NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS

KEY CONCEPT:
 The specific type of environment you find
yourself in is dependent on a number of
factors, including geology, climate, position
and aspect.
 TYPES OF NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT
 7 Key types of Natural Environment
– Alpine
– Marine
– Coastal
– Wetlands
– Grassland
– Forest
– Arid
 DRY FOREST & WOODLANDS
The formation of the Great Divide about 3
million years ago created a barrier to the
moisture-laden winds that sweep across
Victoria from the Southern Ocean.
Rainfall is greatest on the southern
slopes of the Divide and other
mountainous regions, leaving the
northern slopes, foothills, coasts and
plains relatively dry. In this drier country,
a variety of eucalypts, cypress-pines and
casuarinas form open forests and
woodlands, with grassy, heathy, sedge-
rich or herb-rich understoreys.
Stringybark forests dominate the near-
coastal landscape east of Western Port;
red gum forests survive along major
rivers in the north of the State; grassy
woodlands are scattered throughout the
Western District; and the remnants of
the once great box–ironbark forests lie
in a wide arc from west of Stawell to
east of Wangaratta.
 DRY FOREST & WOODLANDS
 Much of Victoria’s dry forests and
woodlands are significantly diminished
compared to pre-European times. The
more fertile areas were cleared for
agriculture in the 19th and early 20th
centuries, and large tracts were laid bare
during the 19th century gold rushes, when
timber was in huge demand for mines,
railways and townships. Many of the
grassy coastal forests were also cleared
for agriculture, and more recently for urban
and recreation development. The remnants
of these once-extensive forests and
woodlands form a mosaic of natural
vegetation in a vastly altered landscape,
following patterns of soils, geology and
landform.
DRY FOREST & WOODLANDS
 ARID & SEMI-ARID AREAS

 A region is said to be arid when it is

characterized by a severe lack of available
water, to the extent of hindering or even
preventing the growth and development of
plant and animal life. As a result,
environments subject to arid climates tend
to lack vegetation and are called xeric or
desertic
 ARID & SEMI-ARID AREAS

Arid climate is characterized by a high evaporation and low precipitations.

This climate is characteristic of the desert or semi-desert areas and of great
continental areas surrounded by mountains.
 ARID & SEMI-ARID AREAS

 Australia is the driest

inhabited continent in the
world; 70% of it is either arid
or semi arid land. The arid
zone is defined as areas
which receive an average
rainfall of 250mm or less.
The semi arid zone is
defined as areas which
receive an average rainfall
between 250-350mm. These
areas are part of Australia's
rangelands.
 SEMI-ARID CLIMATE ZONES IN
AUSTRALIA
 Examples of types of semi-arid biomes are:
 Australia: a large portion of the Outback, surrounding the central desert
regions, including the following areas:[1]
– MacDonnell Ranges, including Alice Springs. (The ranges are
surrounded by arid desert regions.)
– Southern Kimberley, including Broome
– Central part of the WA Goldfields, including Kalgoorlie
– Western Pilbara, including Karratha
– Eastern Riverland, northern Victorian Mallee and Sunraysia,
including Mildura
– Central North West Queensland, including Mount Isa
– Coastal part of the Far North region of South Australia, including
Port Augusta
 GRASSLANDS

 GRASSLANDS
 Plains Grasslands are
characterised by a very low
density or complete absence of
trees and shrubs, although
occasional trees such as
Buloke Allocasuarina
luehmannii may be present.
The ground layer is dominated
by perennial grasses, including
Spider Grass Enteropogon
acicularis, Wallaby Grasses
Austrodanthonia spp., Spear
grasses Austrostipa spp. and
perennial herbs such as
composites (daisies) and
chenopods (saltbushes). A
large number of annual herbs
are also a feature of this
vegetation type.
 HEATHLANDS
 Heathlands are widespread in Victoria,
particularly near the coast and in the
south-west. The characteristic appearance
of this ecosystem — dense, low shrubs
with scattered, twisted trees — is a
function of the harshness of the
environment where it occurs. The soils are
usually acidic siliceous sands of low
fertility, although some heathlands also
occur on limestone, peats and clays.
Nutrients in the soil are typically scarce, or
are unavailable to plants because of soil
acidity or waterlogging. Wide seasonal
variations in soil moisture are also typical
of heathland sites.
 HEATHLANDS

 Heathlands tend to occur where drainage is poor, so their distribution is

often locally patchy.
 Victoria’s heathlands are dominated by tough, hard-leaved plants,
especially those in the families Epacridaceae, Proteaceae,
Papilionaceae and Myrtaceae. Others include terrestrial orchids, many
of which are rare or threatened in the State.
 In general, weeds are not abundant because of the low nutrient levels
in the soils, but some coastal and near-coastal heathlands are
susceptible to invasion by shrubs and small trees.
 The native fauna includes many small marsupials (dunnarts,
bandicoots and potoroos) and some of Victoria’s native placental
mammals, such as the Swamp Rat and New Holland Mouse.
 More than 80 species of birds inhabit this ecosystem, including the rare
Ground Parrot, the Rufous Bristlebird and the Eastern Bristlebird. The
dawn chorus produced by these birds is a feature of heathlands, as the
many colourful honeyeaters dart between blossoms in their territories.
 VICTORIA’S HEATHLANDS
 Victoria’s heathlands are relatively well
conserved, with significant areas reserved
within national parks and state parks such
as the Little Desert, Grampians, Lower
Glenelg, Port Campbell, Angahook–Lorne,
Wilsons Promontory, French Island, Bunyip,
Moondarra and Croajingolong.
 WET FORESTS & RAINFORESTS
 Victoria’s wet forests and rainforests are found in the
southern, central and northeast regions of the state. They
occur in the Otways, Central Highlands, Strzeleckis,
Wilsons Promontory, Victorian Alps, and the mountains of
far East Gippsland.
 In the cool mountains and gullies on the slopes of these
ranges, and in other wet areas at lower elevations, wet
eucalypt forests and rainforests dominate the landscape.
 The world’s largest flowering plant, the mountain ash
Eucalyptus Regnans occurs in these ecosystems.
 The great diversity of bird life in these forests is well
known, and the rarity of many mammals (including
Leadbeater’s Possum, owls and gliders) is well
documented.
Rainforest
Rainforest – Costa Rica
Rainforest
 THE ALPS
 Alpine = High mountain area
• Stretching from Canberra through the Brindabella Range to the
Snowy Mountains of New South Wales and along the Great Divide
through eastern Victoria, Australia's alpine and subalpine
environments are unique and special.
• There are eleven national parks and reserves in the Australian
Alps that cross State and Territory borders.
•These parks and reserves are collectively known as the Australian
Alps national parks.
•Traversing 650km of this rugged, remote alpine country is the
Australian Alps Walking Track.
AUSTRALIAN ALPS NATIONAL
PARKS
THE ALPS
 AUSTRALIAN ALPS
 These areas are typically vegetated by a range of heath,
herb and grass species along with unique sphagnum bogs
that have adapted to specific soil types and climatic
conditions.
 The predominant tree species is the Snowgum Eucalyptus
Pauciflora.
 The highest areas consist of communities of heathland,
glassland and alpine bog that have adapted to the
particular characterisitics of their environment, including
soils, water availability, microclimate and topography.
 The region is usually covered in snow for 3 to 4 months of
the year.
 WETLANDS
 What are wetlands?
Wetlands include swamps, marshes,
billabongs, lakes, saltmarshes, mudflats,
mangroves, coral reefs, fens, peatlands, or
bodies of water — whether natural or
artificial, permanent or temporary. Water
within these areas can be static or flowing,
fresh, brackish or saline.
 WHY ARE WETLANDS
IMPORTANT?
 Wetlands are vital to Australia. They protect our
shores from wave action, reduce the impacts of
floods, absorb pollutants and provide habitat for
animals and plants.
 Wetlands are important in other ways as well.
They purify our water and are important for
recreational activities. They form nurseries for fish
and other freshwater and marine life and, because
of this, they are critical to Australia's commercial
and recreational fishing industries
Wetlands are land areas either temporarily or permanently covered by water and
can be either natural or artificial with water that is still or flowing, fresh, brackish
(slightly salty) or salty. This includes marine water which is no more than six
metres deep at low tide.
 THE COAST
 The soils in coastal areas are usually deficient in
major nutrients, high in salt spray and generally
lacking in water, and consequently are very harsh
environments for plants to grow in. Many plants
have adapted and flourish in the harsh coastal
environment. Such adaptations include:
 an increased thickness in the leaves to protect the
plant from dehydration, exposure to the sun and
salt spray.
 the ability to delay germination in response to
excessive salt spray, dehydration or other
environmentally harsh conditions.
As the distance from the shore increases, the distinct
adaptations of plants to tolerate coastal conditions
decreases.
 ACTIVITY
 Work with a partner to create a poster depicting
the characteristics of a National Park of your
choice. Each pair must choose a different National
Park and each of the 7 types of Natural
Environment must be covered.
 Include elements such as size, rainfall, climate,
elevation, types of ecosystems, unique, flora and
fauna and major management issues for the area.
 Include pictures and an assessment of the health
of the environment
 www.dse.vic.gov.au is a good resource &
 http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/plntanml/biodiversity/wea