Wet forests and rainforest
Powerful Owl (Photo: J. Tscharke)
5 months ago from Parks Victoria
Location: Wet forests and rainforest
Bracket Fungus (Photo: Mark Antos)
5 months ago from Parks Victoria
Location: Wet forests and rainforest
Central Highlands Spiny Crayfish (photo: M. Antos)
5 months ago from Parks Victoria
Location: Wet forests and rainforest
The cool mountains and gullies of ranges in southern, central and north-eastern Victoria as well as areas at lower elevations are dominated by wet eucalypt forests and rainforests.
The wet eucalypt forests have Victoria’s tallest trees including the world’s largest flowering plant, the Mountain Ash which reaches up to 100 metres in height and 15 metres in circumference. This often grows in single species stands, but Messmate and Mountain Grey Gum, or Shining Gum and Alpine Ash at higher altitudes, and other eucalypts share the sky.
In rainforests and sheltered gullies a dense canopy of non-eucalypt tree species, climbers, broad-leafed shrubs and tree ferns provide umbrellas of shade for a variety of ferns, shrubs, mosses and myriad of other life-forms.
More about wet forests and rainforests
- Generally Myrtle Beech rainforests only form once a wet eucalypt forest reaches maturity, which takes several hundred years to do so
- Trees in wet forests begin to develop hollows in trunks and larger branches after they are about 150 years old
- Possums (such as the rare Leadbeater’s Possum), gliders, bats, owls, bats, and many bird species require tree hollows or standing dead trees for nesting or roosting or both
Key Threats
- In young forests hollows are scarce resulting in less diverse and smaller populations of forest animals
- Many understorey plants flourish after fires and are often older than the dominant eucalypts which may be killed in an intense fire
- Weed infestation
- Predation of native animals by introduced species
- Phytophthora cinnamomi (fungal dieback)
Where to see wet forests and rainforests
Rabbit control team makes an impact at Lake Hindmarsh
27 Apr 2012
More than 3,000 rabbit warrens have been destroyed as Parks Victoria embarks on an extensive rabbit control program in the Wimmera, with a major focus on the Lake Hindmarsh Lake Reserve. Stuart Lardner, Parks Victoria Ranger in Charge for Little Desert-Lowan said the current rabbit control program is supported by the …
Latest posts
Even in cooler weather there’s great opportunities for boating on Port Phillip....View post | Tue, 22 May 2012 14.29
Let's hope this cold weather means that there's lots of snow on the way soon. Mt...View post | Tue, 22 May 2012 13.53
Parks Victoria's Matt Hoskins sheds some light on the recent discovery of Northe...View post | Mon, 21 May 2012 14.58
YouTube
Marine pest spreads to Wilsons PromontoryView post | Mon, 21 May 2012 13.48
Marine pest, Northern Pacific Seastar discovered in Tidal River. The team working rapidly to remove it from the River. http://t.co/MIYeG3gdView post | Fri, 18 May 2012 15.55