Daintree Rainforest
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The Daintree Rainforest is a rainforest near Daintree, Queensland, named after Richard Daintree. It is one of the oldest rainforests on the planet and is the home of the poisonous Idiot fruit[citation needed] or ribbonwood tree. Part of the forest is protected by the Daintree National Park and drained by the Daintree River.
The Daintree Rainforest lies on the coast, north of Cairns in tropical far north of Australia. This patch of forest is one of the most diverse and beautiful examples of nature in the world. It is home to the largest range of plants and animals on earth, and all are found within the largest chunk of rainforest in Australia - an area spanning approximately 1200 square kilometers.
This World Heritage listed area contains the highest number of plant and animal species that are rare, or threatened with extinction, anywhere in the world. The Daintree Rainforest is a unique area, precariously balanced between the advances of development and the environmentalists wanting to preserve the forest's exceptional qualities.
"The Daintree Rainforest contains 30% of frog, marsupial and reptile species in Australia, and 65% of Australia's bat and butterfly species. 20% of bird species in the country can be found in this area. All of this diversity is contained within an area that takes up 0.2% of the landmass of Australia."[1]
There are over 1000 species of plants in the Daintree forest. Some of these plants are over 3000 years old.[citation needed]
[edit] Environmental threats
There are four major threats to the natural environment. All are interlinked, and all are within our control if we are sensitive to the way we handle the rainforest.
- Logging is an industry that put the Daintree Rainforest on the map decades ago, remains a force in the area. Parts of the rainforest are controlled by the Queensland Forestry Department, who could fell ancient trees and sell the timber for high prices.
- Mining is another threat, although has not yet become active. Tin mining leases are held over parts of the area, and if these go ahead many plants and animal species will be lost.
- Tourism also has an affect on the area. More than 400 000 people visit the region each year, which means thousands of buses, 4WD’s, and passenger cars drive through the rainforest. The vast majority of tourism operators are highly aware of their impact on the environment and take steps to minimise their impact.
- Development by private enterprise is arguably the most dangerous aspect of human activity in the area. Subdivision of land, building of fences, and development of roads leads to hazardous conditions for native animals that often need to cross the fences or roads to get to their food source.
[edit] Trivia
The Terrence Malick film, The Thin Red Line was filmed in the Daintree forest.
