 Land and Climate The territory has a monsoonal climate regime with two seasons, a wet summer and a dry winter. Precipitation is extremely variable and falls largely in summer. Only about 1/3 of the territory has an annual rainfall between 15 and 40 inches. In the North the climate is hot and uncomfortably humid for eight months of the year. The north is free from frosts, and hurricanes may occur during the wet season.
More than one dozen soil types are found in the Northern Territory. Deep earthy soils are especially common in the northern segment of the territory. Iron-rich basaltic soils are found in the Victoria River basin, as are small tracts of soils with high concentrations of calcium carbonate. The Arnhem Land plateau and most of the southern part of the territory are too dry to cultivate, with shallow, gravelly, infertile soils. Erosion is a major land-management issue in most areas of the Northern Territory.   |
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 Plant and Animal Life The northern vegetation is open woodland with low eucalypts and tall grasses of low nutritive value for livestock. In the valleys an association of mulga (an acacia tree) with short grasses is a valuable fodder resource. Mixed mulga-spinifex scrub occupies the red plains of the desert nearby, and farther to the west is a desert of hummock grassland composed of widely spaced clumps of spinifex and Triodia.
The Northern Territory consists of roughly 400 species of birds including various parrots, cockatoos, pigeons and lorikeets in the rugged central and northern regions. Wading shorebirds and geese are plentiful in the northern wetlands. Some birds are migratory spending only part of the year in the territory. Species endemic to the Territory are white-throated grasswren, the banded fruit dove and chestnut quilled rock pigeon.
Some 150 speices of mammals live in the territory, including several species of rock rats, many bats, nearly two dozen marine mammals, and a variety of marsupials. Kangaroos are widely distributed, but some species have restricted habitats. The echidna, an unusual egg-laying mammal, lives in the Northern Territory along with the dugong and the Irrawaddy dolphin. Black wallaroos, along with several species of rock rats, mice, and bats are endemic to the territory. Formerly domestic animals now existing as large wild populations include camels, water buffalo, cattle, pigs, goats, ponies, horses, and donkeys. Saltwater and freshwater crocodiles are native to the region, as are marine turtles and nearly 100 varieties of snake. Among the territory’s fish, the barramundi is the best known. |
