Does Australia face enviromental problems

Answer 1

Australia faces a number of ecological problems which did not exist prior to European settlement.

The European rabbit, for example, has caused an ecological disaster in Australia. Rabbits eat the native vegetation which is the primary food source of Australian native animals. This loss of native food sources has led to the extinction of many Australian mammal species. Rabbits breed much faster than Australia's native animals, so competition for food sources is high. The rabbit has had a large impact on the bilby for another reason as well. Rabbits dig burrows which cause problems for the bilby's habitat, as they tend to cause the bilbies to be caved in. Further, rabbits tend to eat vegetation right down to the roots, meaning that the plant cannot regrow, and revegetation does not occur. This can certainly lead to indigenous plant species being wiped out, along with the fauna. And because rabbits eat vegetation down to the roots, this means there are fewer low-growing shrubs and grasses to prevent erosion from wind and rain. This in turn leads to increased desertification.

Cane toads have become another ecological disaster in Australia, and other places to which they have been introduced. They eat the native wildlife, but have no natural predators. Cane toads eat native frog species, as well as other small birds and mammals, and they compete directly with native frogs and other species for food. Many native frog species are at risk of extinction as a result of the cane toad population. Northern quolls have suffered huge population losses because habitat loss and the resultant drop in food sources has driven them to try to eat the cane toad, which has, of course, poisoned these mammals. Any native animal that normally eats frogs will be poisoned by the cane toad. Cane toads are also continuing to spread south. They are remarkably adaptable creatures, and seem to be becoming hardier, adapting to a wide variety of habitats and climate conditions. They also breed prolifically, and wherever they populate, they push out the native species.

Another ecological problem is rising salinity in the Murray River, which is Australia's largest river, and crucial to the southeastern quadrant of the country. Salinity levels are rising, not only in the rivers but on the land. Over-irrigation, intensive land use and the growing of crops that are really unsuitable for Australia's conditions (e.g. cotton and rice, both of which need a lot of water) has resulted in increased land salinity. Currently there are very few controls on how much water is diverted for crops upstream in the Darling River catchment, and so the regions further downstream suffer more, including from where the Darling empties into the Murray. As salinity levels increase, the water and soil both become less suitable for agricultural and human use, rendering one of Australia's largest agricultural regions far less usable. This is the problem currently facing the Federal government, as it fights the various state governments for greater control and protection of this vital river system.

Answer 2

Arid, hot, lack of water. Prone to droughts and flooding.

Answer 3

Lebanese Muslims

Answer 4

logging

Answer 5

Yes.