The Tasmanian temperate rain forests are a
temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest is a temperate climate terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature, with broadleaf tree ecoregions, and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions.
These f ...
ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas o ...
in western
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
. The ecoregion is part of the
Australasian realm
The Australasian realm is a biogeographic realm that is coincident with, but not (by some definitions) the same as, the geographical region of Australasia. The realm includes Australia, the island of New Guinea (comprising Papua New Guinea an ...
, which includes Tasmania and
Australia,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...
,
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
,
New Caledonia, and adjacent islands.
[
Rainforest communities in Australia are classified as closed forests in which the canopy comprises 70–100% cover.][Reid, J. B., Hill, R. S., Brown, M. J. & Hovenden, M. J. (2005) ''Vegetation of Tasmania'', Australian Biological Resources Study. .] It can be divided into tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
, subtropical, monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal osci ...
and temperate rainforest
Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain.
Temperate rain forests occur in oceanic moist regions around the world: the Pacific temperate rain forests of North American P ...
. Tasmanian rainforest is classified and as cool temperate rainforest, it represents the most floristically complex and best developed form of this forest type in Australia. In Tasmania, they can be found in the West, Savage River National Park
Savage River National Park is located in north-west Tasmania, Australia. Established in April 1999, it is the largest undisturbed area of temperate rainforest in Australia since the era of the thylacine. Unlike other national parks of Tasmania ...
, South West, North East and in patches on the East Coast.[ On the mainland of Australia, cool temperate rainforest have a wide variety of woodland trees, but ]Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
only has a limited number of woodland and vascular plants
Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They a ...
such as moss
Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta ('' sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and ...
es, liverworts
The Marchantiophyta () are a division of non-vascular land plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of g ...
, lichen and fungi
A fungus (plural, : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of Eukaryote, eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and Mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified ...
.[ Because of this, the definition of Tasmanian cool temperate rainforest was redefined in the 1980s to allow for communities that did not meet the canopy requirements and clearly separate cool temperate rainforest from ]mixed forest
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest is a temperate climate terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature, with broadleaf tree ecoregions, and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions.
These fo ...
; The current definition states that cool temperate rainforests are those with trees usually greater than in height and capable of regenerating in the absence of large scale catastrophic events, such as fire.[ These forests are ]climax vegetation
In scientific ecology, climax community or climatic climax community is a historic term for a community of plants, animals, and fungi which, through the process of ecological succession in the development of vegetation in an area over time, ha ...
and are dominated by angiosperms
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of br ...
such as ''Nothofagus cunninghamii
''Nothofagus cunninghamii,'' commonly known as myrtle beech or Tasmanian myrtle, is the dominant species of cool temperate rainforests in Tasmania and Southern Victoria. It has low fire resistance and grows best in partial shade conditions.
It ...
'' (myrtle beech), '' Atherosperma moschatum'' (sassafras), and ''Eucryphia lucida
''Eucryphia lucida'', the leatherwood, is a species of tree or large shrub endemic to forests of western Tasmania, Australia. An attractive plant used in both horticulture and apiculture, it was promoted by the Tasmanian Branch of the then SG ...
'' (leatherwood) as well as gymnosperms
The gymnosperms ( lit. revealed seeds) are a group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers, cycads, '' Ginkgo'', and gnetophytes, forming the clade Gymnospermae. The term ''gymnosperm'' comes from the composite word in el, γυμν� ...
such as '' Athrotaxis selaginoides'' (King Billy Pine), '' Lagarostrobos franklinii'' (huon or macquarie pine) and ''Phyllocladus aspleniifolius
''Phyllocladus aspleniifolius'', commonly known as the celerytop pine, is an endemic gymnosperm of Tasmania, Australia. It is widespread and common in Tasmania, with the most abundance in the western highlands. Its ‘leaves’ appear similar ...
'' (celery-top pine).[Tabor, John, et al. "Colonisation of clearfelled coupes by rainforest tree species from mature mixed forest edges, Tasmania, Australia." Forest Ecology and Management 240.1 (2007): 13–23.] The limited number of woody species is thought to be due to repeated glaciation
A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate bet ...
.
Tasmanian cool temperate rainforest can be divided into four types: Callidendrous rainforest, Thamnic rainforest, Implicate rainforest and Open Montane. These four major types differ in many of their characteristics such as structure, floristics, distribution, level of endemism
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
and ecology.[
]
Community composition and descriptions
The Tasmanian cool temperate rainforest is composed of two alliances, the myrtle-beech ''(Nothofagus cunninghamii)'' alliance and the pencil pine ('' Athrotaxis cupressoides'') alliance. The former is made up of callidendrous, thamnic and implicate, whilst the latter is all open montane.
Callidendrous rainforest
This is the simplest rainforest community in Tasmania; it is typically represented by medium to tall forests dominated by ''Nothofagus cunninghamii'' and/or ''Atherosperma moschatum'', often together with '' Leptospermum lanigerum'' (woolly tea-tree) or ''Acacia melanoxylon
''Acacia melanoxylon'', commonly known as the Australian blackwood, is an ''Acacia'' species native in South eastern Australia. The species is also known as Blackwood, hickory, mudgerabah, Tasmanian blackwood, or blackwood acacia. The tree belo ...
'' (Australian blackwood). Typically, these forests are at least in height. Trees are usually well formed and widely spaced, and the understorey
In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the forest canopy without penetrating it to any great extent, but abov ...
is open and often described as park-like.[ The diversity of woody species is low, and they are usually sparse and inconspicuous throughout the understorey. However, at mid to low altitudes, the understorey may contain a few small trees or shrubs such as '' Olearia argophylla'' (musktree), '']Pimelea drupacea
''Pimelea drupacea'', commonly known as cherry rice-flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with elliptic leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and head-like clus ...
'' (cherry riceflower), '' Pittosporum bicolor'' (cheesewood), '' Aristotelia peduncularis'' (heart berry) and '' Coprosma quadrifida''.[Brown, M. J., et al. (1990) "Tasmanian rainforest communities: their description, environmental relationships and conservation status." Tasmanian Rainforest Research. Proceedings of a Seminar on Rainforest Research carried out under the Tasmanian Component of the National Rainforest Conservation Program, Tasmanian Government Printer, Hobart.]
Fern diversity is high in many areas, and in these areas, epiphytes
An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
often flourish. The dominant tree ferns are commonly ''Dicksonia antarctica
''Dicksonia antarctica'', the soft tree fern or man fern, is a species of evergreen tree fern native to eastern Australia, ranging from south-east Queensland, coastal New South Wales and Victoria to Tasmania.
Anatomy and biology
These fern ...
'' (soft tree fern) and/or '' Polystichum poliferum'' (mother shield fern). Common epiphyte species include '' Rumohra adiantiformis'' (leathery shieldfern or iron fern), '' Asplenium gracillimum'' (mother spleenwort), ''Asplenium terrestre
''Asplenium'' is a genus of about 700 species of ferns, often treated as the only genus in the family Aspleniaceae, though other authors consider ''Hymenasplenium'' separate, based on molecular phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences, a differ ...
'', ''Microsorum diversifolium
''Zealandia pustulata'' is a species of fern native to eastern Australia and New Zealand. It is commonly referred to as kangaroo fern because of its mature leaves tend to resemble the shape of a kangaroo foot. It is also referred to as hound's ...
'' (kangaroo fern)''," Hymenophyllum flabellatum'' (shiny filmy-fern), '' Hymenophyllum australe'' (austral filmy-fern), '' Hymenophyllum cupressiforme'', and ''Polyphlebium venosum
''Polyphlebium venosum'', the veined bristle-fern or bristle filmy fern, is a fern in the family Hymenophyllaceae. It is only found in wet forests, mainly growing as an epiphyte on the shady side of the soft tree fern, ''Dicksonia antartica''. ...
'' (veined bristle-fern). ''Histiopteris incisa
''Histiopteris incisa'', the bat's wing fern, water fern or fern mata, is a common plant found in Australia, New Zealand and other islands in the south Pacific region. Usually found in moist areas, where it may form large colonies. The lowermos ...
'' (bat's wing fern) and ''Hypolepis rugosula'' (ruddy ground-fern) occur in disturbed sites such as along roads where there have been breaks in the canopy.
As altitude increases, the height of the forest decreases, ''Nothofagus cunninghamii'' becomes multi-stemmed, develops crooked leaning stems and abundant epiphytic bryophytes
The Bryophyta s.l. are a proposed taxonomic division containing three groups of non-vascular land plants (embryophytes): the liverworts, hornworts and mosses. Bryophyta s.s. consists of the mosses only. They are characteristically limited i ...
, and lichens produce a patterned effect on the trunks. The typical understorey becomes dominated by '' Tasmannia lanceolata'' (mountain pepper) and '' Telopea truncata'' (Tasmanian waratah), and the ground layer becomes host to ''Oxalis megellancia'' and ''Lagenophora stipitata
''Lagenophora stipitata'', commonly known as blue bottle-daisy or common lagenophora, is a small plant in the family Asteraceae, found in eastern mainland Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign s ...
'' (blue bottle-daisy). The pteridophyte
A pteridophyte is a vascular plant (with xylem and phloem) that disperses spores. Because pteridophytes produce neither flowers nor seeds, they are sometimes referred to as " cryptogams", meaning that their means of reproduction is hidden. Ferns, ...
diversity decreases and only small species such as ''Lycopodium fastigiatum
''Austrolycopodium fastigiatum'', synonym ''Lycopodium fastigiatum'', commonly known as alpine club moss or mountain club moss, is a species of club moss native to New Zealand and Australia. The genus ''Austrolycopodium'' is accepted in the Pteri ...
'' (alpine club moss),'' Hymenophyllum peltatum'', ''Grammitis billardierei
''Notogrammitis billardierei'', also known as the common finger-fern, or common strap fern, is a small epiphytic or lithophytic fern with small, strap like fronds, found commonly in wet forest in South-Eastern Australia and New Zealand.
Descri ...
'' (common finger-fern) and ''Blechnum penna-marina
''Austroblechnum penna-marina'', synonym ''Blechnum penna-marina'', known as Antarctic hard-fern, alpine water fern and pinque ( Chilean Spanish), is a species of fern in the family Blechnaceae, with a natural range from the Araucanía Region t ...
'' (Antarctic hard-fern) persist.
Callidendrous rainforests occurs in the eastern half of the state and in northwestern and central Tasmania.
Table 1 Lyrebird nature walk, Mt Feild, Tasmania: species composition and structure of a mixed Callidendrous and Thamnic rainforest community; Height ~, 90% of ground litter cover, 5% rock and 5% bare ground.
Thamnic rainforest
Thamnic rainforests are characterised by well-formed trees of medium height, well below , and a distinct shrub layer. The canopy is typically dominated by a mixture of 2–5 species, including ''Nothofagus cunninghamii'', ''Eucryphia lucida'', ''Atherosperma moschatum'', ''Lagarostrobos franklinii'', ''Eucryphia milliganii
''Eucryphia milliganii'', also known as the dwarf leatherwood, is a shrub or small tree endemic to areas of Tasmania. It grows in western and southern Tasmania, where it is most commonly found in alpine and sub-alpine heath areas. It is the sis ...
'' (dwarf leatherwood), ''Phyllocladus aspleniifolius'' (celery-top pine), ''Athrotaxis selaginoides'' and, rarely, '' Nothofagus gunnii'' (tanglefoot-beech).[
The shrub layer is more prominent and has an increased diversity of woody trees. Common species are: '' Anopterus glandulosus'' (Tasmanian laurel), '' Anodopetalum biglandulosum'', '']Acradenia frankliniae
''Acradenia frankliniae '', commonly known as whitey wood or whity wood, is a species of shrub or small tree that is endemic to Tasmania. It has glandular-warty branchlets, trifoliate leaves with narrow elliptic to lance-shaped leaflets, and pa ...
'' (whitey-wood or wirewood), '' Archeria hirtella'', '' Archeria eriocarpa'', '' Cenarrhenes nitida'' (native plum), ''Trochocarpa cunninghamii
''Trochocarpa cunninghamii'' is a flowering plant species of the family Ericaceae. It is commonly referred to as straggling purpleberry due to its round flattened mauve drupe fruits. This woody shrub is usually found in the understorey of rainfo ...
'', '' Trochocarpa gunnii'' (sweet-scented trochocarpa), ''Orites diversifolia'' (silkwood), '' Prionotes cerinthoides'' (climbing heath), '' Richea pandanifolia'' (pandani or giant grass tree) and, at high altitudes, '' Richea scoparia'' (honey richea).[ The increase in understorey shrub is due to the larger number of gaps in the canopy, and the differing light requirements of competing species. Fern diversity decreases, as a result, because of the decrease in light from the understorey. '' Parablechnum wattsii'' (hard water fern) is the main ground fern; it prefers damp shaded areas and forms a very dense layer in some areas but can be absent in others. Small epiphytes are widespread, these include ''Hymenophyllum rarum'' (a filmy fern) and ''Grammitis billardierei''. ''Apteropteris applanata'' can occur in areas containing ]Athrotaxis
''Athrotaxis'' is a genus of two to three species (depending on taxonomic opinion) of conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The genus is endemic to western Tasmania, where they grow in high altitude temperate rainforests.Farjon, A. (20 ...
. Other larger epiphytes are usually present, but they are rarely prominent. At higher altitudes, the general appearance resembles that of a callidenderous rainforest, but the floristic differences remain the same.
Thamnic rainforests occur mostly in western and southwestern Tasmania.
Table 2: The Creepy Crawly Nature Walk, Mt Field, Tasmania: Species composition in Thamnic rainforest community; Height ~, 95% of ground leaf cover, scattered rock and bare ground.
Implicate rainforest
Low in stature, broken uneven canopies, height reduced below 20m. Dominance is usually shared between several species: ''Nothofagus cunninghamii
''Nothofagus cunninghamii,'' commonly known as myrtle beech or Tasmanian myrtle, is the dominant species of cool temperate rainforests in Tasmania and Southern Victoria. It has low fire resistance and grows best in partial shade conditions.
It ...
, Nothofagus gunnii, Eucryphia lucida
''Eucryphia lucida'', the leatherwood, is a species of tree or large shrub endemic to forests of western Tasmania, Australia. An attractive plant used in both horticulture and apiculture, it was promoted by the Tasmanian Branch of the then SG ...
, Atherosperma moschatum, Lagarostrobos franklinii, Eucryphia milliganii
''Eucryphia milliganii'', also known as the dwarf leatherwood, is a shrub or small tree endemic to areas of Tasmania. It grows in western and southern Tasmania, where it is most commonly found in alpine and sub-alpine heath areas. It is the sis ...
, Phyllocladus aspleniifolius
''Phyllocladus aspleniifolius'', commonly known as the celerytop pine, is an endemic gymnosperm of Tasmania, Australia. It is widespread and common in Tasmania, with the most abundance in the western highlands. Its ‘leaves’ appear similar ...
, Athrotaxis selaginoides, Diselma archeri, Leptospermum scoparium
''Leptospermum scoparium'', commonly called mānuka, () mānuka myrtle, New Zealand teatree, broom tea-tree, or just tea tree, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, native to New Zealand (including the Chatham Islan ...
, Leptospermum glaucescens, Leptospermum nitidum, Leptospermum lanigerum, Acacia mucronata
''Acacia mucronata'', the variable sallow wattle or narrow-leaved wattle, is a shrub or small tree to 5 m high. It is native to southeast Australia, mainly the states of Tasmania and Victoria (where it is widespread and common in forests and wo ...
'' and '' Melaleuca squarrosa''.[ '' Atherosperma moschatum'' is usually represented by small diameter depauperate plants. Understorey is tangled and barely distinguishable from the canopy layer. It can from a continuous layer from the ground to the canopy but some scattered emergents can occur. Species diversity is high for trees and shrubs in this community, but very low for ferns.][ '' Anopterus glandulosus, Anodopetalum biglandulosum, Cenarrhenes nitida, Telopea truncata, ]Agastachys odorata
''Agastachys odorata'', commonly known as the white waratah or fragrant candlebush, is the sole member of the genus ''Agastachys'' in the protea family. It is an evergreen shrub to small tree and is endemic to the heaths and button grass sedgela ...
, Comprosma nitida, Archeria eriocarpa, Archeria serpyllifolia, Archeria hirtella, Olearia persoonioides, Trochocarpa cunninghamii, Trochocarpa gunnii, Richea pandanifolia, Richea scoparia, Dracophyllum milliganii'' and ''Prionotes cerinthoides'' are all typical shrubs or small trees that comprise these communities. The ferns are dominated by '' Parablechnum wattsii'' but small epiphytes
An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
do prevail: ''Hymenophyllum rarum, Hymenophyllum marginatum, Grammitis billardierei
''Notogrammitis billardierei'', also known as the common finger-fern, or common strap fern, is a small epiphytic or lithophytic fern with small, strap like fronds, found commonly in wet forest in South-Eastern Australia and New Zealand.
Descri ...
and Apteropteris applanata'' occurs in communities where ''Athrotaxis
''Athrotaxis'' is a genus of two to three species (depending on taxonomic opinion) of conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The genus is endemic to western Tasmania, where they grow in high altitude temperate rainforests.Farjon, A. (20 ...
'' are present. – occur mostly in western and southwestern Tasmania.[
]
Open montane rainforest
Low and dominated by '' Athrotaxis cupressoides'' or '' Athrotaxis selaginoides'' (less commonly).[ Open canopy, widely spaced trees allow bright light to penetrate the lower levels of the forest. In some communities, the canopy can be dense and instead resemble a high altitude callidendrous forest. Understorey may be dominated by either '']Poa
''Poa'' is a genus of about 570 species of grasses, native to the temperate regions of both hemispheres. Common names include meadow-grass (mainly in Europe and Asia), bluegrass (mainly in North America), tussock (some New Zealand species), a ...
'' (grasses) or ''Sphagnum
''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, peat moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store wa ...
'' (mosses) or commonly, low shrubs that are less than half the height of the forest. There is a high diversity of woody species but a low diversity of ferns. Multiple species from nearby treeless vegetation are present, but their classification as rainforest species is yet to be confirmed.[ Understorey shrubs include: '']Nothofagus cunninghamii
''Nothofagus cunninghamii,'' commonly known as myrtle beech or Tasmanian myrtle, is the dominant species of cool temperate rainforests in Tasmania and Southern Victoria. It has low fire resistance and grows best in partial shade conditions.
It ...
, Nothofagus gunnii, Diselma archeri, Podocarpus lawrencei, Richea pandanifolia, Richea scoparia, Richea sprengelioides, Orites acicularis, Orites revoluta, Microstobos niphophilus, Tasmannia lanceolata, Epacris serpyllifolia'' and ''Baeckea gunniana''. Ferns are usually poorly developed with larger ground species absent or confined to rocks, '' Gleichenia alpina'' is the exception to this observation.[Jarman, S. J., G. Kantvilas, and Michael James Brown (1991). ''Floristic and ecological studies in Tasmanian rainforest''. Tasmanian Component of the National Rainforest Conservation Program.] Small species such as ''Hymenophyllum peltatum'' and ''Apteropteris applanata'' can sometimes make an appearance. – occur on the Central Plateau but can extend as small outliners to the mountains further south.[
]
Biological factors
Geology and soils are important factors in Tasmanian ecology. Callidendrous forests require good-quality sites where fertile soils occur over rocks such as basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% of a ...
, dolerite
Diabase (), also called dolerite () or microgabbro,
is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. Diabase dikes and sills are typically shallow intrusive bodies and often exhibit fine-grained ...
and the more nutrient-rich granites. Implicate forests are at the other extreme, and mostly grow in organic soils or mineral soils derived from nutrient-poor rock types such as quartzites
Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tect ...
and silicous conglomerates.[ Thamnic forests tend to prefer an intermediate substrate.] With the exception of open montane forests, altitude seems to have little effect on the floristic differences between community types.[Reid, J. B., Hill, R. S., Brown, M. J. & Hovenden, M. J. (2005) Vegetation of Tasmania, Australian Biological Resources Study]
Conservation
In 1982, the (UNESCO) designated the northern portion of the ecoregion a World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
.
Protected areas
Protected areas in the ecoregion include:
* Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
* Hartz Mountains National Park
* Meredith Range Regional Reserve Meredith is a Welsh Brittonic family name, and is also sometimes used as a girl's or boy's forename. The Welsh form is "Maredudd".
People
* Meredith (given name)
* Meredith (surname)
Places Australia
* Meredith, Victoria
United States
* Meredi ...
* Mount Dundas Regional Reserve
* Narawntapu National Park
* Savage River National Park
Savage River National Park is located in north-west Tasmania, Australia. Established in April 1999, it is the largest undisturbed area of temperate rainforest in Australia since the era of the thylacine. Unlike other national parks of Tasmania ...
* Southwest National Park
* West Coast Range Regional Reserve
External links
*
References
{{reflist, 30em, refs=
[{{cite journal, author=Busby, J. R., and M. J. Brown, title=Southern rainforests, journal= Australian Vegetation , year= 1994, pages= 131–155]
[{{cite journal, author=Cullen, P. J., and J. B. Kirkpatrick, title=The ecology of Athrotaxis D. Don (Taxodiaceae). II. The distributions and ecological differentiation of ''A. cupressoides'' and ''A. selaginoides'' , doi=10.1071/BT9880561, journal= Australian Journal of Botany , volume=36, issue=5 , year= 1988, pages= 561–573]
[{{cite journal, author=Read, Jennifer, and Robert S. Hill, title=Dynamics of Nothofagus-dominated rainforest on mainland Australia and lowland Tasmania, doi=10.1007/BF00032607, journal= Vegetatio, volume= 63, issue=2 , year= 1985, pages= 67–78, jstor=20037222, s2cid=40166079]
Ecoregions of Tasmania
*
Natural history of Tasmania
*
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Temperate rainforests