Biology

1. Water Availability and Habitat Availability: Water availability affects the distribution and abundance of species in Australia by influencing the types of habitats available for species to inhabit. For instance, high water availability tends to result in creating more aquatic and wetland habitats, which are important breeding and feeding grounds to species such as the platypus, waterfowl, frogs, and turtles. Low water availability, on the other hand, may result in there being fewer of these types of habitats available and this can lead to decreased availability of resources necessary for survival and reproduction, leading to a decline in population levels. 2. Climate Change and Drought: Climate change and drought can also affect the distribution and abundance of species in Australia by altering the amount of available water. As the climate changes, increasing temperatures can result in decreased precipitation and increased evaporation from natural bodies of water. This can lead to increased water stresses as existing water bodies become more limited in their availability, which can have negative impacts on species dependent upon these resources. Additionally, drought conditions can also impact the distribution of species, as some species may migrate to areas where water is more abundant or not be able to survive in areas with limited water availability.