a bio-diverse area under threat biodiversity under threat learning intentions: to begin to build up...
TRANSCRIPT
A bio-diverse area under threat
BIODIVERSITY UNDER THREATLearning Intentions:
To begin to build up a case study on the Daintree RainforestTo identify the key aspects of the regionTo evaluate the biodiversity of the region
This is a CASSOWARY it’s my height - about 1.75 m tall!!!
It can ONLY be found in the Daintree forest It is severely threatened close to wild
extinction- only 500 left Vital to ecosystem as scatters seeds of over
100 species of plants Without this bird eating seeds and then
dropping them further away seeds would not spread through large areas of forest
It is a protected species and since 1999 numbers have increased from 54 to 500 in wild!
Why worry about me?Surely there are more important things in the
world
The Daintree forest lies on the North East coast of Australia in the area called Queensland, it's a part of the larger area known as the wet tropics.
It runs parallel to the other Australian wonderland the Great Barrier Reef
The wet tropics are a world heritage site, covering an area of 900,000 hectares (1/2 size of Wales)
Where?
Where?
135 million years old- oldest in world
Has plants there older than human life on Earth
Home to greatest no. of plant/ animal species that are rare, threatened anywhere in world
Of world’s 19 primitive plants 12 are found here
Why is the Daintree so special?
Deciduous tress, but look evergreen, as year round growing season means trees shed leaves at different times
1% of sun reaches floor- shrubs etc adapt to lack of light About 200 species of tree in an area size of football pitch Soil has thick litter layer, as leaves continuously fall, but
humus is thin due to rapid decomposition in humid conditions
Nutrients are rapidly leached (drawn down into and lost in soil)
Reddish in colour due to high concentration of iron and aluminium
Vegetation
Has Australia’s largest range of ferns Highest no. of ENDEMIC mammals anywhere in
Australia Has near ½ Australia’s bird species- 13 ENDEMIC ¼ of Australia’s frogs- 20+ of which are
ENDEMIC Greater diversity of freshwater fish in Australia Has 65% of Australia’s butterfly and bat species 28 of 36 mangrove species
Vegetation
Provisioning- things that can be obtained-
Regulating- benefits obtained by regulating the ecosystem-
Cultural- non material benefits
Supporting- necessary for all other services provided
Ecosystem services
Timber, food, medicines, commodities like rubber, pets, clothing, fruit, species
Climate regulation, intake of Carbon, prevention of soil erosion, waste treatment, protection of water quality
Ecotourism, local cultures, traditional lifestyles
Level of photosynthesis, water cycle impacts, nutrient cycling
Carbon Sequestration- Daintree plants and trees store carbon in leaves which reduces pollution and regulates climate
Medicine- 25% of drugs are from rainforests, including chemicals to treat diabetes, heart disease, malaria, arthritis and traditional headache tablets. Many Daintree plants are identified as containing cancer fighting properties
People of the rainforest- rainforest aborigine people are the original owners of the forest- the natural rainforest and its processes are integral to these people and the way they live
Tourism- ½ million tourist visits a year from home and abroad, come for scenery- unique combo of forest, coast and mountains and the GBR all together- nowhere else like this on Earth
Logging- began in 1930s in the 80s arguments ensued between conservationists and timber industry- decided continued logging at then rate UNSUSTAINABLE.
Services provided by the Daintree
How would the following view the Daintree Rainforest Tourist Logging company Conservationist Local government from Douglas Shire Council Local person
Which of the above mentioned conflict with each other? In what ways?
Over to you
I would like you to begin to create a case study of the Daintree Rainforest It is your choice how you present it (poster,
fact file, etc) There is information in the parrot textbook to
help
Over to you