Landscapes and habitats
Within the vast landscapes of Kakadu, there are five main landforms - from mangrove-fringed tidal plains in the north to vast floodplains, lowland hills and the sandstone cliffs of the Arnhem Land escarpment.
Tidal flats and coast
Almost 500 square kilometres of coastal and estuarine areas, most lined with mangrove forests, form important nurseries for many fish including barramundi. Kakadu's wetlands, including floodplains, billabongs, rivers, coastal and estuarine areas, are recognised internationally as being significant for migratory birds.
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Southern hills and ridges
The hills and broken ridge lines in the south of Kakadu are the result of millions of years of erosion, creating a diversity of habitats and the presence of plants and animals that do not occur anywhere else.
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Savanna woodlands, the lowlands
Woodlands make up nearly 80 per cent of Kakadu. Appearing to consist mostly of eucalypts and tall grasses, they may seem lifeless at first glance. However, the woodlands support a greater variety of plants and animals than any other habitat in Kakadu.
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Wetlands
Floodplains undergo dramatic seasonal changes. Following wet season rains, a sea of shallow freshwater spreads over the plains for hundreds of square kilometres. As the floodplains start to dry, waterbirds and crocodiles seek refuge in the remaining wet areas such as Yellow Water.
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Stone Country
The dominant sandstone escarpment of the Arnhem Land Plateau ranges in height from 30 metres to 300 metres, and includes the rock shelters and outliers of Ubirr and Nourlangie. In some areas the escarpment is eroding by up to 1 metre every thousand years.
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