Microclimates
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| 1A. Minnamurra Waterfall |
The climate
of the area in which Minnamurra is located is a factor of latitude,
the position of the area relative to other landforms (the Illawarra
Escarpment), the proximity to the coast and the aspect of the slope
on which the forest is situated on. However, within the rainforest,
smaller areas of climatic change are identifiable; these are called
microclimates and they affect the types and numbers of trees that
can live in a particular spot.
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| 1B.Minnamurra River: still
pool |
The climate in the rainforest is affected by various factors, such as the number
and density of trees creating the canopy. This, for instance, can
determine the amount of sunlight that can reach the ground, altering
the temperature in the forest as well as the levels of evaporation
and sunlight species to grow on the forest floor.
Where there is less sunlight, the rainforest is more likely to
remain damp after rainfall, which allows species of
plants that don't like too much light but love moisture to flourish.
Ferns are one of these types of plants. Alternatively, where the
canopy is more open, there is not as much competition for the
available light and the ground will be drier, favouring species
that are more typical of the Australian bush.
The amount of light in a rainforest is not uniform throughout
the rainforest, so that, as light changes, humidity, evaporation
and temperature changes occur thoughout the rainforest, with plant
species and size altering to match these conditions.
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