Tasmania is a large island (68,401 km2) that lies 200 km south of the south-eastern Australian mainland. The island has a maritime temperate climate with a steep west to east rainfall gradient (>3000 to <500 mm mean annual precipitation associated with the preponderance of rain-bearing westerly winds that are intercepted by rugged low (<2000 m) mountain ranges and plateaux. The geology of the island is very varied with fine-scale assortments of sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks. Across the island, higher elevation landscapes have been exposed to glacial and periglacial erosion, while lowland areas in drier areas have deeply weathered regolith, sometimes overlain with aeolian landforms. The mid-latitudinal position of the island (40 to 43.5° S) leads to very strong slope aspect effects on solar radiation, which, combined with elevation temperature gradients and topographic rain shadows, influences microclimate and soil moisture. Collectively, the interplay of geology, geomorphology, rainfall, and temperature gradients contributes to the rich flora and fauna that has numerous endemic species of plants and animals with diverse biogeographic patterns.
History
Publication title
Fire
Volume
5
Article number
33
Number
33
Pagination
1-5
ISSN
2571-6255
Department/School
School of Natural Sciences
Publisher
MDPI
Place of publication
Switzerland
Repository Status
Restricted
Socio-economic Objectives
Ecosystem adaptation to climate change; Climatological hazards (e.g. extreme temperatures, drought and wildfires); Understanding climate change not elsewhere classified