Natural History Photographs


In between the floodplains the land is covered with a very open type of forest, savanna woodland. Here you'll find a rich variety of trees and shrubs, a.o. Eucalyptus sp., Cycas sp., Pandanus spiralis. The trees are rather small, and leaf cover is often open scant enough to permit sun shine reaching the forest flore.

Fire is essential for normal functioning of this ecosystem. Because the woodland is so open, fires are not so intensely hot that they destroy seeds and underground roots. However, the fires make reavailable the nutrients that are otherwise locked away in dead vegetation.

Eucalyptus trees with palms Cycas & Pandanus-dominated forest
close to floodplain.
Abrupt transition between
floodplain and forest
Forest around rocky outcrop
Very open forest around rocky outcrops of Ubirr.
Scars of a recent fire: left, Pandanus spiralis; right, young palm trees.




Wildlife of the Forest
Arecaceae
Authority:Bercht. & J.Presl, 1820
Synonyms:Palmae
Nederlands:Palmenfamilie
English:palms
Deutsch:Palmengewächse
Loranthaceae: Decaisnina cf. signata
Authority:(F.Muell. ex Benth.) Tiegh. 1895
Synonyms:Loranthus signatus F.Muell. ex Benth. 1867
The ants are stealing nectar, by
making a hole near the flower's
base.
Passiflora foetida
Authority:Linnaeus, 1753
Español:caguajasa, clavellin blanco, granadilla colorada, granadilla silvestre,
maracuyá de cobra, norbo cimarrón, parchita de culebra, pedón, sandia de culebra,
tumbillo
 



Termites



Wasps
Scoliidae: Campsomeris radula
Feeding at Haemodorum coccineum (Haemodoraceae)



Ants



Flies
Bombyliidae
Authority:Latreille , 1802
Nederlands:Wolzwevers
English:bee flies, humbleflies
Deutsch:Wollschweber, Trauerschweber
Norsk:Humlefluer
Svenska:Svävflugor
Asilidae
Nederlands:Roofvliegen
English:Robber flies, Assassin flies
Deutsch:Raubfliegen, Jagdfliegen



Butterflies

Hesperiidae
Authority:Latreille, 1809
Nederlands:Dikkopjes
English:skippers
Deutsch:Dickkopffalter
cf. Theclinesthes onycha
Feeding at Tridax procumbens
Psychidae
Nederlands:Zakjesdragers
English:Bagworm moth
Deutsch:Echten Sackträger
Orthoptera
Authority:Latreille, 1793
Nederlands:Rechtvleugeligen
Deutsch:Heuschrecken
Neuroptera:
Ascalaphidae
Nederlands:vlinderhaften, bastaardlibellen, libelgaasvliegen
English:owlflies
Deutsch:Schmetterlingshafte
Français:ascalaphidés
Español:moscas búho



Two lizards and an Owl