Fraser Island
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/8/7/26872340/1394365810.jpg)
Fraser Island is a heritage-listed popular tourist destination located along the East Coast of Australia, 200km to the North of Brisbane. Fraser Island is most famous for its white sandy beaches and Aboriginal – European history.
Weather & Climate
Fraser Island has a subtropical climate with the weather highly depending on the sea. During summer, the average temperature is around 22-28 degrees Celsius and ranges between 14-21 degrees in winter. With an average of 1200-1800mm rainfall per year, Fraser Island doesn’t receive many storms.
Flora & Fauna
Fraser Island has more than 865 unique and diverse species of plants on its land. This is the only place on Earth where trees can grow in sand. The Kauri Pines are a species which are concentrated on the island, even though they are being frequently logged. Scribbly and Red gum trees, Piccabeen palms, Blue Quandong, Brush Box and Pandanus are all flora that can be found inland, while salt-tolerated species including Ice plant, Goats foot vine and Beach Spinifix grow in coastal regions. Persoonia prostrate, is a native shrub which is now extinct.
Fraser Island is home to 25-50 species of mammals, 74 species of reptiles and amphibians (Goannas, Geckos, Snakes, Skinks and Frogs), 350 different species of birds, including the rare Eastern ground Parrot already extinct in some places around Australia.
Some mammals include the Swamp Wallaby, Echidna, Brush tail possums, Sugar Gliders, Flying foxes and Dingoes. Dingoes are the main target of rangers, due to this the number of dingoes have drastically decreased, with over 120 being killed.
Humpback Whales, Dolphins, Dugongs, Tiger Sharks and Crocodiles are frequent visitors to the Island.
Adaptations & Inter-relationships
For the many of the flora and fauna living in Fraser Island, adaptations are something required to survive. The plants must grow tall and straight in order to access sunlight and rain, and those which cannot do so have leaves that are structured to direct water to their roots and have also adapted to surviving in cold and poorly-lit conditions.
Also, the Swamp wallaby finds protection from dingos in the swampy areas around the Island with dense undergrowth. Some frog species have evolved to handle the acidic water of lakes and swamps on the island.
Weather & Climate
Fraser Island has a subtropical climate with the weather highly depending on the sea. During summer, the average temperature is around 22-28 degrees Celsius and ranges between 14-21 degrees in winter. With an average of 1200-1800mm rainfall per year, Fraser Island doesn’t receive many storms.
Flora & Fauna
Fraser Island has more than 865 unique and diverse species of plants on its land. This is the only place on Earth where trees can grow in sand. The Kauri Pines are a species which are concentrated on the island, even though they are being frequently logged. Scribbly and Red gum trees, Piccabeen palms, Blue Quandong, Brush Box and Pandanus are all flora that can be found inland, while salt-tolerated species including Ice plant, Goats foot vine and Beach Spinifix grow in coastal regions. Persoonia prostrate, is a native shrub which is now extinct.
Fraser Island is home to 25-50 species of mammals, 74 species of reptiles and amphibians (Goannas, Geckos, Snakes, Skinks and Frogs), 350 different species of birds, including the rare Eastern ground Parrot already extinct in some places around Australia.
Some mammals include the Swamp Wallaby, Echidna, Brush tail possums, Sugar Gliders, Flying foxes and Dingoes. Dingoes are the main target of rangers, due to this the number of dingoes have drastically decreased, with over 120 being killed.
Humpback Whales, Dolphins, Dugongs, Tiger Sharks and Crocodiles are frequent visitors to the Island.
Adaptations & Inter-relationships
For the many of the flora and fauna living in Fraser Island, adaptations are something required to survive. The plants must grow tall and straight in order to access sunlight and rain, and those which cannot do so have leaves that are structured to direct water to their roots and have also adapted to surviving in cold and poorly-lit conditions.
Also, the Swamp wallaby finds protection from dingos in the swampy areas around the Island with dense undergrowth. Some frog species have evolved to handle the acidic water of lakes and swamps on the island.