The Great Victoria Desert
The Great Victoria Desert is the largest Desert in Australia, covering an area of 348,750 square kilometres. It stretches through Western Australia and South Australia, surrounded by the Gibson, Tirary, Sturt Stony, Nullarbor Plain and the Sandy Desert.
Weather & Climate
The rainfall is very irregular and has an average range of 200-250mm per year. Another source of water for the desert are frequent thunderstorms, which range from 20-25 per year. Temperatures can vary with summer days heating up to around 32- 40 degrees, and winter dropping to 18-23 degrees Celsius.
Flora & Fauna
The Great Victoria Desert is home to only the most capable plants, due to its harsh climate. These include: Mulga Scrubs, Spinifex Grass, Marble Gums and many Eucalyptus plants. Though, when it rains the desert flourishes with wildflowers and acacias.
The Great Victoria Desert is also home to large birds, mammals, marsupials such as the Sandhill Dunnart, Crest-tailed Mulgara and many types of lizard, especially the Great Desert Skink. Dingoes and large monitor lizards are considered predators to these species.
Adaptations & Inter-relationships
In order to live in the harsh environment plants and animals have had to adapt certain characteristics.
To survive through drought conditions these plants have scleromorphic leaves. This means that leaves have a leathery texture, allowing them to withstand severe wilting due to temperature, prevent moisture from escaping and reduces evaporation rates. The flora in the Great Victoria Desert have a large root system giving it the capability to extract water from the dry soil.
Eucalyptus plants, Acacias and Mulga Scrubs have adapted hard leaves and short distances between the leaves along the stem. They also have a woody stem for fire protection.
Animals in the Great Victoria Desert such as the Southern Marsupial Mole and the Water-holding Frog burrow into the sands as a way of surviving harsh weather. The Water-Holding Frog has also adapted a way of aestivation, which is temporary inaction to keep a low metabolic rate in response to high temperatures and a dry environment.
These animals get the water they need through the plants they eat and don’t need to directly drink water, and many of these desert animals don’t have sweat glands, this minimises the amount of moisture lost throughout the day.
Weather & Climate
The rainfall is very irregular and has an average range of 200-250mm per year. Another source of water for the desert are frequent thunderstorms, which range from 20-25 per year. Temperatures can vary with summer days heating up to around 32- 40 degrees, and winter dropping to 18-23 degrees Celsius.
Flora & Fauna
The Great Victoria Desert is home to only the most capable plants, due to its harsh climate. These include: Mulga Scrubs, Spinifex Grass, Marble Gums and many Eucalyptus plants. Though, when it rains the desert flourishes with wildflowers and acacias.
The Great Victoria Desert is also home to large birds, mammals, marsupials such as the Sandhill Dunnart, Crest-tailed Mulgara and many types of lizard, especially the Great Desert Skink. Dingoes and large monitor lizards are considered predators to these species.
Adaptations & Inter-relationships
In order to live in the harsh environment plants and animals have had to adapt certain characteristics.
To survive through drought conditions these plants have scleromorphic leaves. This means that leaves have a leathery texture, allowing them to withstand severe wilting due to temperature, prevent moisture from escaping and reduces evaporation rates. The flora in the Great Victoria Desert have a large root system giving it the capability to extract water from the dry soil.
Eucalyptus plants, Acacias and Mulga Scrubs have adapted hard leaves and short distances between the leaves along the stem. They also have a woody stem for fire protection.
Animals in the Great Victoria Desert such as the Southern Marsupial Mole and the Water-holding Frog burrow into the sands as a way of surviving harsh weather. The Water-Holding Frog has also adapted a way of aestivation, which is temporary inaction to keep a low metabolic rate in response to high temperatures and a dry environment.
These animals get the water they need through the plants they eat and don’t need to directly drink water, and many of these desert animals don’t have sweat glands, this minimises the amount of moisture lost throughout the day.