4th Presentation Ecology

We must be grateful to a couple of celebrities for show us the amazing biodiversity that Australia has.

Because of them now we are more conscious in environmental issues around Australia.

The first one:Steve Irwin best known as "The Crocodile Hunter"

The second one:

Presented by Oscar Trujillo

Environmental Issues

Although most of Australia is semi-arid or desert, it includes a diverse range of

habitats from alpine heaths to tropical rainforests.

Barron Falls. QueenslandUluru (Ayers Rock). Northern Territory

Mount Hotham. Victoria

Some of the typical animals:

Koala

Kangaroo

EchidnaWombat

Dingo

Tasmanian Devil

Platypus

Perhaps you prefer this ones:

Because of the continent's great age, its extremely variable weather patterns, and its long-

term geographic isolation, much of Australia's biota is

unique and diverse. About 85% of

flowering plants, 84% of

mammals, more than

45% of birds, and 89% of

fish are endemic

The Great Barrier Reef, the largest structure built by living organisms.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 3,000 kilometres over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef supports a diversity of life, including many vulnerable or endangered species, some of which may be endemic to the reef system.

Environmental Issues

• Conservation• Invasive species• Land Clearing• Litter• Minning• Water

Australia has the worst record in the world by exterminating wildlife.

The arrival of humans is attributed to the extinction of Australian megafauna and since European settlement, 23 birds, 4 frogs, and 27 mammal species are also known to have become extinct

Tasmanian Wolf- Officially extinct in 1989.

Water quality, whaling, overfishing, oil spills and ocean dumping are the worst problems in marine conservation.

The 2009 southeast

Queensland oil spill occurred in

March 2009

Australia is the second driest continent (after Antarctica), and frequent droughts have led to the introduction of water restrictions in all parts of Australia

Depending upon the location, these can include restrictions on watering lawns, using sprinklers, washing vehicles, hosing in paved areas and refilling swimming pools.

Some good news…The federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is a legal framework for the protection of threatened species. Numerous protected areas have been created under the national Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) to protect and preserve unique ecosystems.64 wetlands are registered under the

Ramsar Convention and 16 World Heritage Sites have been established.

Australia was ranked 13th in the world on the 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index (Mexico was 95th)

There are several examples of development of innovative sources of energy and water like the solar energy and the desalinization of water.

Thank´s and

sorry, no Nicole today!

• http://www.climatechange.gov.au/• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issues_in_Australia• http://www.australianscenics.com/default.asp

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children

Let yourself be surprised by Nature. She does not belong to you, you belong to it.