Northern Australian BioProvince

This BioProvince (as defined by Armen Takhtajan) comprises the Hamersley Range, Dampier Land (and the Dampier Archipelago), the Kimberley Plateau, Arnhem Land (and adjacent islands) and the shores and islands of the Gulf of Carpentaria and its adjacent zone of tropical dry forests. Much of the basement rock is of the Proterozoic geological eon. The climate can be generally described as tropical savanna with high humidity and there are clearly defined wet and dry seasons. The flora has many representatives of characteristic Australian endemic families, but others are from groups centred in the tropics of other continents. A number are shared with the Papuan BioProvince and some are found across Indonesia. In addition, certain areas have high levels of local endemism. The Kimberley, for example, supports about 2000 native plants, 300 of which are endemic, while the Cape York Peninsula has about 3000 native species of which 260 are endemic. The smaller plateau of Western Arnhem supports about 170 endemics.

The following accounts for this BioProvince have been written or will be written with particular reference to endemic and locally important species. Accounts available are displayed in green or yellow. Those displayed in red are either in the pipeline or awaiting expert contributions.

 

Index
Major Ecosystems
Endemic Vascular Plant Flora
Bryophyte Flora
Fungus Flora
Lichen Flora
Invertebrate Fauna
Amphibian Fauna
Reptile Fauna
Bird Fauna
Mammal Fauna
Conservation Status