Impacts of global climate change on the rainforest vertebrates of the Australian Wet Tropics

Abstract

Climate change is a particularly significant threat to the long-term preservation of the biota in the tropical rainforests of Australia's Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The Wet Tropics is dominated by mountain ranges with altitudes varying sharply between sea level and over 1600 m. Environmental gradients associated with a complex topography dominate the biogeography of the region (Nix and Switzer 1991, Williams et al. 1996). The gradient in altitude is the most significant environmental gradient determining species composition and general patterns of biodiversity (Williams et al. 1996, Williams and Pearson 1997). Most rainforest is above 300 m and almost all of the regionally endemic species are cool-adapted upland species (Nix and Switzer 1991, Williams et al. 1996).