What are the key threats to the gondwana rainforests of Australia?

Answer 1

Tourism has a massive impact on the Daintree Rainforest. More than 400,000 people visit the region each year, which means thousands of buses, 4WD's, and passenger cars will drive through the rainforest. Tourism is arguably the most destructive environmental force to the Daintree's vulnerability. The demand for tourism will also increase the amount of cars and land development in the area. A major reason for the large number of tourists who visit the Daintree each year is due to its close proximity to another major Australian tourist destination, the Great Barrier Reef. Tourists may stay in nearby Cairns or Port Douglas and visit both the rainforest and the reef in the one holiday. Many tourists will litter the area without thinking twice, such as outside a hotel. While there may be no fines for this, rubbish can easily get blown into rivers and streams which many animals depend on for water.

Development by private enterprise impacts negatively on the vulnerability of the Daintree. Due to an increasing emigration to Queensland from other states due to a lower cost of living along with tourism, the demand for more public and housing infrastructure has increased in North Queensland. This has caused the creation of many fences, subdivision of land in the area, building of roads as well as sewage and drainage infrastructure taking place for homes and hotels. These impacts create dangerous conditions for fauna in the Daintree and may cause animals to cross roads or fences in order to search for food. It will also increase pollution due to the development and creation of new infrastructure. Development will also make the rainforest more accessible to tourists which will increase the number of tourists even more.

Miningis another threat, although has not yet become active. Tin mining leases are held over parts of the area, and if these go ahead many plants and animal species will be lost. Even though parts of the Daintree are protected, mining may become another threat as people seek sources of income. By making laws to protect all of the Daintree, this will not become a threat in the future.

Loggingis an industry that put the Daintree Rainforest on the map decades ago, and remains a force in the area. From the mid-late 20th century, logging has been a major factor contributing to the vulnerability of the Daintree. Undisturbed rainforests absorb one fifth of all CO2 emissions and the Daintree Rainforest must be one of these to protect the future. Cutting and burning trees releases more greenhouse gases than all the vehicles in the world. The Australian government must put a stop to this as the world's precious rainforests are being cleared rapidly- a shocking 11 000 000 hectares a day.

Even the most minor logging impacts will affect the vulnerable Daintree Rainforest as species extinctions are likely to occur for more than a century after logging. Laws must be passed immediately to protect Australian rain forests' vulnerability.

Of the 19 primitive plants in the world, the Daintree is home to 12 of them. Land use change, mainly logging and clearing land is responsible for 20% of CO2 emissions and contributes to the growing impact of global warming.

Global warming affects the world and threatens our environment and animal species of the world. Recent bushfires are believed to have a link with global warming and we could face more environmental disasters.

Answer 2

Threats to the Gondwana rainforest is climate change, high levels of visitation and invasions of pest species, this presents a couple of the most challenging aspects to protect and manage the world heritage site from these.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Massive clearance for pastureland