Forests of Australia: Difference between revisions

{{Wildlife of Australia}}

[[File:Australian Vegetation.png|thumb|right|Australian vegetation including forest cover]]

[[File:Antarctic Beech Tree Base (Nothofagus Moorer).JPG|thumb|right|The buttressed roots of an [[Nothofagus moorei|Antarctic beech]] in [[Lamington National Park]]]]

[[File:Hellyer Gorge, Tasmania.jpg|right|170px|thumb|Rainforest in Tasmania's [[Hellyer Gorge]] is considered a [[Gondwana]]n relic.]]

[[File:Tasmania logging 02 Worlds tallest flowering plant.jpg|170px|thumb|upright|Tasmania's "Big Tree" is one of the tallest remaining [[Eucalyptus regnans|Mountain Ash]].]]

[[File:East Gippsland enormous old growth 01 Pengo.jpg|180px|thumb|Old growth forest, near [[Errinundra National Park]].]]

[[Australia]] has many forests of importance due to significant features, despite being one of the driest continents. Australia has approximately 147 million [[hectare]]s of native forest, which represents some 19% of land use.<ref>[http://www.daff.gov.au/brs/publications/series/forest-profiles Australian Forest Profiles] – Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry</ref> The majority of Australia's trees are hardwoods, typically [[eucalypts]], rather than softwoods like pine. While softwoods dominate some native forests, their total area is judged insufficient to constitute a major forest type in Australia's National Forest Inventory.

== History ==

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== Forest types ==

There are 457 forest communities distributed across Australia. These have been grouped into the following seven native forest types, which are characterised by dominant species and the structure of the forest:

''Plantation forests'' (softwood and some hardwood) have been defined as an eighth group that covers trees planted for commercial use.

== Flora and fauna ==

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<center><gallery caption="" widths="200px" heights="200px" perrow="5">

File:Brown Mountain old growth tree.jpg|[[Brown Mountain forest|Brown Mountain]] old growth [[Eucalyptus regnans|Mountain Ash]]

</gallery></center>

== Forestry management ==

=== Commercial use ===

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=== Protected forests ===

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=== Research ===

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== Government policies ==

In Australia the states and territories are responsible for managing forests.<ref name="nfps">{{cite web |url=http://www.daff.gov.au/forestry/policies |title=Australia's Forest Policies |date=5 February 2013 |publisher=Department of Agriculture |accessdate=17 May 2014 }}</ref> Guidance is primarily provided by the 1992 National Forest Policy Statement (NFPS).<ref name="nfps">{{cite web |url=http://www.daff.gov.au/forestry/policies/statement |title=National Forest Policy Statement |date=5 February 2013 |publisher=Department of Agriculture |accessdate=17 May 2014 }}</ref> The NFPS allows for the inclusion of [[Regional Forest Agreement]]s, which are 20-year plans for the management of native forests.

== Forestry agencies ==

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== Statistics ==

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[[File:ABS-6291.0.55.003-LabourForceAustraliaDetailedQuarterly-EmployedPersonsByIndustrySubdivisionSex-EmployedTotal-ForestryLogging-Persons-A2546075C.svg|thumb|right|300px|Total employment in forestry and logging in Australia (thousands of people) since 1984]]

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== List of significant forests ==

! Image

| [[File:Mount-howitt-summit.jpg|130px]]

|Extensive Mountain Ash and Snowgum forests.

|

|Large nature reserve on the western boundary of the City of Brisbane, bordering on the [[Mount Coot-tha, Queensland|Mount Coot-tha Reserve]], that supports a large variety of native plants and animals.

| [[Brown Mountain forest]]

| [[File:Brown Mountain 08 Pengo.jpg|130px]]

|Located in [[East Gippsland]], Victoria, abuts the [[Errinundra National Park]], and is notable for containing large tracts of old growth forest, including over fifty Mountain Ash trees estimated to be over 300 years old. The eucalypt forest provides key habitat for rare and threatened species such as the [[Powerful Owl]], the [[Spotted Quoll]], mainland Australia's largest marsupial carnivore, and the [[Long-footed Potoroo]], Victoria's rarest marsupial.

| [[Central Highlands (Victoria)]]

| [[File:1939 Regrowth 01 Pengo.jpg|130px]]

|Contain cool temperate [[rainforests]]; dominated by [[Myrtle Beech]] and [[Southern Sassafras]], with an understorey of ferns and mosses. They may also contain [[eucalypt]] trees and [[Acacia melanoxylon|Australian Blackwood]]. Eastern forests of the Central Highlands such as the [[Toolangi State Forest]] and Melbourne's forested water catchments provide habitat for the threatened [[Leadbeater's Possum]].

| [[File:Rain Forest Daintree Australia.jpg|130px]]

|Tropical [[rainforest]] near [[Daintree, Queensland]]. At around 1200 square kilometers the Daintree is [[Australia]]'s largest contiguous area of rainforest. Contains 30% of [[frog]], [[marsupial]] and [[reptile]] species in Australia, and 65% of Australia's [[bat]] and [[butterfly]] species. 20% of [[bird]] species in the country can be found in this area including the threatened [[Cassowary]]. Added to the World Heritage List in 1988.

|

|Extensive Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forest with dense treeferns along many creeks. Prior to the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, which burnt the majority of the reference area, this forest has not been burned since the 1700s, making many of the trees ~300 years old.

| [[File:Errinundra National Park 2010.jpg|130px]]

|The [[Errinundra National Park]] in East Gippland contains the largest remaining cool temperate rainforests in Victoria. These [[Old Growth Forest]]s harbour many rare and threatened species of flora and fauna, including [[powerful owl]]s, [[tiger quoll]]s and [[Long-footed Potoroo|long-footed potoroos]].

| [[File:ClimbingTheGloucesterTree 2005 SeanMcClean.jpg|130px]]

|[[Karri]] Eucalyptus forests that includes the [[Gloucester Tree]], [[Western Australia]]'s most famous karri tree (pictured)

| [[File:N Eng NP (1).jpg|130px]]

|Remnants of [[Gondwanaland]] forests. Pictured is [[Point Lookout (New South Wales)|Point Lookout]], New England National Park, NSW.

|

|Old growth cool temperate rainforest in Eastern Victoria.

| [[File:Otway Fly Treetop Walk 2010.jpg|130px]]

|Diverse range of landscapes and vegetation types including some old growth Eucalyptus forest.

| [[File:Stretton Karawatha forest.jpg|130px]]

|Protected bushland at [[Karawatha, Queensland]].

| [[File:Masons Falls.JPG|130px]]

| [[File:Lake-Mountain-trail.jpg|130px]]

|Old growth Mountain Ash and Snowgum forests, including habitat for the threatened [[Leadbeater's Possum]].

| [[File:Lamington NP 1 Stevage.jpg|130px]]

|Part [[Gondwana Rainforests of Australia]] of the [[World Heritage]] site on the [[Queensland]]/[[New South Wales]] border. One of the largest upland [[subtropical]] rainforest remnants in the world and the most northern [[Nothofagus moorei|southern beech]] cool temperate rainforest in Australia.

| <!--[[File:EXAMPLE|130px]] -->

| The biggest remnant of natural bushland on the Liverpool Plains in north-west NSW and the most extensive and intact stand of the nationally-listed critically endangered Box-Gum Woodland remaining in Australia. It is habitat for 34 critically endangered species and several endangered ecological communities.<ref>http://nccnsw.org.au/sites/default/files/Leardweb.pdf</ref>

|-

| <!--[[File:EXAMPLE|130px]] -->

|[[World Heritage]] listed wilderness region of 26&nbsp;km² situated in the Border ranges of north eastern [[New South Wales]]. Vegetation is primarily [[sub-tropical]] [[rain forest]] with some wet [[sclerophyll]] forest.

|-

| [[File:Mt buffalo plateau.jpg|130px]]

|Over 550 native species occur; the most significant vegetation communities are the alpine and sub-alpine communities. The lower slopes have communities of mixed gum and peppermint, including the Bogong Gum, [[Eucalyptus chapmaniana]]. These grade into pure stands of Alpine Ash, [[Eucalyptus delegatensis]] around 1100 metres elevation, and subalpine woodland of Snow Gum, [[Eucalyptus pauciflora]] above 1300 metres. Numerous endemic plant species.

| [[File:AU Mt Warning from Tweed.jpg|130px]]

|Included in the [[UNESCO]] World Heritage Listings in 1986. Extensive subtropical rainforest remnants.

| <!--[[File:EXAMPLE|130px]] -->

|Despite extensive historic mining and human activity on its slopes, Mount Read has unique and significant stands of rare [[Huon Pine]] forests on its slopes.

| [[File:CkInPilliga.jpg|130px]]

|Australia's largest inland native forest. Covering over 450,000 hectares.

| [[File:Sherbrooke forest Victoria 220rs.jpg|130px]]

|Wet [[sclerophyll]] forest with the dominant tree species being the Mountain Ash, ''[[Eucalyptus regnans]]'', the tallest [[flowering plant]] in the world. The forest has recovered well from logging that occurred from the mid 19th century until 1930. Sherbrooke Forest is famous for its population of [[Superb Lyrebird]]s.

| [[File:IMAG0310.jpg|130px]]

|Part of the [[World Heritage]] site [[Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves]]. Rainforest and eucalypt forest.

| [[File:Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest, Yaralla Estate, Concord West, NSW, 2.JPG|130px]]

|The main canopy trees are Turpentine (''[[Syncarpia glomulifera]]''), Grey Ironbark (''[[Eucalyptus paniculata]]''), Narrow-leaved Ironbark (''[[Eucalyptus crebra]]'') and Red Ironbark. Very few remnants of Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest remain.

| [[File:Tarkine walks.JPG|130px]]

|Extensive stands of Eucalypt forest and cool temperate rainforest that includes ancient [[Nothofagus cunninghamii|Myrtle Beech]] trees.

| [[File:Tarra Bulga NP600x800.jpg|130px]]

|Remnant cool temperate rainforest in the Stzelecki Ranges. The deeply-incised river valleys of the park are dominated by wet sclerophyll tall open forest of mountain ash (''[[Eucalyptus regnans]]''), with an understorey of blackwood (''[[Acacia melanoxylon]]''), hazel pomaderris (''[[Pomaderris]] aspera'') and tree ferns (''[[Dicksonia antarctica]]'' and ''[[Cyathea australis]]''). Pockets of the park feature cool temperate rainforest, including Myrtle Beech [[Nothofagus cunninghamii]].

| <!--[[File:EXAMPLE|130px]] -->

|Contains rare old growth Tuart (''[[Eucalyptus gomphocephala]]'') forest.

| [[File:Valley of the giants skywalk.jpg|130px]]

|Contains rare old growth giant Tingle eucalypt forest known as "The Valley of the Giants".

| [[File:Sandspit River Wielangta Forest.jpg|130px]]

|Part of remnant glacial refugia forest and contains blue gum eucalypt forest and pockets of cool temperate [[rainforest]]. The forest is a key habitat of rare and threatened species, including the [[Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle]], [[Swift Parrot]], [[Broad-toothed Stag Beetle]], [[Spotted-tail Quoll]] and [[Eastern Barred Bandicoot]]. A rare orchid (''Corunastylis nuda'') has also been discovered in the forest.

| [[File:(1)Capertee River.jpg|130px]]

|Contains the only known wild specimens of the [[Wollemi Pine]] (''Wollemia nobilis''), a species thought to have become extinct approximately thirty million years ago, but discovered alive in three small stands in 1994.

== Gallery ==

File:Tasmania logging 01 under tallest tree.jpg|Child standing under 92 metre [[Eucalyptus regnans|Mountain Ash]] tree in Tasmania's Styx Valley

File:Pemberton Karri forest 1.jpg|[[Karri]] forest near Cascades at [[Pemberton, Western Australia]]

File:Hopetoun falls.jpg|Hopetoun Falls, Beech Forest, near [[Great Otway National Park]], Victoria.

== See also ==

{{Portal|Environment|Forestry|Australia}}

== References ==