia were formed, containing gold, tin, silver, lead and copper.

During the Mesozoic era (225-65 million years), the mountains of Eastern Australia rose on the site of the Paleozoic marine basins. Between this elevated land in the east and the shield in the west - where the Central Lowlands are now located - there was a wide sea strait in which thick layers of interbedded sandstones and shales were deposited. A slight uplift in the Jurassic (190-135 million years) led to the creation of a number of such isolated basins as Carpentaria, Great Artesian, Murray and Gipsland. In the Cretaceous (135–65 Ma), these lowlands and some parts of the shield were flooded by shallow marine basins. Mesozoic era played an important role, since sandstone strata accumulated at that time, which became the aquifers of the Great Artesian Basin, and in other areas - reservoirs of oil and natural gas; at the same time, layers of bituminous coal were formed in the basins in the east of the mainland.

In Cenozoic time (the last 65 million years), the main contours of the mainland took shape, although the Central Lowlands remained partially flooded by the sea until the end of the Paleogene (about 25 million years). At this time there were eruptions of volcanoes, located in a chain from Bass Strait to northern Queensland, and as a result, huge masses of basaltic lava poured out over a large part of Eastern Australia. Due to a slight uplift at the end of the Paleogene, the development of marine transgressions on the mainland ceased, and the latter acquired a connection with New Guinea and Tasmania. Further changes in the earth's surface in the Neogene predetermined the current appearance of the mainland, in the state of Victoria and in the east of Queensland there were outpourings of basalts, some manifestations of volcanic activity continued in the Quaternary period, which began ca. 1.8 million years ago.

The most important events of this period are associated with fluctuations in the level of the World Ocean, due to changes in the volume of ice sheets in other parts of the world. The ocean level dropped so much that land bridges were established between Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. He reached current situation approximately 5000-6000 years ago. With the rise in the level of the World Ocean, the valleys of many coastal rivers were flooded, and subsequently the best ports of Australia were created there. The Great Barrier Reef, the largest in the world, was also formed in the Quaternary period, stretching for 2000 km from north to south from Cape York along the east coast of Queensland. The lignite deposits of southeastern Victoria and the thick deposits of bauxite were formed in the Tertiary period.

natural areas.

The appearance of the landscapes of Australia is mainly determined by vast monotonous plains and plateaus, less common undulating hills and dissected table plateaus, as well as marshy river valleys, which often dry up completely. As a result of geological development, Australia was clearly divided into three unequal physiographic regions. More than half of the entire area of ​​​​the mainland is occupied by the Western Plateau with a leveled surface, worked out mainly in ancient granite and metamorphic rocks. The mountains of Eastern Australia, covering one sixth of the area of ​​the mainland, are distinguished by the most diverse and rugged relief. Between these two areas are the Central Lowlands, a wide open corridor of approx. 2.6 million sq. km, stretching from the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Gulf of Spencer.

western plateau, sometimes called the Australian Shield, includes all of Western Australia, nearly all of the Northern Territory, and over half of South Australia. Most of the deserts and salt lakes, mysterious rocks and bizarre hills, as well as many mines are located here. This region is sparsely populated. Its most striking feature is the monotonous nature of the relief, the result of prolonged weathering and erosion. Most of the plateau is located at altitudes from 300 to 900 m above sea level, and many peaks are isolated remnants, remnants of denuded strata. The highest point is Mount Zeal (1510 m) in the McDonnell Mountains. The coastal plains are discontinuous and usually narrow. At least half of this vast area receives less than 250 mm of precipitation per year, and only in the northern and southwestern fringes does the amount of precipitation exceed 635 mm. Due to the scarcity of precipitation and the general flattening of the relief in the inner parts of the region, there are very few rivers, and even those that exist do not reach the sea. Numerous lakes shown on maps are usually dry salt marshes or clayey crusts, centers of inland drainage basins. Most rivers, even confined to the outskirts of the mainland, dry up and are characterized by significant seasonal fluctuations in flow.

The inner part of the region is predominantly a flat or slightly undulating surface, occasionally interrupted by rocky ridges and remnants. There are four most deserted areas: the Great Sandy Desert, the Tanami Desert, the Gibson Desert and the Great Victoria Desert. There are thousands of parallel ridges of red sand from 9 to 15 m high and up to 160 km long. The most significant landforms in the interior of the area are the McDonnell Mountains in Alice Springs County and the Musgrave Mountains on the border of the Northern Territory and South Australia. The most famous peaks located to the west and northwest of the Musgrave Mountains are Olga, Ayers Rock and Conner. On most of the Western Plateau, the vegetation cover is sparse and consists mainly of grasses, tree-like acacias and desert shrubs; after a rain, herbaceous vegetation begins to grow for a short time.

The southern margin of the plateau is the Nullarbor Plain, composed of thick strata of almost horizontal marine limestone up to 245 m thick. Steep, often sheer limestone ledges with a relative height of up to 60 m begin near Cape Fowler in South Australia and extend to the west for more than 965 km. This plain extends inland for 240 km, gradually rising to almost 300 m. The flat surface of the Nullarbor Plain can be traced along the transcontinental railway, which is perfectly straightened for 480 km. The area receives only 200 mm of precipitation per year, which easily seeps into the limestone. There are no lakes and surface runoff, but thanks to underground runoff, bizarre labyrinths of caves and underground galleries have formed, furrowing limestone. Due to the lack of water and the scarcity of vegetation, the Nullarbor Plain is one of the most deserted corners of the mainland. Located within the Northern Territory, the Barkley Plateau with an area of ​​129.5 thousand square meters. km - another significant leveled surface, at least in some places underlain by limestone. In fact, it is a wide open gently undulating plain with an average height of 260 m. Approx. 380 mm of precipitation. This is enough for the existence of natural pastures - the basis of an extensive livestock farming.

The most dissected relief within the shield is the Kimberley region in the north of Western Australia, where high ridges, intensely crumpled into folds, receive more than 750 mm of precipitation per year. The peninsula of Arnhem Land (Northern Territory), which is an uplifted block broken by unusually long and straight fissures, is also heavily dissected, although most of it is located at altitudes below 300 m. The vegetation in both areas is eucalyptus forests interspersed with extensive savannahs.

There are two regions on the Western Plateau that have an important economic importance. The southwestern outskirts is the only part of the shield where the climate and soils are favorable for the development of agriculture. They raise sheep and grow wheat, fruits, grapes and vegetables. It supplies agricultural products to Perth, the only major city on the entire plateau. Pilbara, located at a distance from the coastal settlements of Dampier and Port Hedland, is an elevated, highly dissected part of the plateau with an average height of about 750 m. Huge reserves of high-quality iron ore are concentrated here.

Mountains of Eastern Australia.

Along the eastern coast of Australia from Cape York to central Victoria and further to Tasmania, inclusive, there is an elevated strip with a width of 80 to 445 km and an area of ​​1295 thousand square meters. km. The traditional name - the Great Dividing Range - does not correspond to reality, because there is no continuous ridge, only occasionally forms similar to ridges are found, and nowhere are there truly significant heights. Although in fact it is in this region that the main watershed of the mainland, which has a submeridional strike, is located, in many places it is poorly expressed in the relief. With the exception of the Cape York Peninsula, the bedrock of the area originated from sediments deposited in the Tasmanian geosyncline from the Early Paleozoic to the Cretaceous and overlain by thick volcanic sequences.

Within the mountains of Eastern Australia, the heights fluctuate greatly and reach their lowest values ​​​​on the coastal plain, which continuously frames the east and southeast coasts. The width of these plains everywhere, except for the estuarine sections of the rivers, does not exceed 16 km. Low hills often rise above the surface, and between the plain and the steep, seaward slopes that mark the edge of the mountains, there is often a pronounced zone of hills several kilometers wide. The outer mountain slopes are much steeper than the slopes facing inland, and in some places such side spurs rise very close to the Pacific coast, ending in steep capes. In the north, the highest points are on the eastern edge of the Atherton Plateau, where the top of Bartle Freer reaches 1622 m. However, south of these places, up to Brisbane, there are very few heights above 600 m above sea level, and the average background of the elevations does not exceed 300 m. Then the heights increase again to about 1500 m in the New England range and are about 750 m in the Blue Mountains, and in the Snowy Mountains they reach 2228 m, the highest on the mainland.

The mountains of Eastern Australia have two distinct runoff systems. Most of the rivers flowing to the ocean coast have a constant flow. Many of them start to the west of the axial zone of the mountains, and their drainage basins have a complex configuration. Some rivers have carved deep gorges, and there are favorable opportunities for the construction of reservoirs and power plants. South of Toowoomba on the opposite side of the mountains, the westward flowing rivers form part of the mainland's largest drainage basin, the Murray and Darling. They begin less than 160 km from the eastern coast, and many of them have a constant current only in the upper reaches.

On the Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost part of the Eastern Australian Highlands, the watershed is located 25–30 km from the eastern coast at altitudes of 500–600 m. Vegetation is mainly dense eucalyptus forests interspersed with dense rainforests.

The northernmost leveled surface of the mountainous region, the Atherton plateau with an area of ​​​​31 thousand square meters. km, rises to the west of Cairns. The transition from the surface of the plateau with altitudes of 900–1200 m to the tropical coastal plain is characterized by steep slopes, and moisture-carrying winds blowing from the ocean bring quite a lot of precipitation to this area. On its dissected surface, fertile volcanic soils are developed, on which dense moist forests. Until now, areas of forests made of valuable hardwoods have been preserved here. However, most of them have been cut down, and the surface of the plateau has been cultivated.

South of the Atherton Plateau, the watershed deviates inland, but its average heights are only approx. 600 m up to the Hughenden area, where any resemblance to the highlands is lost. Then, for over 800 km, the watershed is the farthest from the eastern coast of Australia (more than 400 km). The Bowen Basin has a large concentration of coking coal. To the west of Toowoomba, fertile volcanic soils spread within the gently undulating Darling Downs favor crop production. This is the most developed agricultural area of ​​Queensland.

For 525 km between Toowoomba and the Hunter Valley, the band of mountains of Eastern Australia widens and their height rises. Here is the New England Plateau, the largest and most dissected of the plateau-like uplifts in the mountain strip. Its area is approx. 41.4 thousand sq. km. The flattened hilly surface in some places rises to 1600 m above sea level. Within the plateau, the watershed is 70–130 km from the eastern coast, and the distance from the highest points to the sea does not exceed 32 km. The descent to the narrow and often hilly coastal plain is steep, the slopes are covered with moderately humid forest. Most of the primary eucalyptus forests and meadows have been cleared for pasture.

The blue mountains with steep eastern slopes rise above the coastal plain of Cumberland, located to the west of Sydney. Under the influence of erosion of the Shoalhaven and Hawkesbury rivers, picturesque gorges and waterfalls were formed. This area, still largely covered by dense eucalyptus forests, is of great recreational importance. The main part of the mountains is 1200–1350 m above sea level. removed 160 km from the coast and concentrated around the city of Bathurst, which occupies a wide basin. Further south, the lower mountains are concentrated around the city of Goulburn. Canberra is located on the southern edge of a rolling plateau, most of which is used for sheep pasture.

The highest part of the mountains of Eastern Australia forms an arc of 290 km south and southwest of Canberra. Although this area is called the Australian Alps, even its highest peaks, rising above 1850 m, are simply the remnants of ancient structures that rise above the steps of a heavily dissected plateau. However, in some places the surface has a very rugged character. The Snowy Mountains are the only area on the mainland that receives significant snowfall every year. It is home to the Snowy Mountains waterworks system, which supplies water for power generation and irrigation of the Murray and Murrumbidgee valleys. On the slopes of the mountains facing inland, the forests of the lower belt have been cut down, and the vacated land is widely used for sheep pastures, while in the upper belt of mountains and on the steep slopes facing the sea, dense eucalyptus forests still remain. The upper border of the forest here reaches 1850 m above sea level, alpine meadows spread higher. To the south of the main belt of mountains in the state of Victoria is the Gippsland region - a heavily dissected zone of foothills, once covered with dense temperate forest. Most of this area is now used for arable land and pastures. Nevertheless, the sawmill industry is still developed here. In Victoria, a strip of mountains stretches from east to west almost to the border with the state of South Australia, with heights everywhere of about 900 m. This is a thriving area for livestock and wheat growing.

Tasmania, along with the large islands in Bass Strait, is a continuation of the East Australian mountain range. This is a hilly plateau with average heights from 900 to 1200 m, above which individual peaks rise another 150–395 m. There are several large shallow lakes and many small ones on the plateau, some lakes are used for hydroelectric purposes. The central plateau is surrounded by dissected areas cut by rivers that originate in the hinterland; individual southwestern areas are almost unexplored. Dense temperate forests grow in the west and south, but have been cleared along the north coast and in the low-lying corridor between Launceston and Hobart. Fruit is grown on the island, mainly apples, and sheep are raised.

Central lowlands.

Approximately one third of the entire area of ​​Australia is occupied by the Central Lowlands, which form a wide open corridor between the mountains of Eastern Australia and the Western Plateau. Structurally, this is a system of depressions filled with sedimentary strata that overlap deeply submerged crystalline basement rocks. Along the periphery of the lowlands, and in some places within the lowlands themselves, are the ridges of Mount Lofty, Flinders and the Great Dividing Range. These are the remains of ancient mountain structures, around which younger sediments were deposited. The flatness of the relief and the lack of precipitation are the most striking features of the lowlands. They very rarely rise above 300 m above sea level, and in many places do not reach even 150 m. The highest areas are where the lowlands approach the Flinders Range and the mountains of Eastern Australia. The area of ​​about 10.4 thousand square meters. km around Lake Eyre, including the lake itself, is located below sea level. The surface of the lowland is mostly monotonous and slightly undulating; only flat-topped and steeply sloping erosional remnants rise several tens of meters above it. Most of this region receives less than 380 mm of precipitation annually, and in the driest region of Australia - in the vicinity of Lake Eyre - the average annual precipitation does not exceed 125 mm. Low watersheds divide the lowlands into three main basins. In central Queensland, a vaguely defined watershed ridge stretches from the mountains of Eastern Australia to the Western Plateau, separating the plain off the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria from the basin of Lake Eyre. Further east, an equally low watershed separates the Murray and Darling Basins.

The flat and flat Carpentary Lowland has a clear boundary in the west with the rugged Cloncurry-Mount Isa region, composed of highly mineralized basement rocks, and in the east with the mountains of Eastern Australia. At a distance of about 480 km south of the Gulf of Carpentaria, the southern border of the plain is a low watershed ridge. The Gilbert, Flinders, Leikhardt rivers, having gentle longitudinal profiles, flow into the bay. During floods, large areas of the plain are flooded. The soils of the region are favorable for the growth of eucalyptus woodlands and meadows. This plain receives the most rainfall of any other part of the Central Lowlands. At the same time, on the watershed, the average annual precipitation is 380 mm, and on the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria - 970 mm. The coastal plain is mainly used for pasture for cattle.

South of the watershed, the lowlands cover southern Queensland and northeastern South Australia. Their greatest length from north to south is approximately 1130 km, and from west to east - 1200 km. All this vast territory is characterized by internal runoff and is divided into several drainage basins. The largest of them is the basin of Lake Eyre with an area of ​​1143.7 thousand square meters. km. It includes most of the Simpson Desert and is fed by numerous intermittent rivers. The slopes here are so small that the rivers literally spread out on the surface, and then reappear, sometimes under a different name. In this way, Thomson and Barco, starting in the mountains of Eastern Australia, give rise to Cooper Creek, Diamantina with the main tributaries Hamilton and Georgina turn into Warburton. Rarely, runoff from the Western Plateau can reach Lake Eyre via the Makamba and Niles rivers. Usually these streams are a labyrinth of dry channels, bordered by thickets of eucalyptus. Randomly occurring deep sections of channels form valuable permanent catchment funnels. Runoff in such channels is not every year. But when this happens, there is no doubt a connection with tropical rainfall, sometimes very intense, falling in the higher regions located to the north and east. The resulting floods are widely dispersed throughout the area, and it can take weeks before the water flows downstream. Such floods cause abundant growth of grasses on pastures, but this is only a temporary phenomenon that cannot be counted on. The lowlands, located at the junction of South Australia and Queensland, are used for pasture, and the area around Lake Eyre remains in a de facto natural state. A significant part of this area is part of the Great Artesian Basin, and there pastures are provided with water.

In the southeastern part of the Central Lowlands is the Murray and Darling Basin, which is the mainland's largest drainage system. It is a vast low-lying area, drained by rivers with very irregular flows. Despite the large area of ​​drained land (1072.8 thousand sq. km) and the large length of the main rivers, the volume of runoff in this system is small. The Murray and Darling Rivers, originating in the mountains of Eastern Australia, flow west and southwest through low-lying areas where precipitation is low and evaporation is high. These factors, combined with intensive meandering of the channels, lead to a decrease in discharges in most of the river flow.

The area drained by the Darling River is mainly used for sheep pasture, but in the eastern parts, sheep farming is combined with crop farming. The Riverine area, located between the Lachlan and Murray rivers, along with land along the lower Murray and its tributaries in Victoria, is Australia's most important livestock and grain farming area. The relief and soils there are favorable for large-scale irrigation. The largest areas of irrigated land are concentrated between the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan rivers (the Murrumbidgee irrigation system), in the part of the Murray Basin located in New South Wales (the Riverine irrigation system) and in Victoria (the Goulburn-Campaspe-Loddon system). In addition, there are several small areas of irrigated land on the lower reaches of the Murray. In these areas, cattle are bred and fruits, grapes and vegetables are grown. With the introduction of the Snowy Mountains hydropower system, an additional transfer of runoff to the Murray and Murrumbidgee basin was carried out, and there it was possible to expand the area of ​​irrigated land. However, water is still not enough to irrigate all the lands.

Because much of the mainland receives little rainfall, and the main watershed is shifted closer to the east coast, Australia's drainage systems have an unusual configuration. This continent is distinguished by a very small river runoff. Most of the rivers in Australia dry up. Those that start in the mountains of Eastern Australia, as well as the rivers of Tasmania, have a constant flow all year round, but many rivers flowing to the west dry up during the dry season. Slightly more than half of the entire continent belongs to inland drainage basins, and the flow there is negligible, and the boundaries of the drainage basins are not clearly defined.

Rivers.

The main river artery of Australia, Murray, together with large tributaries Darling, Murrumbidgee and Goulburn, drains an area of ​​1072.8 thousand square meters. km in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. The headwaters of large tributaries are 200 km from the east coast and merge to form the main rivers, which flow in winding, often meandering channels to the sea. The Murray, originating in the Snowy Mountains, flows into Encounter Bay in South Australia. Its total length is 2575 km, including the lower 970 km accessible to small craft. Sandbanks blocking the mouth of the river serve as an obstacle to the entry of ships. Murrumbidgee (length 1690 km) begins in the Cooma region and flows into the Murray. The flow of the Murray and Murrumbidgee is regulated by the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric system. The tributaries of the Darling drain all of the western slopes of the mountains of Eastern Australia in northern New South Wales and parts of southeast Queensland. The main Darling River, 2740 km long, flows into the Murray at Wentworth. Dams built on this river and several of its major tributaries regulate the flow, except during the most severe droughts.

Slightly more than half of the mainland has a disconnected flow or belongs to the internal drainage basins. On the Western Plateau, the runoff is disjointed, and the streams existing there function rarely and for a short time, and end in temporary lakes or swamps confined to drainless basins. Large territory in Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia with an area of ​​1143.7 thousand square meters. km belongs to the Lake Eyre basin, one of the world's largest inland flow basins. major rivers of this basin, Georgina, Diamantina, and Cooper Creek are characterized by very low slopes and are usually labyrinths of dry, intertwining channels, but after rains they can overflow for many kilometers in width. The waters of these rivers very rarely reach Lake Eyre: in 1950 its basin was filled for the first time since the colonization of the mainland by Europeans.

Since the flow of Australian rivers is extremely variable, their use is difficult. Sites suitable for the construction of dams are few, especially in the interior, and large reservoirs are needed to ensure a permanent water supply. Water losses due to evaporation are also significant, especially in the most arid areas. Only in Tasmania is the flow quite constant in all seasons.

Lakes.

Most of the lakes in Australia are waterless basins covered with salt-bearing clays. In those rare cases when they are filled with water, they are silty salty and shallow water bodies. There are many such lakes on the Western Plateau in Western Australia, but the largest of them are in South Australia: Lake Eyre, Torrens, Gairdner and Frome. Numerous lagoons with brackish or salt water are developed along the southeastern coast of Australia, separated from the sea by sandbars and ridges. The largest freshwater lakes are in Tasmania, where some of them, including Great Lake, are used for hydroelectric purposes.

The groundwater.

Groundwater supply is vital to many rural areas in Australia. The total area of ​​basins with groundwater reserves exceeds 3240 thousand square meters. km. These waters mostly contain dissolved solids that are harmful to plants, but in many cases the water is suitable for watering livestock.

The Great Artesian Basin, the largest in the world, in Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales and the Northern Territory covers an area of ​​1,751.5 thousand square meters. km. Although the groundwater is often very warm and highly mineralized, the area's sheep breeding depends on it. Smaller artesian pools are found in Western Australia and southeast Victoria.

Atmospheric circulation.

As a compact land mass, Australia influences the wind regime, but the winds bring little rainfall. The mainland is mainly subtropical zone high pressure, whose axis is approximately 30 ° S, and during most of the year dry winds blow from the center of the mainland; this situation is most clearly manifested in winter (from May to September). summer area low pressure developed over the Kimberley region in the northwest, where warm, moist winds called monsoons rush from the Timor and Arafura seas. At the same time, in the northern regions of Australia, winds blow almost all year round, and it is one of the driest coastal regions on Earth. In winter, cyclones pass over the southern outskirts of the mainland and Tasmania. The east coast north of Newcastle is in the path of the southeast trade winds, which bring in moist air; when this air rises on the slopes of the mountains of Eastern Australia, abundant precipitation often occurs. Occasionally, tropical cyclones (hurricanes) from the northeast penetrate here, causing considerable disaster on the east coast between Cooktown and Brisbane. These fast-moving cyclone systems also hit the northwest coast between Derby and Port Hedland, where they are known as 'willy-willies'. In 1974, around Christmas, during the passage of Cyclone Tracy, the city of Darwin was almost completely destroyed.

Precipitation.

Australia deservedly enjoys the reputation of an arid continent. Almost 40% of its area receives less than 250 mm of precipitation per year and about 70% - less than 500 mm; the latter value usually denotes the limit below which crops cannot be grown without irrigation. The driest region is around Lake Eyre in South Australia, where less than 125 mm of precipitation falls annually over several thousand square kilometers. A much larger area in central Australia may not experience significant rainfall for several consecutive years.

Areas that receive a lot of precipitation are small in area and are confined to places where moist air rises above orographic barriers. A record high rainfall of 4500 mm per year falls in a small area near Tully in Queensland, where moist air rises over the eastern slope of the Atherton Plateau. Only coastal areas in the extreme north, east and southeast of the mainland, its southwestern margin and Tasmania are provided with average annual precipitation of more than 500 mm. Snow falls regularly only in two areas: at altitudes above 1350 m in the Australian Alps in Victoria and New South Wales and at altitudes above 1050 m in the mountains of Tasmania. In some years, there are snowfalls on the New England Plateau. Snowfalls in the Australian Alps are of great economic importance, as they contribute to the accumulation of water, which then enters the Snowy Mountains hydropower system, and serve as the basis for the development of tourism. A long-term trend towards a decrease in the thickness and duration of snow cover in the Australian Alps is clearly expressed, which may be due to global climate change.

Much of Australia shows significant seasonal variation in rainfall patterns. Throughout the north of the Tropic of Capricorn, as well as along the entire east coast south to the border of Victoria, most of the precipitation falls in the summer (December - March). In the far north of the mainland, it happens that more than 85% of precipitation occurs in the first three months of the year. In the southern part of Australia and on the west coast north of Exmouth Bay, precipitation is clearly associated with the winter months. For example, in Perth, 85% of precipitation falls between the beginning of May and the end of September. During the dry months, there may indeed be no rain.

A large part of Australia is also characterized by a large variability in precipitation, i.e. V given year deviations from the mean statistical indicator both sides can be significant. Above-normal deviations can be associated with local floods, and below-normal deviations with natural disasters, especially where precipitation is generally low annually. Catastrophic situations arise when the amounts are below the norm for several years in a row. Droughts are widespread in the interior of Australia.

Temperatures.

Australia is usually considered a hot continent, but in fact it is cooler than in many areas of other continents located at the same latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. Seasonal temperature fluctuations are generally small. It is usually cooler on the coast and in the mountains, especially in the southeast, than in the interior. The north, and in particular the northwest coast, is the hottest area.

In summer, from December to March, average daily temperatures in Australia usually exceed 32 ° C and often reach 38 ° C. In the interior, they can sometimes stay above 41 ° C. Strong winds blowing from the interior can bring very warm air to the south and east coasts, and then for several days in a row there is hot weather. average temperature January in Darwin 29 ° C, Melbourne 20 ° C, Sydney 22 ° C, Alice Springs (in the center of the mainland) 28 ° C, Perth 23 ° C.

Although very low temperatures are not typical in Australia, few places are frost free in winter, and in the southeast frosts affect crops and forage grasses. The main frost free areas are the Northern Territory and Queensland north of the Tropic of Capricorn, and the entire coast north from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Brisbane on the east coast. Most of the mainland averages 300 or more frost-free days. In the mountains of New South Wales and Victoria, the Australian Alps and most of Tasmania, frost occurs at any time of the year. Average July temperatures in the southeast are 9°C in Melbourne and 12°C in Sydney. In the north, this figure is 12 ° C in Darwin, and in the center of the mainland 25 ° C in Alice Springs.

A significant part of the surface deposits of Australia was formed from rocks of the Tertiary age. These deposits are ancient, they lack many of the substances necessary for plant nutrition. The weathering products of these deposits provide the source material for younger soils, which also inherit the deficiency of many nutrients. Climate, along with age, plays an important role in the development of Australian soils. Here, their general concentric distribution from the wetter regions of the east coast to the arid central regions is evident. Much of Australia's soil is not particularly fertile due to intense leaching. There is often a lack of phosphorus and nitrogen, and in many areas, including those with regular rainfall, even the micronutrients needed for plant nutrition are insufficient. Only through the application of fertilizers and the planting of leguminous plants did a significant part of the previously unproductive land acquire fertile soils.

The soils of the humid zone occupy about 9% of the mainland area. They are widely represented in the mountains of Eastern Australia, including Tasmania, up to the border of Queensland in the north, in the coastal strip between Brisbane and Cairns and in most of the Cape York Peninsula. The most common are leached podzolic soils. Although they are often nutrient deficient, they are the most important class of Australian soils, as they form where there is high regular rainfall. They are widely used for high-quality pastures, and when applying nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers - for growing crops. There are very fertile krasnozems (red-colored soils). Despite their patchy distribution, they are widely used in sugarcane, fodder crops, peanuts, vegetables, corn and other grains. The largest range of red soils is located between Tully and Cooktown, where the main crop is sugarcane.

Soils formed under seasonally wet conditions occupy only 5% of the mainland area. They are developed within an arcuate zone ranging from 160 to 640 km from the east coast and extending from east central Victoria to south Queensland. These soils were formed under drier seasonal conditions than the soils of the humid zone. They are not as heavily leached and are usually fertile. The most large group soils - chernozems of the northern part of New South Wales and southern Queensland, characterized by dry winters. They are widely used for growing wheat, sorghum and maize in wetter areas (such as the Darling Downs area) and for grazing in drier areas. Red-brown and brown soils are developed in areas with dry summers - in Victoria and southern New South Wales. These are the most suitable soils in Australia for growing crops, especially wheat, and for quality pasture.

Three groups of soils in the semiarid zone occupy 18% of the mainland area. Heavy gray and brown soils form the largest group and are common in the famous wheat region of Wimmer (western Victoria), in the Riverine region of New South Wales, where due to low infiltration rates the soils are ideal for rice cultivation, in the upper parts of the Darling (New South) watersheds. Wales) and Eyre Lakes (central Queensland), where the soils form the basis for the extensive development of sheep farming, and on the Barkley Plateau, an important area for cattle breeding. Brown soils are found in many large but unproductive wheat areas in southwestern New South Wales, Victoria, South and Western Australia. Brown soils of light composition are common in central New South Wales and the Norman River basin in Queensland, and also fragmentarily in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Shrubs usually grow there. Soils are mainly used for pastures.

The largest soil group in Australia is the soils of the arid zone, occupying 42% of the mainland area. They can only be used for pastures, mainly for cattle. The most productive are desert loamy areas overgrown with twigs and quinoa in South Australia and northwestern New South Wales and arid red soils, widespread in southern central Queensland, northern New South Wales and northern South Australia, where dense forests are associated with them. thickets of acacias with herbs in the ground layer. Of intermediate importance for grazing are the carbonate desert soils developed in a broad belt extending from Lake Frome across the Nullarbor Plain, and the red-brown soils with compacted cemented interbeds in the west-central part of Western Australia. Dense thickets of acacias, shrubs and ephemeral grasses grow on these soils. Such areas serve as pastures for sheep and cattle. Very little or little use is made of the vast areas of rocky deserts, sand flats and sand ridges that form the backbone of central Australia.

Some soil groups in Australia are weakly related or not related at all to modern climatic conditions. Among such soils, lateritic podzols are of the greatest economic importance, since they are common where precipitation occurs fairly regularly. Initially, in these soils there was a lack of phosphorus and nitrogen, therefore, when used for pastures, superphosphate and microelements were introduced, and clover was also sown. The largest of the soil groups considered (little related to climatic conditions) are skeletal soils (young and unweathered), most commonly found in the Pilbara, Kimberley and Arnhem Land regions.

Soil erosion is a major problem in many parts of Australia, mainly due to the rather delicate balance between vegetation cover and erosion. This is especially evident in arid and semi-arid regions, where the natural vegetation cover is very sparse and its restoration is slow. Under these conditions, overgrazing leads to powerful wind erosion and soil salinization. In the wetter southeastern regions, the cultivation of crops and the clearing of forests for grasslands have contributed to significant development of planar and linear erosion. Over the past decades, the federal and state governments have taken steps to prevent erosion, but the positive effect has not been achieved everywhere.

Vegetation and precipitation.

Obviously, the distribution of individual plant groups depends on the microclimate and soils, but the distribution of large Australian plant zones (at the level of formation types) reveals a close relationship with the average annual precipitation. A striking feature of the Australian climate is the presence of an arid center of the mainland, from which the amount of precipitation consistently increases towards the periphery. Accordingly, the vegetation also changes.

1. The average annual rainfall is less than 125 mm. Developed sandy deserts. Hard-leaved perennial grasses of the genera predominate. Triodia And Spinifex.

2. The average annual rainfall is 125–250 mm. These are semi-arid regions with two main types of vegetation. a) Shrub semi-desert - open areas dominated by representatives of genera Atriplex(swan) and Kochia(rod). Native plants are exceptionally drought tolerant. The area is used for sheep pastures. b) Arid scrub on sandy plains or bedrock outcrops on remnant hills. These are dense thickets of low-growing trees and shrubs with a predominance of various types of acacias. The most widespread mulga-scrub with veinless acacia ( Acacia aneura). Both types of vegetation are characterized by the exuberant development of annual plants after infrequent rainfall.

3. The average annual rainfall is 250–500 mm. There are two main types of vegetation here. In the south, where precipitation falls only in the winter months, malli scrub is common. These are dense thickets dominated by various shrubby eucalyptus trees, which form several trunks (coming from one underground root) and bunches of leaves at the ends of branches. In the north and east of Australia, where rain falls mainly in summer, grasslands are common with a predominance of representatives of the genera Astrebla And Iseilema.

4. The average annual rainfall is 500–750 mm. Savannahs are presented here - open park landscapes with eucalyptus trees and a grass-forb lower tier. These areas were intensively used for grazing and growing wheat. Cereal savannahs are sometimes found on more fertile soils and in the zone of sclerophyllous (hard-leaved) forests.

5. The average annual rainfall is 750–1250 mm. Sclerophilic forests are typical for this climatic zone. They are dominated by different types of eucalyptus, forming a dense forest stand, and a dense undergrowth of hard-leaved shrubs is developed, and the grass cover is sparse. On the more arid margin of this zone, forests give way to savanna woodlands, and on the more humid margin, to tropical rainforests. Relatively dry sclerophyllous forests are characterized by the highest concentration of typical Australian species. These forests are an important source of hardwood timber.

6. Average annual rainfall over 1250 mm. Tropical rainforests are confined to areas with high rainfall and soils usually developed on basaltic rocks. The species composition of trees is very diverse, without clearly defined dominants. Characterized by an abundance of vines and dense undergrowth. These forests are dominated by species of Indo-Melanesian origin. In the more southerly temperate forests, the role of the Antarctic flora element increases ( cm. below).

Floristic analysis.

In Australia, approx. 15 thousand species of flowering plants, and about 3/4 of them are indigenous local. More J. Hooker in An introduction to the flora of Tasmania(J.D. Hooker, Introductory Essay to the Flora of Tasmania, 1860) pointed out that three main elements played a decisive role in the development of the Australian flora: Antarctic, Indo-Melanesian and local Australian.

Antarctic element. This category includes groups of species common to the southeast of Australia, New Zealand, the subantarctic islands and the southern Andes of South America. Examples of genera with such ranges are − Nothofagus, Dreamys, lomatia, Araucaria, gunnera And Acaena. Their representatives were also found in fossil remains of the Paleogene age on the now ice-covered island of Simor and on Graham Land (Antarctic Peninsula). Such plants are not found anywhere else. It is believed that they or their ancestors originated at a time when Australia was part of Gondwana. When this supercontinent broke up into parts that moved to their current positions, the ranges of representatives of the Antarctic flora turned out to be very fragmented. However, it is obvious that these plants were widespread in Australia in the Paleogene, since in the Oligocene deposits of South Australia and Victoria, Nothofagus And lomatia along with such Australian families as Eucalyptus, Banksia And hakea. Currently, this element of flora is best represented in temperate forests. Sometimes the term "antarctic element" refers to larger groups of plants currently found only in the southern hemisphere and which are common to South Africa and Australia, such as the genera Caesia, bulbine, helichrysum And Restio. However, Australia's links with South Africa appear to be more distant than those with South America. There is an opinion that closely related plants found in the first two regions descended from common ancestors who migrated there from the south.

Indo-Melanesian element.

These are plants common to Australia, the Indo-Malay region and Melanesia. Floristic analysis reveals two distinct groups: one is of Indo-Malay origin, the other is of Melanesian origin. In Australia, this element includes the paleotropical representatives of many families, especially the tropical herbaceous, and is closely related to the flora of the Asian continent, especially India, the Malay Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago.

australian element includes genera and species that are found only in Australia or are most common there; there are few endemic families, and their role is insignificant. Typical Australian flora is concentrated in the southwest and southeast of the mainland. The southwest is rich in characteristic Australian families: about 6/7 of them are best represented in this area, and the rest in the southeast. Whether this element really formed in situ or whether it comes from older paleotropic or Antarctic migrants is difficult to ascertain. In any case, it is clear that some groups of modern plants are found exclusively in Australia.

The importance of native plant species to humans has only recently come to be recognized, although many of them have been eaten by indigenous Australians for thousands of years. For example, macadamia trifoliate ( Macadamia ternifolia) has been widely cultivated in Australia since the 1890s for its tasty nuts (it is cultivated to an even greater extent in the Hawaiian Islands and is known as the "Queensland nut"). Gradually, the cultivation of plants such as the local species of ficus ( Ficus platypoda), santalumas ( Santalum acuminatum, S. 1anceolatum), eremocitrus bluish, or desert lime ( Eremocitrus glauca), Australian capers ( Capparis sp.), various so-called. "desert tomatoes" from the genus Nightshade ( Solanum sp.), small-flowered basil ( Ocimum tenuiflorum), a local mint species ( Prostanthera rotundifolia) and many other cereals, root crops, fruit, berry and herbaceous plants.

Australia forms the main part of the Australasian zoogeographical region, which also includes Tasmania, New Zealand, New Guinea and the adjacent islands of Melanesia and the Malay Archipelago to the west of the Wallace Line. This imaginary line, limiting the distribution of typical Australian fauna, goes north between the islands of Bali and Lombok, then along the Makassar Strait between the islands of Kalimantan and Sulawesi, then turns to the northeast, passing between the islands of Sarangani in the Philippine archipelago and about. Miangas. At the same time, it serves as the eastern border of the Indo-Malayan zoogeographic region.

Mammals.

There are 230 species of mammals known in Australia. Three of them are monotreme oviparous, about 120 are marsupials, bearing cubs in “pockets” on their belly, the rest are placental, in which embryonic development ends in the uterus.

The most primitive of the currently existing orders of mammals are monotremes ( Monotremata) that are not found in other parts of the world. platypus ( Ornithorhynchus), with a duck-like beak, is covered with fur, lays eggs and feeds the hatched cubs with milk. Thanks to the efforts of Australian conservationists, this species is relatively abundant. Its closest relative is the echidna ( Tachyglossus) is similar to a porcupine, but also lays eggs. The platypus is found only in Australia and Tasmania, while the echidna and the closely related prochidna ( Zaglossus) are also found in New Guinea.

The kangaroo, the well-known symbol of Australia, is far from being a typical marsupial. The animals of this order of mammals are characterized by the birth of immature cubs, which are placed in a special bag, where they carry on until they can take care of themselves.

The fact that marsupials have long lived in Australia is evidenced by the fossil remains of a giant wombat ( Diprotodon) and carnivorous marsupial "lion" ( Thylacoleo). In general, less adapted groups of mammals were slowly pushed back to the southern continents as more aggressive groups appeared. As soon as the monotremes and marsupials retreated to Australia, the connection of this region with the Asian continent was cut off, and both groups were spared competition from placentals better adapted to the struggle for survival.

Isolated from competitors, marsupials have split into many taxa, differing in animal size, habitat, and adaptation. This differentiation took place largely parallel to the evolution of placentals on the northern continents. Some of the Australian marsupials look like carnivores, others look like insectivores, rodents, herbivores, etc. With the exception of American opossums ( Didelphidae) and peculiar South American coenolests ( Caenolesidae), marsupials are found only in Australasia.

Predatory marsupials ( Dasyuridae) and bandicoot ( Peramelidae) with 2–3 low incisors on each side of the jaw belong to the multi-incisor group. The first family includes marsupial martens ( Dasyurus), marsupial devil ( Sarcophilus) and arboreal brush-tailed pouched rats ( Phascogale), eating insects, etc. The latter genus is widely distributed throughout Australasia. A close relative of predatory marsupials is the marsupial wolf ( Thylacinus cynocephalus), which was widespread in Tasmania at the beginning of the era of European settlement, but is found nowhere else, although there is evidence of its presence in prehistoric times in Australia and New Guinea. Despite problematic sightings in some areas, most experts consider this species to be extinct because it was extirpated by hunters, and the last individual died in captivity in 1936. Marsupial anteater ( Myrmecobius) and marsupial mole ( Notoryctes), living in northern and central Australia, descended from a group of predatory marsupials and a marsupial wolf. Bandicoot family ( Peramelidae), distributed throughout Australasia, occupies the same ecological niche as insectivores ( insectivora) on the northern continents.

Two-incisor marsupials, distinguished by the presence of only one pair of low incisors, are known more widely than multi-incisor ones. Their distribution is limited to Australasia. Among them are the families of climbing marsupials ( Phalangeridae), which includes the body, or brushtails ( Trichosurus); dwarf couscous ( Burramyidae), including the dwarf flying couscous ( Acrobates pygmaeus), which can slip between trees and climb up to 20 m, and marsupial flying squirrels ( petauridae) of several species. Everyone's favorite koala Phascolarctos cinereus), which looks like a funny miniature bear cub and was chosen as the emblem of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, belongs to the family of the same name. wombat family ( Vombatidae) includes two genera - long-haired and short-haired wombats. These are rather large animals that look like beavers and are found only in Australia. Kangaroos and wallabies belonging to the kangaroo family ( Macropodidae) are distributed throughout Australasia. Large gray, or forest, kangaroo ( Macropus giganteus), the most numerous representative of this family, lives in light forests, while the red gigantic kangaroo ( M. rufus) is common in the plains of the interior of Australia. Open habitats are characteristic of rock kangaroos ( Petrogale sp.) and dwarf rocky kangaroos ( Peradorcas sp.). Interesting tree kangaroos ( Dendrolagus), whose limbs are adapted for both climbing trees and jumping.

The fact that marsupials have long lived in Australia is confirmed by the finds here of the fossil remains of a giant wombat ( Diprotodon) and the predatory "marsupial lion" ( Thylacoleo).

Before the advent of Europeans, placental mammals were represented in Australia by bats and small rodents, which probably entered there from the north. The former include numerous genera like fruit bats ( Megachiroptera) and bats ( Microchiroptera); flying foxes are especially notable ( Pteropus). Rodents, including anisolis ( Anisomys), rabbit rats ( Conilurus), earless rats ( crossomys) and Australian water rats ( Hydromys) were probably ferried across the sea on a fin. Man and dingo ( canis dingo) were the only large placentals, with dingoes most likely brought to Australia by humans about 40,000 years ago.

Australia's ecological balance was greatly disturbed by the introduction of exotic placental mammals after the arrival of Europeans. Rabbits, accidentally introduced in the 1850s, and livestock began to destroy native vegetation in much of Australia, which - albeit on a smaller scale - were also contributed by wild boars, goats, buffaloes, horses and donkeys. Foxes, cats and dogs competed with local animals and often hunted them, which led to their extermination in various parts of the mainland.

Birds.

Australia's avifauna includes many very valuable and interesting species. Of the flightless birds, emus are found here ( Dromiceius novaehollandiae) and the helmeted, or common, cassowary ( casuarius casuarius), confined to northern Queensland. The Australian mainland abounds with different types of ducks ( Casarca, Biziura and etc.). There are birds of prey: wedge-tailed eagle ( Uroaetus audax), Australian kite ( Haliastur sphenurus), peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus) and the Australian hawk ( Astur fasciatus). Very peculiar weed chickens ( Leipoa), constructing mounds - "incubators"; shrub bigfoot ( Alectura); pavilions ( Ailuroedus, Prionodura) and birds of paradise (Paradisaeidae), honeysuckers ( Meliphagidae), lyrebirds ( Menura). The variety of parrots, pigeons and ducks is great, but vultures and woodpeckers are completely absent.

Reptiles.

Australia is home to many reptiles including snakes, crocodiles, lizards and turtles. Only snakes here are almost 170 species. The largest of the poisonous snakes is the taipan ( Oxyuranus scutellatus), and the Queensland python ( Python amethystinus) reaches a length of about 6 m. Crocodiles are represented by two species - combed ( Crocodilus porosus), which attacks and kills humans, and the Australian narrow-nosed ( C. johnsoni); both of them live in northern Australia and New Guinea. Turtles about 10 species - from the genera Chelodina And Emydura. Among more than 520 species of Australian lizards, legless lizards (Pygopodidae), found in Australia and New Guinea, and large monitor lizards (Varanidae), reaching a length of 2.1 m, deserve attention.

Amphibians.

The fauna of Australia is characterized by the complete absence of tailed amphibians (Urodela) and the diversity of frogs and toads. Among the Australian toads of the subfamily Criniinae, morphologically the most primitive of true toads, the genera Crinia, Mixophyes And Helioporus, and there are 16 of them in the region.

Fish.

In Australia ca. 230 species of local freshwater fish, but no carps, carps, salmon and few catfish. Most representatives of the freshwater ichthyofauna descended from marine ancestors - cod-like ( Oligorus), perch-like ( Percalates, Plectoplites, Macquaria), terapone ( Therapon), herring ( Potamalosa), semi-finned ( Hemirhamphus) and gobies ( Gobiomogrhus, carassiops). There are, however, two notable exceptions - the lungfish horntooth ( neoceratodus) and bone tongue Scleropages. Australia and New Zealand are home to a number of galax species ( Galaxias), as well as gadops ( Gadopsis).

Invertebrates.

The invertebrate fauna of Australia includes at least 65,000 species of insects, some of which are very peculiar.

When thinking of Australia, kangaroos, koalas, wombats, platypuses, Ayers Rock and the Great Barrier Reef come to mind. For others, Australia is associated only with kangaroos and aborigines. And only a few know that Australia today is a highly developed state that is among the top ten countries in terms of key development indicators, including living standards. Not surprisingly, Australia is quickly coming to the fore of those thinking about immigration.