National Parks In New South Wales, Australia

New South Wales is a state located east coast of Australia bordered by Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland. Australia's largest city, Sydney, is located in the state. New South Wales has socially and economically transformed with the development of several sectors including agriculture, industries, and tourism. New South Wales has over 850 national parks and nature reserves covering over 7% of the state. The state experiences arid and semi-arid climate characterized by moderate rainfall throughout the year

The Ecoregions Of New South Wales

New South Wales lies within the arid and semi-arid climate with relatively high climate. The state is characterized by several ecoregions including Eastern Australian Temperate Forest which runs along the central coast from Sydney to the Great Dividing Range. The ecoregion is characterized by sandstone, shale, and extensive sand deposits and receives an annual rainfall of between 1,100 to 1,400 mm but decreases as one move towards New England region. The Southeast Australia Temperate ecoregion covers the Tableland regions of New South Wales characterized by precipitations along the south coast. The ecoregion receives high rainfall throughout the year with an average of 800-1,000 mm annually.

The Wild Flora And Fauna Of New South Wales

Flora and fauna of New South Wales are both endemic and indigenous. The state is wildlife diverse with some flora and fauna housed in the different national parks and reserves spread across the state. There are thousands of native plant species unique to New South Wales which can be found in forest and wilderness area. Some of these native species include Early Black Wattle, Honeysuckle Banksia, Dog rose, and Rock Daisy. Some of the exotic and indigenous animal species include gray kangaroos, swamp wallabies, sharks, turtles, and several snake species. There are over 200 species of birds in New South Wales most of which are migratory birds.

Threats To The Wildlife Of New South Wales

Over 1000 plants and animal species are at risk of extinction in New South Wales. Since the settlement, hundreds of species of both plants and animals in the state have become extinct including more than 60 plant species, 50 species of birds, and four species of frogs. The threats to wildlife in NSW include habitat loss through human activities such as clearing of land for agriculture, illegal logging, and fires. Invasive plants and animals introduced into the NSW have caused significant damages to the ecology of New South Wales. Climate change is also a significant threat to the wildlife with plants and animals which cannot adapt to the climate change becoming extinct. Other threats include pest, diseases, and grazing.

Establishment Of National Parks In New South Wales

The NSW has over 850 national parks and nature reserves which cover an area of about 26,000 sq miles. The state has 165 protected areas designated as national parks. The national parks range from the rainforest, waterfall, aquatic wonderland, and desert outbreak. The Royal National Park in NSW was the first to be established in Australia and the second to be created in the world in 1879. Since the establishment of the first park in NSW, several parks and reserves have been set up in the country as part of the conservation effort. The largest park in NSW is the Kosciuszko National Park created in 1944. A National Park Association was established in 1957 to manage a system of national parks in NSW. The agency led to the establishment of National Parks and Wildlife Service in 1967which is responsible for the development and management of parks. The number of national parks in NSW is expected to increase in the coming years.

Significance Of National Parks In New South Wales

The national parks in NSW play a major role in the preservation and conservation of unique habitat, flora, and fauna. The threatened species in the state have found protection in these parks leading to some of them increasing in number. The parks are also major tourist attraction contributing to the country’s revenue and growth of GDP. Some of the parks such as Mutawintji National Park are considered sacred by some of the communities living around them