The Tasmanian temperate rain forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in western Tasmania. The ecoregion is part of the Australasian realm, which includes Tasmania and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, New Zealand, New Guinea,

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

, and adjacent islands. Rainforest communities in

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,

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...

, monsoon and temperate rainforest. 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, 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 only has a limited number of woodland and vascular plants 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 hor ...

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 ge ...

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.fungi. 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; 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 and are dominated by angiosperms such as '' Nothofagus cunninghamii'' (myrtle beech), '' Atherosperma moschatum'' (sassafras), and '' Eucryphia lucida'' (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, γυμνό� ...

such as '' Athrotaxis selaginoides'' (King Billy Pine), '' Lagarostrobos franklinii'' (huon or macquarie pine) and '' Phyllocladus aspleniifolius'' (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. 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 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

Callidendrous forest at streams edge at Growling Swallet

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 ''Leptospermum lanigerum'', commonly known as the woolly teatree, is a small tree or medium shrub from the plant family ''Myrtaceae''. Its common name derives from the conspicuously hairy capsules produced as fruit, along with the fine, silky hai ...

'' (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 belon ...

'' (Australian blackwood). Typically, these forests are at least in height. Trees are usually well formed and widely spaced, and the understorey 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'' (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 often flourish. The dominant tree ferns are commonly '' Dicksonia antarctica'' (soft tree fern) and/or '' Polystichum poliferum'' (mother shield fern). Common

epiphyte 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 ...

species include '' Rumohra adiantiformis'' (leathery shieldfern or iron fern), ''

Asplenium gracillimum ''Asplenium gracillimum'' is a fern species native to Australia and New Zealand, also found in Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands. The specific epithet ''gracillimum'' refers to the slender and graceful appearance of this fern. Description ...

'' (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'' (kangaroo fern)'',"

Hymenophyllum flabellatum ''Hymenophyllum flabellatum'' (Hymen-O-FIL-lum Flab-bel-Lah-tum), the shiny filmy-fern, is a species of fern in the family Hymenophyllaceae. This delicate fern is commonly epiphytic and is between 5 and 25 cm in length. It is distinct, with ...

'' (shiny filmy-fern), '' Hymenophyllum australe'' (austral filmy-fern), ''

Hymenophyllum cupressiforme '' Hymenophyllum cupressiforme'' is a southern hemisphere species of Hymenophyllum, filmy fern. Found in moist sheltered areas, in or near rainforests. Occasionally found in drier protected areas. Leaves one cell thick. A small epiphytic fern fou ...

'', 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. Mother Spleenwort frond tips

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 ''Tasmannia lanceolata'' ( syn. ''Drimys lanceolata''), commonly known as Tasmanian pepperberry or mountain pepper, is a shrub native to woodlands and cool temperate rainforest of south-eastern Australia. The shrub varies from 2 to 10 m high. T ...

'' (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'' (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 to 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 ''Nothofagus gunnii'', the tanglefoot or deciduous beech, is a deciduous shrub or small tree endemic to the highlands of Tasmania, Australia. It was described in 1847 by R.C GunnReid, James B.; Hill, Robert S.; Brown, Michael J.; & Hovenden, Mark ...

'' (tanglefoot-beech). The shrub layer is more prominent and has an increased diversity of woody trees. Common species are: ''

Anopterus glandulosus ''Anopterus glandulosus'', commonly known as native laurel or Tasmanian laurel, is a species of shrub or small tree in the family Escalloniaceae. Endemic to south and southwestern Tasmania, ''A. glandulosus'' is widespread in the moist understo ...

'' (Tasmanian laurel), ''

Anodopetalum biglandulosum ''Anodopetalum biglandulosum'' is a Tasmanian endemic shrub or small tree species that is a common component of Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption ...

'', ''

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 hirtella'' is a species of shrub in the family Ericaceae. It is native to Tasmania, Australia. Taxonomy Joseph Hooker first described it in 1847 as ''Epacris hirtella'' from a specimen collected in Macquarie Harbour by Gunn,Hooker, J ...

'', ''

Archeria eriocarpa ''Archeria eriocarpa'' is a species of shrub in the family Ericaceae. It is endemic to Tasmania, Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Aust ...

'', '' Cenarrhenes nitida'' (native plum), '' Trochocarpa cunninghamii'', ''

Trochocarpa gunnii ''Trochocarpa gunnii'', commonly known as sweet-scented trochocarpa or fragrant purpleberry, is a common rainforest understorey shrub from the plant family Ericaceae (formerly Epacridaceae) endemic to Tasmania. Description ''Trochocarpa gunni ...

'' (sweet-scented trochocarpa), ''Orites diversifolia'' (silkwood), '' Prionotes cerinthoides'' (climbing heath), ''

Richea pandanifolia ''Richea pandanifolia'', the pandani or giant grass tree, is a distinctive endemic Tasmanian angiosperm. It is dicot of the family Ericaceae and is found in central, western and south west Tasmania. It is a favourite among hikers and nature love ...

'' (pandani or giant grass tree) and, at high altitudes, ''

Richea scoparia ''Richea scoparia (formerly known as R. angustifolia)'', is a wide spread Tasmanian endemic plant. The genus ''Richea,'' forms part of the Ericaceae (formerly Epacridaceae) family, which are commonly heath-like shrubs. The name refers to the er ...

'' (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 ''Parablechnum wattsii'', synonym ''Blechnum wattsii'', is a common terrestrial fern growing in rainforest and open forest. It is often seen near creeks in much of south eastern Australia, including Victoria, Tasmania (and King Island), South A ...

'' (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. 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,

, Eucryphia lucida, Atherosperma moschatum, Lagarostrobos franklinii,

, Phyllocladus aspleniifolius, Athrotaxis selaginoides,

Diselma archeri ''Diselma archeri'' (dwarf pine or Cheshunt pine) is a species of plant of the family Cupressaceae and the sole species in the genus ''Diselma''. It is endemic to the alpine regions of Tasmania's southwest and Central Highlands, on the western ...

, Leptospermum scoparium, Leptospermum glaucescens,

Leptospermum nitidum ''Leptospermum nitidum'', commonly known as shiny tea-tree, is a species of compact shrub that is endemic to Tasmania. It has crowded, aromatic, elliptical leaves, white flowers about in diameter and fruit that remain on the plants until it is b ...

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. ''

, Cenarrhenes nitida, Telopea truncata, Agastachys odorata, Comprosma nitida,

Archeria serpyllifolia ''Archeria serpyllifolia'', commonly known as thyme archeria, is a species of shrub in the family Ericaceae. It is endemic to Tasmania, Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign coun ...

, Olearia persoonioides, Trochocarpa cunninghamii, Trochocarpa gunnii,

Dracophyllum milliganii ''Dracophyllum milliganii '' is a species of angiosperm in the family Ericaceae and the sub-family Epacridoideae. It is a distinctive alpine shrub, endemic to western Tasmania. Description ''Dracophyllum milliganii'' is grouped into two popul ...

'' and ''Prionotes cerinthoides'' are all typical shrubs or small trees that comprise these communities. The ferns are dominated by ''

'' but small epiphytes do prevail: ''Hymenophyllum rarum, Hymenophyllum marginatum,

and Apteropteris applanata'' occurs in communities where '' Athrotaxis'' 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'' (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,

Podocarpus lawrencei ''Podocarpus lawrencei'' is a species of podocarp native throughout the Australian high country, from southern Tasmania through to the New South Wales highlands. Common names are Errinundra plum-pine and mountain plum-pine (though it is neither a ...

Richea sprengelioides ''Richea sprengelioides'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae. It is one of the 11 species within the genus ''Richea'' that are endemic to Australia, of which 9 are found only in Tasmania. The species was first formally descr ...

, Orites acicularis, Orites revoluta, Microstobos niphophilus,

, Epacris serpyllifolia'' and ''Baeckea gunniana''. Ferns are usually poorly developed with larger ground species absent or confined to rocks, ''

Gleichenia alpina ''Gleichenia alpina'', commonly known as alpine coral-fern, is a small fern species that occurs in Tasmania and New Zealand. It grows in alpine and subalpine areas with moist soils and is a part of the Gleichrniaceae family. The species was fir ...

'' 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, dolerite 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 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 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated the northern portion of the ecoregion a World Heritage Site.

Protected areas

Protected areas in the ecoregion include: * Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park *

Hartz Mountains National Park Hartz Mountains National Park is located in the south of Tasmania, Australia. It is one of 19 Tasmanian National Parks, and in 1989 it was included in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, in recognition of its natural and cultural valu ...

* Meredith Range Regional Reserve * Mount Dundas Regional Reserve *

Narawntapu National Park Narawntapu National Park (formerly known as Asbestos Range National Park) is a national park in the Australian state of Tasmania. It lies on Tasmania's north coast, adjoining Bass Strait, between Port Sorell in the west and the mouth of the Tam ...

* Savage River National Park * Southwest National Park *

West Coast Range Regional Reserve The West Coast Range is a mountain range located in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. The range lies to the west and north of the main parts of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. The range has had a significant numb ...

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