These rich and
luxuriant rainforests are teeming with more than 200 animal species,
some of man's most precious plant species and haven for 50% of
Australia's bird species to name a few.
The 900,000 hectares of World Heritage Area
comprises the Daintree National Park, an extensive
Timber Reserve around Thornton Range, Aboriginal
reserves, other public lands and some privately
owned land. It runs 450 kilometres along the north-east Queensland coast from Townsville in the
south to Cooktown in the north. In some places, it is just a few hundred
metres wide, while in other places it reaches 60 kilometres in width.
However, there is a constant danger that the World Heritage status could
be lost if its heritage values are degraded or destroyed, so every care
needs to be taken by locals and visitors alike to ensure that this
precious land is fully protected.
The
plant life and wildlife in the Wet Tropics have elements that relate to
eight major stages in the Earth's evolutionary history, dating back to
420 million years ago. Today, it contains a high proportion of
Australia's plant and animal species, including many unique and
endangered species.
|
