Abiotic Factors
Weather
The weather around Lake Eyre can change. The average temperature ranges from 25 degrees Celsius to 16 in July and in January is may rise to 40. Rainfall is also followed by rapid evaporation. It is estimated that 500000km2 of land gets less then 150mm to 100mm of rainfall each year when in dry weather, as in cold wet weather it may be as much as 400mm per year. |
Water
The water covers 1,349,251 hectares or 3332649.97 acres of land on Lake Eyre. The main inflow of all this water is from the Warburton river which is located in Queensland intersecting into South Australia. The main outflow is evaporation since the weather in South Australia is very warm. |
Topography
The lake is 14.9352 meters below sea level at its deepest point while the land is extremely flat with some sandy and stony areas. This is perfect land for driving or flying above. The downside of this flat terrain is that water catchment doesn't work too well since so much water is exposed to the sun causing large amounts of evaporation. |
Soil
Lake Eyre has a high evaporation rate, leaving behind the salt crust that can reach up to 50cm thick. This is a layer of pure salt on top of the land where water use to be not allowing any plants to grow. The soil at Lake Eyre is hard so not much trees grow further in the coastline but mainly bushes and shrubs. |
Gases
Oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen are found in lake Eyre's atmosphere. They help sustain all life in the area. 3/4ths of the atmosphere is made up of nitrogen which is essential for the growth of most living things. The other 25% is mostly made up of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide. These gasses help plants and animals in respiration and photosynthesis. |
Biotic Factors
Animals
Over 25 species of fish habitat in the waters of Lake Eyre. These fish have to take advantage of the flooding to reproduce. They have adapted to the harsh weather, surviving in small puddles of water if needed. This area springs alive when the rain falls. Many waterbirds like, Gull-billed Terns, Australian pelicans, Red-necked Avocets and silver Gulls (also known as simply seagulls) enter the area populating it with hundreds to thousands of birds. Other animals like kangaroos, wallabies, Fait-tailed Dunnarts, dingos, bats, parrots, frogs and many others thrive in the bush lands and can be seen wandering around the lake. |
Trees
Lake Eyre is an arid area so there are not many trees that grow there. However there is a endangered species of tree called the Waddi Waddi tree. This tree grows within the basin of lake Eyre and is protected. This tree is also home to many species of animals that settle near the area providing protection against predators. |
Humans
To the lakes east side there is a national park, suitable for humans to camp. Although walking along the lake is not advised because of spiritual beliefs, you may still walk if you don't cause any harm to the environment. Boating on the lake is prohibited without a permit but fishing can be done applying to the regular fishing rules (only in the lower area of cooper creek as marked below). |
Bacteria
A few species of bacteria like zooplankton, phytoplankton and a few types of dunaliella have been found in the lakes waters but has already been discovered from other salt water lakes. There are some small crustaceans water fleas and sea shrimps found also lurking in the water. |
Vegetation
The vegetation found around South Australia plays a vital role in the ecosystem. All of the vegetation is indigenous to South Australia. The vegetation is vital to the wild life because of the survival. It provides a habitat for the animals and a source of food as the vegetation is a producer in the food web. |