Australia: The Land Where Time Began

A biography of the Australian continent 

Warm Temperate Rainforest

Summary

This type of rainforest is found on poorer soils with parent rocks of rhyolite, trachyte and slates, in the Tweed (Wollumbin) Volcanic Region, and in the more southern, cooler parts, on more fertile soils covering eutrophic rocks. As with the Subtropical Rainforest, it requires rainfall above 1300 mm per year. A more even canopy with a 2 strata layer, 3-15 tree species, with stranglers, woody vines, buttressing is not common, tree trunks tend to be slender, of uniform appearance, bark covered by circular, whitish, patches of lichen, epiphytes are common, but species numbers less than in Subtropical or Tropical Rainforest. Ground ferns and tree ferns common. Among the commonest species in this type of rainforest are Coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum), Sassafras (Doryphora sassafras) and Scentless Rosewood (Synoum glandulosum). This rainforest type is the main type south of Coffs Harbour, but can be found in all the World Heritage national parks of the Tweed (Wollumbin) Volcano Region between 450 and 1200 m. Large stands are also in the Border Ranges NP and the Mt Warning NP.

Northern Warm Temperate Rainforest

Southern Warm Temperate Rainforest

Sources & Further reading