The presence of natural zones on the mainland and their location directly depend on climatic zones. Based on the fact that Australia is considered the driest continent, it becomes clear that there simply cannot be a lot of diversity. But then, the natural zones of Australia possess the extreme uniqueness of the flora and fauna.
Lots of deserts and few forests
On the smallest continent, zoning is clearly visible. This is due to the prevailing flat nature of the relief. The natural areas of Australia are gradually replacing each other in the meridional direction following changes in temperature and rainfall.
The southern tropic crosses the mainland almost in the middle, and most of its territory is located in a hot tropical climate zone, which makes the climate arid. In terms of annual precipitation, Australia is among all the continents in last place. Most of its territory receives only 250 mm of precipitation during the year. In many parts of the continent, not a single drop of rain has been falling for several years.
Australia, whose natural zones divide the continent into three parts, in the east and west has several zones elongated along the coast, where the amount of precipitation is noticeably greater. The mainland is in first place in the relative area of desert areas and in last place in the forest area. In addition, only 2% of Australia's forests are of industrial importance.
Features of natural areas
Savannahs and woodlands are located in the subequatorial climate zone. The vegetation is dominated by herbs, among which acacia, eucalyptus, bottle trees grow.
In the east of the mainland, under conditions of sufficient moisture, such natural areas of Australia as moist tropical forests are found. Among palm trees, ficus and tree ferns marsupial anteaters, wombats, kangaroos live.
Natural areas of Australia differ from similar areas on other continents. For example, semi-deserts and tropical deserts occupy vast areas on the mainland - almost 44% of its territory. In the Australian deserts you can find unusual thickets of dry thorny shrubs called scrubs. Sites of semi-deserts overgrown with tough cereal plants and shrubs are used as pastures for sheep. There are large sandy deserts that differ from the deserts of other continents in that there are no oases in them.
In the southeastern part and in the southwest of the continent there are subtropical forests in which eucalyptus trees and evergreen beech grow.
The originality of the organic world
The flora of Australia, due to prolonged isolation from other continents, has a large number of endemic plants. Almost 75% of them can be seen only here and nowhere else. More than 600 species of eucalyptus trees, 490 species of acacia and 25 species of casaurins are found on the mainland.
The animal world is even more peculiar. Among animals, endemic make up almost 90%. Only in Australia can you find mammals that have disappeared on other continents a long time ago, for example, echidna and platypus - ancient primitive animals.
