Great Australian Plain

Description:

The Great Australian Plain is an arid savanna woodland on the western side of the Australian continent. Due to the Australian continent drifting north and the climate generally becoming more tropical, Australia became less arid than the Holocene. Ocean currents cause the eastern side to get the majority of the precipitation on the continent. These factors limit the rainfall on Australia's western side, being more desert-like. The Great Australian Plain is closer to the rainforests compared to the deserts on the far west. The Great Australian Plain hosts Eucalyptus trees, acacias, dense patches of grass, and various bushes. These plants scatter around the savanna in small batches. Unlike the Congo Savannah, there is low seasonality in this environment. Rainfall occurs sporadically but consistently throughout the year. On average, the total annual rainfall is 800 to 1000 millimeters. The temperature is also average throughout the year, about 25 degrees Celsius. This moderate climate leads to all the life in this region adapted to these specific conditions.

Wildlife:

Australia is one of the only places where marsupials dominate their ecosystems. The Great Australian Plain contains various marsupial wildlife, like kangaroos, possums, wombats, and carnivorous marsupials. Some marsupials hold megafaunal niches, but most of them tend to be on the smaller side of the size scale. Placental mammals were also introduced to the continent during the Holocene when humans brought them over. There were more clades at one point, but many went extinct shortly after the Holocene. This extinction was likely due to anthropogenic climate change and diseases. Animals such as water buffalos, donkeys, and goats went extinct from disease and lack of water caused by the desertification of Australia. It also helped that placental mammals still gained a foothold in this region. Descendants of the pigs, cats, camels, and rabbits thrive in this region, with their descendants filling niches that the Australian mammals couldn't. Birds are also diverse in this ecosystem, with many Holocene birds having direct descendants. Kookaburras, butcherbirds, emus, and cockatoos are some of the birds that live in this ecosystem and fill a variety of niches. Reptiles and amphibians are also part of this ecosystem and hold some megafaunal species, but not as many as mammals and birds. This region like in most environments, support a variety of insect life, such as termites, flies, locusts, etc. These insects help support various animals, plants, and fungi in this ecosystem.

Animals of the Region

• Australian Mole Toad

• Outback Pinecone Skink

• Eastern Cleaner Lizard

• Ribcage-Necked Snake

• Australian Bush Megapython

• Elephant Emu

• Bush Woohoo

• Burrowing Kookaburra

• Eyespot Crested Cockatoo

• Australian Hawkpie

• Communal Bowerbird

• Tusked Wombat

• Ring-Tailed Lemur-Possum

• White-Backed Bossum

• Plains Zebroo

• Sydney's Giant Kangaroo

• Short-Faced Vampire Dunnart

• Bush Titan Dingo

• Central Stilt-Cat