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<blockquote data-quote="humble minion" data-source="post: 1966070" data-attributes="member: 5948">I haven't been able to find a really comprehensive source of Australian geographic info with a quick Google, but <a href="http://www.wildernessaustralia.com.au/regions/ecology_map.htm" target="_blank">http://www.wildernessaustralia.com.au/regions/ecology_map.htm</a> is a handy brief introduction - compare it with the physical map at <a href="http://www.atlapedia.com/online/map_images/physical/Australia_phy.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.atlapedia.com/online/map_images/physical/Australia_phy.jpg</a>&nbsp; All I seem to be able to find is kiddie wildlife pages, special interest groups, and specialised research papers.&nbsp; You might be better off hitting the local library for a real-life paper book on the subject.&nbsp; If you're after further info after that, or some more first-person experience of what it is like to be in those places, I'm your man.&nbsp;&nbsp;A few notes, or otherwise interesting bits and pieces...&nbsp;- A mallee can grow to thousands of years old.&nbsp; It grows from a massive tuber-like root, like a hardwood potato, that can reach 1 metre in diameter.&nbsp; You CANNOT plough cleared mallee scrub unless you grub out all the roots (possibly the hardest work ever invented by man), or invent a fancy plough that can jump over them.&nbsp;- Most eucalypts are reliant on fire to germinate.&nbsp; The seedpods only open under conditions of extreme heat.&nbsp; This is so that when the seed tries to sprout, it can be assured of a supply of nutrient-filled ash.&nbsp; Also, eucalypts are very rich in oil, and are quite literally explosive in bushfire conditions.&nbsp;- Up north, sea level variations between high and low tide can reach approximately 20 vertical feet, with obvious implications for anyone trying to build a harbour there.&nbsp;- The largest Australian lakes are inland saltpans that only harbour standing water after a rare storm, once every few years.&nbsp; Nonetheless there are species of shrimp and similar creatures that live there, and whose eggs can survive prolonged drought.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="humble minion, post: 1966070, member: 5948"] I haven't been able to find a really comprehensive source of Australian geographic info with a quick Google, but [url]http://www.wildernessaustralia.com.au/regions/ecology_map.htm[/url] is a handy brief introduction - compare it with the physical map at [url]http://www.atlapedia.com/online/map_images/physical/Australia_phy.jpg[/url] All I seem to be able to find is kiddie wildlife pages, special interest groups, and specialised research papers. You might be better off hitting the local library for a real-life paper book on the subject. If you're after further info after that, or some more first-person experience of what it is like to [i]be[/i] in those places, I'm your man. A few notes, or otherwise interesting bits and pieces... - A mallee can grow to thousands of years old. It grows from a massive tuber-like root, like a hardwood potato, that can reach 1 metre in diameter. You CANNOT plough cleared mallee scrub unless you grub out all the roots (possibly the hardest work ever invented by man), or invent a fancy plough that can jump over them. - Most eucalypts are reliant on fire to germinate. The seedpods only open under conditions of extreme heat. This is so that when the seed tries to sprout, it can be assured of a supply of nutrient-filled ash. Also, eucalypts are very rich in oil, and are quite literally explosive in bushfire conditions. - Up north, sea level variations between high and low tide can reach approximately 20 vertical feet, with obvious implications for anyone trying to build a harbour there. - The largest Australian lakes are inland saltpans that only harbour standing water after a rare storm, once every few years. Nonetheless there are species of shrimp and similar creatures that live there, and whose eggs can survive prolonged drought. [/QUOTE]

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