Climate Change Affecting Lamington National Park

There are changes that are occurring now and within the next hundred years. If changes in climate are only occurring within a hundred years, it does not give animals and reptiles enough time to adapt, so they will soon disappear.

 

Marsupial Frog

For example, the marsupial frogs. They need a moist environment to breed and live. With climate change, the rainforest is predicted to not be moist enough for the marsupial frogs to survive.

On the other hand, the pademelons should be able to adapt. Their small, compact bodies make them well adapted to movement through the dense rainforest understorey. Disguised by a thick grey/ brown fur and creamy/ pale underbelly, their name refers to the rusty coloration of the limbs, cheeks and tail.

Pademelon

Moreover, global warming does not mean everything is going to get drier. Some places are going to get drier and some places are going to get wetter. We are assuming that conditions at Lamington National Park are going to get drier. Lamingon National Park will survive but will shrink in area. The area of rainforest will be smaller because the area conditions suitable for the rainforest will be less.

Since we are close to the edge of the eucalypts forest, in 100 years or so, Barry Davies said Lamington National Park will be more of an open forest. Fires will come through and kill most of these trees. It has happened before. The eucalypts trees are proof. Eucalyptus trees are adapted to living and growing with fire. Fire is going to prevent the rainforest from surviving in marginal areas, like Lamington National Park.

Eucalypts Tree

In total area of rainforest in the southeast Queensland and northeast South Wales, the area will most certainly be a lot less than it is right now. That means any animal dependent on the rainforest will have a more restricted range to live. It does not mean animals will die out and become extinct, but it does mean there will be fewer of them.