Flora & Fauna

Flora 

Some types: 

 The Great Victoria Desert, despite being a desert, has a vast array of native plants. These include:


  • Mallee
  • Black desert oak
  • marble gums
  • spinifex
  • grevilleas
  • acacia
  • parakeelya
  • lechenaultia
  • hibbertia
  • wildflowers

 Adaptations

  • Some plants, called succulents, store water in their stems or leaves.
  • Some plants have no leaves or small seasonal leaves that only grow after it rains.  The lack of leaves helps reduce water loss during photosynthesis.  Leafless plants conduct photosynthesis in their green stems.
  • Long root systems spread out wide or go deep into the ground to absorb water.
  • Some plants have a short life cycle; germinating in response to rain, growing, flowering, and dying within one year.  These plants can evade drought.
  • Leaves with hair help shade the plant, reducing water loss.  Other plants have leaves that turn throughout the day to expose a minimum surface area to the heat.
  • Spines discourage animals from eating plants for water.
  • Waxy coating on stems and leaves help reduce water loss.
  • Flowers that open at night lure pollinators who are more likely to be active during the cooler night.
  • Slower growing requires less energy.  The plants don't have to make as much food and therefore do not lose as much water. 

Fauna

Some commonly found:

These are common or widespread animals:

  •  Mulgara
  • Southern Marsupial Mole
  • Eastern Long-eared bat
  • Warru, Black-footed Rock-wallaby
  • Sandhill Dunnart

 Adaptations 

In order to survive, desert animals have developed a number of ways of adapting to their habitat. 

-The most common adaptation in behaviour is staying in the shade of plants or rocks or by burrowing underground in the heat of the day. Many desert animals are nocturnal: they stay inactive in shelter during the day and hunt at night when it is cool.

-Some animals get all the moisture they need from the insects, plants and seeds they eat, and do not need to drink water. Most pass little moisture out of their bodies. They do not have sweat glands and pass only small amounts of concentrated urine.

-Fat increases body heat, so some desert animals have concentrated the body's fat in one place, such as a hump or tail, rather than having it all through the body.