Biology Ecosystem Research Assignment on Shark Bay
Part 1: Ecosystem description
a) Shark Bay is located in Western Australia. It is a World heritage area, which cover over 2.2 million hectares. Shark Bay is home to many marine and land animals, supporting 26 different endangered species. Shark Bay is an area of zoological importance and features at least 820 species of plants. Shark bay is located in the transition zone between three climatic regions and between two major botanical areas. Shark Bay has a semi-arid climate with dry, hot summers and cool winters.
b) Shark Bay is one of the most diverse areas in Western Australia, one reason being that it houses for many different species. Shark Bay is home to many animals and plants, including…show more content… It is one of the fourteen megapodes in the world. A megapode is a bird that is distinguished by their large feet, and building nests out of debris. The scientific name for the Malleefowl is Leipoa ocellata. The Malleefowl used to be common across most of Australia, although now they are restricted to areas of inland and semi-arid scrub. Now they are found in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia. The Malleefowl lives in the mallee country, which contains a dry climate with low growing eucalypt trees and shrubs.
During the winter rain and cool weather, the Malleefowl’s diet is varied, allowing them to eat flower blossoms, beetles, herbs and lerp. In the warmer months they obtain nourishment from ants and seeds of senna and wattle plants. The Malleefowl is adapted to its habitat, which is very dry. They can survive without water as it receives its moisture from flower buds, fruit, insects and leaves. The Malleefowl has to live in an area with sand for laying eggs, they have had to adapt to the surrounding features of the area for their main need. The Malleefowl has developed a very clever and complex method of temperature for egg incubation, it evolves around different seasons to make the vegetation in the mound rot for warmth of the…show more content… With a large amount of visitors going to Shark Bay, the area must be looked after so the environment is not disturbed. Human impacts that threat the ecosystem include; introduced animals and plants, and uncontrolled camping. People who visit Shark Bay may not be aware that foot wear, clothing and packs may hold soil or animals in them, things that are being brought need to be clean so no species are introduced into this ecosystem. Uncontrolled camping is a major threat to plants and animals as this has a negative impact on the