Mount Lofty woodlands facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Lofty woodlands |
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Kangaroo Island kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus), Karatta, Kangaroo Island, South Australia
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Ecoregion territory (in purple)
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| Ecology | |
| Realm | Australasian |
| Biome | Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub |
| Borders | Eyre and Yorke mallee, Murray-Darling woodlands and mallee and Tirari-Sturt stony desert |
| Geography | |
| Area | 23,800 km2 (9,200 sq mi) |
| Country | Australia |
| States | South Australia |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Critical/endangered |
The Mount Lofty woodlands is a special natural area, called an ecoregion, located in South Australia. It's a place with lots of different types of nature, including forests, areas with many shrubs, and open grassy lands. You can find this ecoregion in the Mount Lofty Ranges, the Fleurieu Peninsula, and on Kangaroo Island.
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What is the Mount Lofty Woodlands Ecoregion?
This ecoregion is a unique natural zone in South Australia. It covers the Mount Lofty Range, the Fleurieu Peninsula, and all of Kangaroo Island. Even the big city of Adelaide is part of this area!
Where is this Ecoregion Located?
The Mount Lofty woodlands ecoregion has specific borders. To its east, it meets the Murray-Darling woodlands and mallee ecoregion. To the west, it touches the Eyre and Yorke mallee. And to the north, it borders the Tirari-Sturt stony desert. Think of it like a puzzle piece fitting in with other natural areas.
What is the Climate Like?
The Mount Lofty woodlands have a Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The Mount Lofty Ranges are like a big wall that catches the winter winds coming from the southwest. This causes a lot of rain to fall, especially on the higher parts of the mountains. This type of rain is called orographic rainfall.
How Much Rain Does it Get?
The amount of rain in this ecoregion changes depending on where you are. On the highest peaks in the southern part of the range, it can get almost 900 millimeters (about 35 inches) of rain each year. But in the northern parts, it gets much less, sometimes below 400 millimeters (about 16 inches).
What Plants Grow Here?
The plant life in the Mount Lofty woodlands is very diverse. You can find different types of plant communities:
- Sclerophyll forests and woodlands: These are forests with tough, hard-leaved trees and shrubs that can handle dry conditions.
- Open woodlands and savannas: These areas have trees that are more spread out, with grassy areas in between.
- Mallee shrublands: These are areas with many mallee plants, which are a type of eucalyptus that grows as a multi-stemmed shrub.
- Grasslands: These are open areas covered mostly by grasses.
Eucalyptus Trees in the Ecoregion
Eucalyptus trees are the most common trees you'll see here. The exact types of eucalyptus trees that grow depend on how high up you are, how much rain the area gets, and what kind of soil is there.
What Animals Live Here?
The Mount Lofty woodlands are home to many interesting animals.
Mammals of the Ecoregion
- The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is a spiny mammal that lives all over this ecoregion.
- The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) used to live on the mainland part of South Australia but no longer does. However, platypuses were brought to Flinders-Chase National Park on Kangaroo Island between 1928 and 1946. They are now living well on the western side of the island.
- Sadly, many types of birds and medium-sized mammals have disappeared from the mainland part of this ecoregion. This is mainly because their natural homes (habitats) have been lost.
- Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) were also brought to Kangaroo Island in the 1920s.
Koala Management on Kangaroo Island
As the number of koalas grew on Kangaroo Island, they started eating too many leaves from some native eucalyptus trees. This was especially a problem for the rough-barked manna gum (Eucalyptus viminalis ssp. cygnetensis). To help protect these trees and keep the koala population healthy, the government has a Koala Management Program. This program involves:
- Catching and sterilizing some koalas to control their numbers.
- Planting new trees of the types that koalas eat too much of.
- Putting special collars on some trees to stop koalas from climbing them and eating their leaves.
Protected Areas
Most of the mainland part of the Mount Lofty woodlands has been changed for farming or for raising animals. This means that much of the original natural habitat is gone.
Protected Areas on Kangaroo Island
Luckily, there are several protected areas on Kangaroo Island where the natural environment is preserved. These include:
- Flinders Chase National Park
- Ravine des Casoars Wilderness Protection Area
- Cape Bouguer Wilderness Protection Area
- Cape Gantheaume Wilderness Protection Area
These areas help protect the unique plants and animals of the Mount Lofty woodlands.
