week 9 Flashcards
What is the Intrusive element in Australian flora?
Species that arrived after the separation of Gondwana
What is the Gondwanan element in Australian flora?
derived from the flora of Gondwana relict(unchanged); and autochthonous
When do Land plants first appear?
470 Mya
Quaternary phenomena which shaped the composition and distribution of today’s vegetation?
Dramatic climate changes (glacial/inter glacial)
Migration of people from Asia: Fire
Transplantation of European technology and exploitation
Many unique features of Australian environments?
- Very high proportion of species (but not families) endemic to the continent
- Two large tree and shrub groups (eucalypts and acacias) dominate almost all the plant associations of the continent (but limited occurrence elsewhere in the world)
- Vegetation types that do not fit into other global classifications (sclerophyll forest, mallee woodland and hummock grassland)
- Deciduous habit is very rare
What is Mallee?
- Dominant vegetation in semi-arid regions (with winter rainfall)
- Multiple stem Eucalypts
- Flat to undulating landscapes on sandy soils, old sand dunes, heavy clay or rocky calcareous soils
What is Sclerophyll Forest?
Dominated by trees that have thick and leathery leaves (Eucalyptus, Acacia, Banksia)
Typical ‘bush’ habitat
Undulating to hilly well-drained country, generally within the 450–650 millimetre rainfall area, with cool winters and warm to hot summers. Soils are usually grey-brown and brown podzolic with an acid reaction and are free of lime and strongly leached.
What is Hummock Grassland?
Dominated by Triodia
Arid lands, characteristic of the Australian outback
Hummock-forming, evergreen perennials appear as mounds up to 1m in height. In between the mounds or hummocks the ground is usually bare or exposed
What is a Population?
(All the individuals of a species in
a specific area; metapopulation – at all areas)
What is a Community?
This includes all the populations
of different species in a specific area at a
given time
What is an Ecosystem?
The community + interactions
What is a Biome?
Major communities of the world –classified by predominant vegetation and adaptations to abiotic conditions
What is the National Vegetation Information System (NVIS)?
a repository for spatial data and associated thematic information on Australian native vegetation
what does thermal imaging measure?
Measuring energy fluxes to and from canopies and land surfaces