When one thinks about forests and biodiversity, one only thinks about the Amazon rainforest in South america. However, not many people actually pay attention to or even acknowledge the other amazing rainforests and terrestrial biomes our planet has to offer. So, in this article, I will shed some light on arguably one of the most amazing regions of the planet: The Daintree rainforest.

But why exactly is it so amazing ? For one, it is the oldest rainforest in the entire world, even older than the Amazon. The Daintree Rainforest is estimated to be 180 million years old,  a whole 10 million years older than the Amazon. The indigenous peoples native to the land are the Kuku Yalanji tribe, who lived off the land and have since shared a deep spiritual connection with the land. They lived harmoniously in the Daintree Forest for thousands of years until European settlers arrived in the late 1800’s. Because the Daintree rainforest has been around for so long, it is the perfect region for biologists to study the evolution of a variety of flora and fauna.  There are living examples here of plants that have evolved differently elsewhere and are now only seen here.

Apart from its mind boggling age and evolutionary significance, the Daintree is incredibly bio-diverse, with a large amount of Australia’s wildlife species being found in the rainforest. The Daintree forest has an unbelievably complex ecosystem, unlike any other rainforest in the world, making it a totally unique place.

To quantify its biodiversity, read this crazy fact: there are more tree species in one hectare of the rainforest than in the entirety of the United Kingdom, with the region home to more than 3,000 different types of plants. 

The Daintree rainforest also contains one of a kind scenery. There are outstanding coastal visuals that combine tropical rainforest, white sandy beaches and fringing reefs just offshore - an extremely rare combination. To the west of Cape Tribulation stands Mt Pieter Botte with its massive granite outcrops. The summit provides expansive vistas of undisturbed forest and to the south the skyline is dominated by the giant granite boulders of Thornton Peak – one of Queensland’s highest mountains.

Apart from being absolutely divine to look at, the forest is teeming with ecological richness. From a total of 19 primitive flowering plant families on Earth, 12 families are represented in the Daintree region making the highest concentration of these plants worldwide. These extremely old families of flora could be the key to answering a number of previously unknown questions regarding the evolution of flowering plants – plants on which the human race depends for food and medicines.

Another one of the most fascinating aspects of the Daintree Rainforest is the staggering diversity of its wildlife. Despite only occupying 0.1% of Australia, the region is home to 90% of the country’s bat and butterfly species, 7% of Australia’s bird species, and 30% of the country’s reptile, frog and marsupial species.

More than 12,000 species of insect have been found here, including 230 species of butterfly. Also resident are 663 species of vertebrate animals and well over 200 species of land snails. Among the many species of mammal that live in Daintree Rainforest are: platypus, echidna, bandicoots, possums, wallabies and kangaroos.

The rainforest’s amphibians include the white-lipped tree frog and the northern barred frog (there are 54 species of frog in total).

In totality, the Daintree Forest is an absolute masterpiece of nature, and I deeply feel that it deserves more attention from the global community. This attention would not only promote tourism around the region, but it would also help raise awareness for forest’s conservation. I hope I have been successful in portraying the magnificence of the Daintree Rainforest and I hope you all will research it yourself as well !

https://daintreerainforesttour.com.au/blog/what-is-special-about-the-daintree-rainforest/

https://www.queensland.com/us/en/places-to-see/experiences/nature-and-wildlife/daintree-rainforest-australia-facts

https://www.discoverthedaintree.com/daintree-rainforest-6/

https://www.activewild.com/daintree-rainforest-facts/