Tropical deserts of Australia. Geography of Australia: geology, climate, deserts, reservoirs, natural resources, ecology and population

The exceptional originality and antiquity of the flora and fauna of Australia is explained by its long isolation. Most plant (75%) and animal (90%) species in Australia are endemic, i.e. they are not found anywhere else in the world. Among the animals there are few mammals, but species extinct on other continents have survived, including marsupials (about 160 species) (see Fig. 66 on p. 140). Typical representatives of the Australian flora are eucalyptus (600 species), acacia (490 species) and casuarina. The mainland has not given the world valuable cultivated plants.

Australia is located in four geographical zones- from subequatorial to moderate. The change in natural zones is due to changes in temperatures and precipitation patterns. The flat nature of the relief contributes to a well-defined latitudinal zonality, which is disrupted only in the east. The main part of the continent lies in tropical latitudes, so tropical deserts and semi-deserts, occupying half the area of ​​the continent, are most developed.

Rice. 66. Endemic animals of Australia: 1 - kangaroo; 2 - frilled lizard; 3 - emu; 4 - koalas; 5 - platypus; 6 - echidna

Natural areas

In the subequatorial and tropical geographical zones, significant territories are occupied by savannah And woodlands . The zone arcs across the Carpentarian Plain and the Central Lowland. There are wet, typical and desert savannas, developing respectively on red, red-brown and red-brown soils. In subequatorial latitudes they replace each other from north to south, and in tropical latitudes - from east to west as moisture decreases. The Australian savannah is open spaces with a herbaceous cover of bearded vulture, alang-alang, with individual trees or groves of eucalyptus, acacia, casuarina and moisture-storing Gregory baobab (“ bottle tree"). In the interior regions, thickets of low-growing thorny bushes with small leathery foliage appear - scrubs, consisting of drought-resistant species of acacias, eucalyptus and casuarinas (Fig. 67).

An integral part Australian savannas are marsupials - kangaroos (red, gray, hare, wallaby), wombats. Typical large flightless birds are the emu, cassowary, and Australian bustard. Chicks are hatched in eucalyptus woodlands budgies. Termite buildings - termite mounds - are ubiquitous.

There are a total of 60 species of kangaroos in Australia. In nature, they “replace” absent herbivorous ungulates. Kangaroo cubs are born tiny and immediately move into their mother's pouch - a fold of skin on her abdomen, where they spend the next 6-8 months, feeding on milk. The weight of an adult kangaroo can reach 90 kg with a height of up to 1.6 m. Kangaroos are record holders in jumping: the length of their jumps reaches 10-12 m, and they can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h. Kangaroo along with emu as national symbols depicted on the coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Australia.

Rice. 67. Acacia scrub Fig. 68. Spinifex desert brown soils

The central parts of the continent in two geographical zones (tropical and subtropical) occupy deserts and semi-deserts . Australia is rightly called the continent of deserts(Great Sandy Desert, Great Desert Victoria, Gibson Desert, etc.). On the Western Australian plateau in tropical conditions continental climate Tropical deserts and semi-deserts dominate. In rocky and sandy semi-deserts, light forests of casuarinas stretch along river beds. In the depressions of clayey semi-deserts there are thickets of quinoa and salt-tolerant species of acacias and eucalyptus trees. Deserts are characterized by “cushions” of the spinifex bushy grass (Fig. 68). The soils of semi-deserts are gray soils; desert soils are primitive rocky, clayey or sandy.

In the south of the continent in the subtropics, deserts and semi-deserts occupy the Nullarbor Plain (“treeless”) and the Murray-Darling Lowland. They are formed under subtropical continental climate conditions on brown semi-desert and gray-brown soils. Against the background of dry rare grasses there is wormwood and solyanka; there is no tree and shrub vegetation.

Animals of deserts and semi-deserts are adapted to life in conditions high temperatures and little moisture. Some burrow underground, like the marsupial mole, marsupial jerboa, and kangaroo rat. Others, like the kangaroo and the dingo, are able to travel long distances in search of food and water. Lizards (moloch, frilled lizard) and the most poisonous land snake, the taipan, hide from the heat in the crevices of the rocks.

On the windward moistened slopes of the Great Dividing Range in four geographical zones (subequatorial, tropical, subtropical, temperate) zones have formed variable-humid forests . The northeastern edge of the continent in conditions monsoon climate occupied by subequatorial variable-humid forests. Palm trees, pandanus, ficus, and tree ferns grow in them on red-yellow ferrallite soils.

South of 20°S w. they are replaced by rich evergreens tropical forests on red soils and yellow soils, formed in a humid tropical climate. In addition to evergreen trees intertwined with vines and epiphytes (ficus, palm trees, southern beeches, silver tree), conifers appear - Australian cedar and Australian araucaria.

In the southeast of the mainland and the north of the island. In Tasmania, they are replaced by subtropical variable-humid forests. On mountain brown forest soils, mixed forests of eucalyptus, southern beech, podocarpus, agathis and araucaria grow. On the dry leeward slopes of the Great Dividing Range they give way to eucalyptus open forests. Forests temperate zone occupy only the extreme south of the island. Tasmania.

Eucalyptus is one of the symbols of the Australian continent. Its leaves, with their edges towards sunlight, form a crown that does not provide shade. The powerful root system of the tree is capable of drawing water from a depth of 30 m, so eucalyptus trees are planted to drain waterlogged areas all over the world. The fast-growing eucalyptus is used not only in woodworking, but also thanks to essential oils- and in medicine.

In the extreme southwest of the continent, in a Mediterranean climate, the zone is widespread dry hard-leaved forests and shrubs . Eucalyptus forests with xanthorea (“grass tree”) grow on yellow soils and red soils; towards the center of the continent they are replaced by scrubs.

The fauna of Australian forests is richer. This is the kingdom of marsupials: tree kangaroo, marsupial squirrel, marsupial bear(koala), marsupial marten(couscous). “Living fossils” found refuge in the forests - the platypus and the echidna. The world of forest birds is diverse: lyrebird, bird of paradise, cockatoos, weed chickens, kookaburras. Many snakes and lizards (amethyst python, giant monitor lizard). Narrow-snouted crocodiles lie in wait for prey in rivers. In the 20th century The marsupial wolf was completely exterminated.

Environmental issues

During colonization in Australia, about 40% of all forests were cleared, with tropical rainforests suffering the most. Deforestation resulted in depletion of vegetation cover, soil degradation and changes in animal habitats. Rabbits brought by the colonists also caused damage to the local fauna. As a result, more than 800 species of animals have become extinct over the past 500 years.

Global warming is having an increasing impact on the continent's nature. Due to decreased rainfall, droughts have become more frequent and forest fires. Rivers with a constant flow have become shallow, and rivers that are drying up have ceased to fill even during the rainy season. This has led to the encroachment of deserts onto savannas - desertification, aggravated by overgrazing, which affects 90 million hectares of land. In the areas of the “wheat-sheep belt”, land use is difficult due to salinization and soil erosion.

Australia's most acute shortage problem is water resources. Previously, it was solved by pumping out groundwater from numerous wells. But currently a decrease in water level in artesian basins has been recorded. The depletion of groundwater reserves, along with a decrease in river flows, has exacerbated water shortages in Australia, forcing the implementation of water conservation programs.

One of the ways to preserve nature is to create specially protected natural areas. They occupy 11% of the continent's area. One of the most visited national parks is a park Kosciuszko in the Australian Alps. In the north there is one of the world's largest parks - Kakadu, where not only wetlands that serve as habitat for many endemic birds are protected, but also caves with Aboriginal rock art. The Blue Mountains Park protects stunning mountain landscapes with a variety of eucalyptus forests. The nature of deserts (parks) is also taken under protection Great Victoria Desert, Simpson-Desert). Object World Heritage UNESCO in Uluru-Katayuta Park recognizes the giant red sandstone monolith Ayers Rock as sacred to the Aboriginal people (Fig. 69). The fabulous world of corals is protected in an underwater park Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef has the greatest diversity of corals on the planet (up to 500 species). A threat, in addition to coastal water pollution and poaching, is posed by polyp-eating starfish « crown of thorns" Increased ocean temperatures due to global warming climate leads to bleaching and death of corals.

References

1. Geography 8th grade. Tutorial for 8th grade institutions of general secondary education with Russian as the language of instruction / Edited by Professor P. S. Lopukh - Minsk “People's Asveta” 2014

The exceptional originality and antiquity of the flora and fauna of Australia is explained by its long isolation. Most plant (75%) and animal (90%) species in Australia are endemic, meaning they are not found anywhere else in the world. Among the animals there are few mammals, but species extinct on other continents have survived, including marsupials (about 160 species). Typical representatives of the Australian flora are eucalyptus (600 species), acacia (490 species) and casuarina. The mainland has not given the world valuable cultivated plants.

Australia is located in four geographical zones - from subequatorial to temperate. The change in natural zones is due to changes in temperatures and precipitation patterns. The flat nature of the relief contributes to a well-defined terrain, disturbed only in the east. The main part of the continent lies in tropical latitudes, so tropical deserts and semi-deserts, occupying half the area of ​​the continent, are most developed.

The central parts of the continent in two geographical zones (tropical and subtropical) are occupied by deserts and semi-deserts. Australia is rightly called a continent of deserts (Great Sandy Desert, Great Victoria Desert, Gibson Desert, etc.). On the Western Australian Plateau, in a tropical continental climate, tropical deserts and semi-deserts dominate. In rocky and sandy river beds, light forests of casuarinas stretch. In the depressions of clayey semi-deserts there are thickets of quinoa and salt-tolerant species of acacias and eucalyptus trees. Deserts are characterized by “cushions” of the bushy grass spinifex. The soils of semi-deserts are gray soils; desert soils are primitive rocky, clayey or sandy.

In the south of the continent in the subtropics, deserts and semi-deserts occupy the Nullarbor Plain (“treeless”) and the Murray-Darling Lowland. They are formed under subtropical continental climate conditions on brown semi-desert and gray-brown soils. Against the background of dry rare grasses there is wormwood and solyanka; there is no tree and shrub vegetation.

The most acute problem in Australia is the shortage. Previously, this problem was solved by pumping groundwater from numerous wells. But currently a decrease in water level in artesian basins has been recorded. The depletion of groundwater reserves, along with a decrease in river flows, has exacerbated water shortages in Australia, forcing the implementation of water conservation programs.

One of the ways to preserve nature is to create specially protected natural areas. They occupy 11% of the continent's area. One of the most visited is Kosciuszko Park in Australia. In the north there is one of the world's largest parks - Kakadu, where not only wetlands that serve as habitat for many endemic birds are protected, but also caves with Aboriginal rock art. The Blue Mountains Park protects stunning mountain landscapes with a variety of eucalyptus forests. The nature of deserts is also under protection (Great Victoria Desert and Simpson Desert parks). Ayers Rock, a giant red sandstone monolith sacred to Aboriginal people, is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Uluru-Katayuta Park. The fabulous world of coral is protected in the Great Barrier Reef Underwater Park.

The Great Barrier Reef has the greatest diversity of corals on the planet (up to 500 species). In addition to coastal pollution and poaching, the threat is posed by the polyp-eating crown-of-thorns starfish. Rising ocean temperatures due to global warming are causing coral bleaching and death.

The main feature of Australia's flora and fauna is the predominance of endemics. Australia is the most deserted continent. Global depletion of water resources, depletion of flora and fauna pose a threat to the nature of the continent. Specially protected natural areas occupy 11% of the continent's area.

In addition to the largest deserts of Australia - Victoria and the Great Sandy Desert, on the territory of the Green Continent there are also other dry areas.

If you are interested in the deserts of Australia, then you worth knowing that the mainland has both tropical and subtropical desert areas. What are these dry zones like?

The Gibson Desert is located in the center.

Europeans first visited this desert, covered with rubble unsuitable for agriculture. in 1874.

Despite the harsh climatic and natural conditions people live in this area - Australian Aboriginal tribe Pintubi.

This tribe of the indigenous people of the mainland is one of the topics that preserved the traditional ancient way of life of the aborigines Green Continent.

Also, the Gibson Desert rich in fauna . Typical representatives of Australian animals live here - the red kangaroo, marsupial badger, moth lizard, grass wren and emu.

The marsupial badger also lives here, which previously inhabited 70% Australian territory, and today is on the verge of extinction. The main vegetation of the Gibson Desert is spinifex and acacia.

Simpson Desert

Simpson Desert, which is located in the heart of Australia is a protected area of ​​the Green Continent, where the world famous is located.

This body of water temporarily filled with water, fed by Australia's underwater rivers and home to many of Australia's animals.

They live here ducks, eagles, gulls, Australian pelicans, kingfishers, budgies, pink cockatoos, swallows and other representatives of the mainland’s avifauna.

Also found here marsupial jerboas, desert bandicoots, marsupial mice and moles, dingo dogs, wild camels and kangaroos.

The flora of the Simpson Desert consists of drought-resistant grasses and thorns. Today in the desert there are a number of protected areas. Tourists come here to take 4x4 rides through the dunes.

Interesting fact! In the 19th century, people wanted to graze cattle and build settlements here, but the climate did not allow this. The Simpson Desert has also been a disappointment to oil seekers who searched here in the 1970s and failed to find this natural resource.

Small Sandy Desert

The Small Sandy Desert is located in the west of the Green Continent. The flora and fauna, as well as the topography of this desert area, are similar to the characteristics of the Great Sandy Desert.

On the territory of the Small Sandy Desert there is its main watercourse - Savory Creek, which flows into Disappointment Lake located in the north of the desert.

Despite the rather harsh climate for which the deserts and semi-deserts of Australia are famous, tribes of the indigenous population of the mainland live here. The biggest one is Parnngurr tribe.

The only way through the desert, namely the Canning Cattle Route, runs in the northeast of the Little Sandy Desert.

Deserts of Australia – Tanami and Te Pinnacles

Another desert territory of Australia called Tanami, which is located in, has been explored more than other arid zones of the continent. Europeans made expeditions here until 20th century.

The Tanami Desert is rocky sand dunes, the area of ​​which 292,194 km².

Climate Tanami – semi-desert. The average annual rainfall here is much higher than in other Australian deserts.

In 2007 The Northern Tanami Aboriginal Protected Area was created here, which covers an area of ​​approximately 4 million hectares. Today gold mining is carried out here. IN recent years Various areas of tourism are developing.

Important to know! The North Tanami Protected Area is home to Australian fauna and flora that are on the verge of extinction.

The desert called The Pinnacles is a small area that is located in the southwest of the Green Continent.

The title translates as "desert of pointed rocks" and speaks for itself. The sandy desert area is “decorated” with towering stones from one to five meters.

Find out more about the drylands of Australia, it becomes clear why some species of unique Australian animals could not survive in such harsh climatic conditions.

The most arid central regions of the continent are occupied by the most large areas Australia. There are a variety of terrain types here, from shifting sands, salt marshes, gravelly rocky areas to thorny forests. However, two groups dominate: 1) acacia formation Mulga-scrub; 2) formation dominated by spinifex grass, or triodni. The latter dominates the most deserted central regions.

Acacia shrub and low-growing (3-5 m) tree-shrub deserts and semi-deserts are similar in nature to the dry thorny woodlands of Somalia or the Kalahari on the African continent. The northern variants of these groups, with a short summer wet period and an abundance of tall termite mounds, can also be considered as an extreme arid variant of the savannah and woodland zone. The dominant plant almost everywhere is ours - veinless acacia - and other phyllodes species. The number of eucalyptus and casuarina trees is small; they are confined to dry river beds and extensive depressions with close occurrence groundwater. The grass cover is often almost absent or represented by very sparse groups of grasses, saltworts and other leafy succulents.

The sandy areas in the center and west of the continent are covered with thickets of extremely xeromorphic hard grasses of the genus Triodia. In Queensland and New South Wales, a prickly pear cactus has proliferated and become a nasty weed. Prickly pear was brought from South America in the 80s of the last century and settled over an area of ​​about 24 million hectares.

Unlike the Sahara and Namib, the deserts of Australia do not have significant areas of “absolute” deserts, practically free of higher plants. In drainless basins and along the shores of salt lakes, halophytic formations formed special types widespread ancient genera (solyanka, quinoa, parfolia, prutnyak, saltpeter). Schober's saltpeter also grows in the semi-deserts of Eurasia. The Nullarbor Plain adjacent to the Great Australian Bight has semi-desert vegetation that already develops in a subtropical, close to temperate, climate. It is dominated by tall (up to 1.5 m) bushes of various halophytes - representatives of the goosefoot (hodgepodge, quinoa, etc.), which are considered a good forage plant for sheep. On the plain, due to the widespread occurrence of karst phenomena, there are almost no surface water bodies.

Some botanists believe that true deserts are almost never found in Australia, and semi-deserts predominate. Indeed, the density of vegetation cover in arid regions of the continent is usually relatively large, which is associated with regular short wet season. The annual amount of precipitation is never below 100 mm, but usually it is close to 200-300 mm. In addition, in many places there is a shallow aquifer, where moisture is retained for a long time and is available to plant roots.

Animal world. In the faunal aspect, the animal world of arid internal regions Australia as a whole is a depleted version of dry savannah and open forest groups. Most species are found in both deserts and savannas, although a number of groups of animals are especially numerous in desert and semi-desert habitats. Among mammals, such typical animals include the marsupial mole, marsupial jerboa, comb-tailed marsupial mouse and comb-tailed marsupial rat. The entire central and western parts of the continent are inhabited by large red kangaroos. These animals are numerous in many places and are considered undesirable competitors for sheep. The same applies to smaller wallaby species. Of the smallest species of the kangaroo family (smaller than a rabbit), kangaroo rats are interesting for their ability to carry a “load” - an armful of grass, grasping it with their long tail. Many species of kangaroo rats widely inhabited almost the entire continent, but are now severely exterminated by introduced dogs and foxes, and are also replaced by rabbits, which colonize and destroy their original habitats. Therefore, now they are better preserved in desert areas, where the influence of introduced animals is less felt. The most common dog here is the dingo. In some areas, wild animals have multiplied dromedary camels, brought to the mainland in the last century as a means of transport on expeditions.

The most famous bird of the semi-desert regions of the mainland is the emu. This is the only species (sometimes two closely related species are distinguished) of a special family related to cassowaries. Weaverbirds and small parrots feeding on cereal seeds (including triodia) are common throughout arid regions. This is already mentioned zebra finch, budgerigars, and nymph parakeets. All these species nest in hollows of dry trees. The night parrot is very typical for arid regions. This is truly a nocturnal bird. She spends most of her time on the ground; her diet is based on triodia seeds. Unlike most other parrots, the night parrot makes its nest not in hollows, but among thickets of thorny grasses.

Of the vertebrate animals, various reptiles are especially characteristic of deserts and semi-deserts, of which lizards of the agamidae, skink and monitor lizard families predominate. The Lepidopus family, characteristic of Australia, which includes snake-like lizards with reduced limbs, also has desert representatives. Among the agamidae in the tropical northern regions of dry woodlands and semi-deserts there are frilled lizards, characteristic of the savannah. Species of this genus have the ability to run on two hind limbs. This method of movement was characteristic of some Mesozoic dinosaurs. Several species of bearded lizards, similar to our common agamas, live in deserts. The most original appearance of Moloch. This small, up to 20 cm, flat lizard is all covered with outgrowths and spines. Moloch's skin can absorb moisture. In its lifestyle and appearance it resembles the American desert toad-like lizards. Moloch's main source of nutrition is ants.

Skinks are mainly endemic to Australia (sometimes including New Zealand) genera, species of which live both in deserts and in other zones. There are especially many species of the endemic genus Ctenotus - small graceful lizards with smooth scales.

Australia is often called the desert continent because... about 44% of its surface (3.8 million sq. km) is occupied by arid territories, of which 1.7 million sq. km. km - desert.

Even the rest is seasonally dry.

This suggests that Australia is the driest continent on the globe.

Deserts of Australia are a complex of desert regions located in Australia.

Australian deserts are located in two climatic zones- tropical and subtropical, with most of them occupying the last zone.

Great Sandy Desert

The Great Sandy Desert or Western Desert is a sandy-salt desert in the north-west of Australia (Western Australia).

The desert has an area of ​​360,000 km² and is located approximately within the boundaries of the Canning sedimentary basin. Extends 900 km from west to east from Eighty Mile Beach on the coast Indian Ocean deep into the Northern Territories to the Tanami Desert, as well as 600 km from north to south from the Kimberley region to the Tropic of Capricorn, passing into the Gibson Desert.

It gradually decreases to the north and west, the average height in the southern part is 400-500 m, in the north - 300 m. The predominant relief is ridges of sand dunes, the average height of which is 10-12 m, the maximum is up to 30 m Ridges up to 50 km long are elongated in the latitudinal direction, which is determined by the direction of the prevailing trade winds. The region is home to numerous salt marsh lakes that occasionally fill with water: Disappointment in the south, Mackay in the east, Gregory in the north, which is fed by the Sturt Creek River.

The Great Sandy Desert is the hottest region of Australia. IN summer period from December to February the average temperature reaches 35 °C, in winter - up to 20--15 °C. Precipitation is rare and irregular, mainly brought by the summer equatorial monsoons. In the northern part, about 450 mm of precipitation falls, in the southern part - up to 200 mm, most of it evaporates and seeps into the sand.

The desert is covered with red sands; the dunes are predominantly inhabited by prickly xerophytic grasses (spinifex, etc.). The dune ridges are separated by clay-salt plains, on which acacia bushes grow (in the south) and low-growing eucalyptus trees (in the north).

There is almost no permanent population in the desert, with the exception of a few Aboriginal groups, including the Karadjeri and Nygina tribes. It is assumed that the interior of the desert may contain minerals. In the central part of the region there is national park Rudall River, in the far south is the World Heritage-listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Europeans first crossed the desert (from east to west) and described it in 1873 under the leadership of Major P. Warburton. The Canning Stock Route, 1,600 km long, runs through the desert region in a northeasterly direction from the town of Wiluna through Disappointment Lake to Halls Creek. Wolf Creek Crater is located in the northeastern part of the desert.

Great Victoria Desert

The Great Victoria Desert is a sandy-salt desert in Australia (the states of Western Australia and South Australia).

The name in honor of Queen Victoria was given by the British explorer of Australia Ernest Giles, who in 1875 was the first European to cross the desert.

The area is 424,400 km², while the length from east to west is more than 700 km. To the north of the desert is the Gibson Desert, to the south is the Nullarbor Plain. Due to unfavorable climatic conditions (arid climate), no agricultural activities are carried out in the desert. It is a protected area Western Australia.

In the desert state of South Australia there is a protected area called Mamungari, one of 12 biosphere reserves Australia.

Average annual precipitation varies from 200 to 250 mm of rain. Thunderstorms occur frequently (15-20 per year). Daytime temperatures in summer are 32--40 °C, in winter 18--23 °C. Snow never falls in the desert.

The Great Victoria Desert is inhabited by several Aboriginal Australian groups, including the Kogarah and Mirning peoples.

Gibson Desert

The Gibson Desert is a sandy desert in Australia (in the center of Western Australia), located south of the Tropic of Capricorn, between the Great Sandy Desert in the north and the Great Victoria Desert in the south.

The Gibson Desert has an area of ​​155,530 km² and is located within a plateau that is composed of Precambrian rocks and covered with rubble resulting from the destruction of an ancient ferruginous shell. An early explorer of the region described it as “a vast, rolling gravel desert.” The average height of the desert is 411 m; in the eastern part there are remnant ridges up to 762 m high, composed of granites and sandstone. The desert is bordered on the west by the Hamersley Range. In the western and eastern parts it consists of long parallel sand ridges, but in the central part the relief levels out. In the western part lie several salt marsh lakes, including the 330 km² Disappointment Lake, which borders the Great Sandy Desert.

Precipitation is extremely irregular, its amount does not exceed 250 mm per year. The soils are sandy, rich in iron, and highly weathered. In some places there are thickets of veinless acacia, quinoa and spinifex grass, which bloom with bright colors after rare rains.

In 1977, the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve was organized on the territory of the Gibson Desert, the area of ​​which is 1,859,286 hectares. The reserve is home to many desert animals, such as great bilbies (threatened with extinction), red kangaroos, emus, Australian duckweed, striped grass wren and moloch. Birds flock to Disappointment Lake and neighboring lakes, which appear after rare rains, in search of protection from the dry climate.

Populated primarily by Australian Aborigines, the desert area is used for extensive grazing. The desert was discovered in 1873 (or 1874) by the English expedition of Ernest Giles, who crossed it in 1876. The desert received its name in honor of expedition member Alfred Gibson, who died in it while searching for water.

Small Sandy Desert

The Little Sandy Desert is a sandy desert in western Australia (Western Australia).

Located south of the Great Sandy Desert, in the east it becomes the Gibson Desert. The name of the desert is due to the fact that it is located next to the Great Sandy Desert, but has a much smaller size. According to the characteristics of the relief, fauna and flora, the Small Sandy Desert is similar to its large “sister”.

The area of ​​the region is 101 thousand km². The average annual precipitation, which falls mainly in summer, is 150-200 mm, the average annual evaporation is 3600-4000 mm. Average summer temperatures range from 22 to 38.3 ° C, in winter this figure is 5.4-21.3 ° C. The internal flow, the main watercourse is Savory Creek, flows into Disappointment Lake, located in the northern part of the region. There are also several small lakes in the south. The headwaters of the Rudall and Cotton rivers are at northern borders region. Spinifex grass grows in red sand soils.

Since 1997, several fires have been recorded in the region, the most significant was in 2000, when 18.5% of the region's area was damaged. About 4.6% of the bioregion's territory has conservation status.

There are no large settlements within the desert. Most of the land belongs to the Aborigines, their largest settlement is Parnngurr. Crossing the desert to the northeast is the 1,600 km long Canning Cattle Trail, the only route through the desert running from the town of Wiluna through Disappointment Lake to Halls Creek.

Simpson Desert

Simpson Desert is a sandy desert in central Australia, mostly located in the southeast corner Northern Territory, and a small part in the states of Queensland and South Australia.

It has an area of ​​143 thousand km², is bounded from the west by the Finke River, from the north by the MacDonnell Range and the Plenty River, from the east by the Mulligan and Diamantina rivers, and from the south by the large salt lake Air.

The desert was discovered by Charles Sturt in 1845 and was named Arunta in Griffith Taylor's 1926 drawing. After surveying the area from the air in 1929, geologist Cecil Medigen named the desert after Allen Simpson, president of the South Australian Branch of the Royal Geographical Society Australasia. It is believed that the first European to cross the desert was Medigen in 1939 (on camels), but in 1936 it was done by the expedition of Edmund Albert Colson.

In the 1960s-80s, oil was searched unsuccessfully in the Simpson Desert. At the end of the 20th century, the desert became popular among tourists; excursions in four-wheel drive vehicles are of particular interest.

The soils are predominantly sandy with parallel ridges of dunes, sandy-pebble in the south-eastern part, and clayey near the shores of Lake Eyre. Sand dunes 20-37 m high stretch from northwest to southeast over distances of up to 160 km. In the valleys between them (450 m wide) the spinifex grass grows, fixing sandy soils. There are also xerophytic shrubby acacias (veinless acacia) and eucalyptus trees.

The Simpson Desert is the last refuge for some of Australia's rare desert animals, including the comb-tailed marsupial. Vast parts of the desert received the status protected areas:

· Simpson Desert National Park, western Queensland, organized in 1967, occupies 10,120 km²

· Simpson Desert conservation park, South Australia, 1967, 6927 km²

· regional reserve Simpson Desert, South Australia, 1988, 29,642 km²

· Wijira National Park, northern South Australia, 1985 7770 km²

In the northern part, precipitation is less than 130 mm, dry creek beds are lost in the sand.

The Todd, Plenty, Hale, and Hay rivers flow through the Simpson Desert; in the southern part there are many drying up salt lakes.

Small settlements that raise livestock draw water from the Great Artesian Basin.

Australian desert fauna precipitation

Tanami is a rocky sandy desert in northern Australia. Area -- 292,194 km². There was a desert the last frontier Northern Territory and was little explored by Europeans until the 20th century.

The Tanami Desert occupies the central part of Australia's Northern Territory and a small area of ​​north-eastern Western Australia. Located southeast of the desert populated area Alice Springs, and to the west the Great Sandy Desert.

The desert is a typical central regions Australia is a desert steppe with vast sandy plains that are covered with grasses of the genus Triodia. The main landforms are dunes and sand plains, as well as shallow water basins of the Lander River, which contain water holes, dry marshes and salt lakes.

The climate in the desert is semi-desert. 75--80% of precipitation falls in summer months(October-March). The average annual rainfall in the Tanami region is 429.7 mm, which is high for a desert area. But due to high temperatures, the rain that falls quickly evaporates, so the local climate is very dry. The average daily evaporation rate is 7.6 mm. The average daytime temperature in the summer months (October-March) is about 36--38 °C, night temperature is 20--22 °C. Temperature winter months much lower: daytime - about 25 °C, nighttime - below 10 °C.

In April 2007, the Northern Tanami Aboriginal Protected Area was created in the desert, covering an area of ​​about 4 million hectares. It lives in large number vulnerable representatives of local flora and fauna.

The first European to reach the desert was explorer Geoffrey Ryan in 1856. However, the first European to explore the Tanami was Allan Davidson. During his expedition in 1900, he discovered and mapped local gold deposits. The area has a small population due to unfavorable climatic conditions. The traditional inhabitants of the Tanami are the Australian Aborigines, namely the Walrpiri and Gurindji tribes, who are the land owners of much of the desert. The largest settlements are Tennant Creek and Wauchope.

Gold mining is carried out in the desert. IN lately tourism is developing.

Strzelecki Desert

The Strzelecki Desert is located in the southeast of the mainland in the states of South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. The desert area makes up 1% of Australia. It was discovered by Europeans in 1845 and named after the Polish explorer Pawel Strzelecki. Also in Russian sources it is called the Streletsky Desert.

Stone Desert of Sturt

The rock desert, which occupies 0.3% of Australia's territory, is located in the state of South Australia and is a collection of sharp small stones. Local aborigines did not sharpen their arrows, but simply dialed stone tips here. The desert got its name in honor of Charles Sturt, who in 1844 tried to reach the center of Australia.

Tirari Desert

This desert, located in the state of South Australia and occupying 0.2% of the mainland's area, has some of the harshest climatic conditions in Australia, due to high temperatures and virtually no rain. The Tirari Desert is home to several salt lakes, including Lake Eyre. The desert was discovered by Europeans in 1866.