Dorrigo National Park

Rainforests

Sub-tropical rainforest is the most luxuriant type in the park and is found under the most favourable habitat conditions. Characteristic features include the great variety of tree species, tall closely placed trees, a wealth of epiphytic ferns, orchids, numerous large vines and the frequency of trees with special growth forms such as palms, strangling figs, trees with large buttresses and trees with large simple or compound leaves.

There are two major areas of sub-tropical rainforest in the park. One is along the edge of the basalt-capped plateau and appears to be favoured by the deep red basalt soils and a high rainfall of about 2300 mm per year. The second is found at lower altitudes in gullies and on the alluvial flats of the Rosewood River. This occurrence seems to be favoured by fertile alluvial soils, sheltered moist microclimate conditions and the warm coastal climate.

The rainforest on the basalt cap is generally dominated by yellow carabeen (Sloanea woollsii) with its thick, plank shaped buttresses at ground level, and black booyong (Argyrodendron actinphyllum) which has a concave, buttressed trunk and rough, dark grey bark. It is often covered with the red-fruited pothos vine, and acts as a host for orchids and ferns. Other common associates are:

 

*  strangler fig (Ficus watkinsiania)

*  giant stinging tree (Dendrocnide excelsa)

*  prickly ash (Orites excelsa)

*  black apple (Planchonella australis)

Warm temperate rainforest is the second most important rainforest type in the park in terms of area and can be found on the northern plateau section, and to a limited extent on the escarpment to the south. Its distribution appears to be determined by the poorer soils derived from the slated and siltstones of the moombil beds and the light granite soils derived from the Dorrigo Mountain complex.

This community is less luxuriant than sub-tropical rainforest. It has fewer large vines and epiphytes and a comparative lack of large palms, figs and buttressed trees. Tree ferns and ground ferns are abundant and thin wiry vines are common. Several tree species are common including:

 

*  coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum)

*  sassafras (Doryphora sassafras)

*  corkwood (Ackama paniculata)

*  jackwood (Cryptocarya glaucescens)

*  crab apple (Schizomaria ovata)

*  prickly ash (Orites excelsa)

*  Dorrigo plum (Endiandra intorsa).

 

In some areas hoop pine occurs as an emergent, and you can see it along Rosewood Creek Track and Syndicate Ridge Track. The main occurrence of warm temperate rainforest is in the part of the park that was previously part of Never Never State Forest. Annual records of timber removal go back 60 years and show the heaviest and most extensive logging took place in the 1950s.

Except for the northern side of the Rose River and two other small areas within the former trig reserves at Dibbs Head and Rocky Peak, the warm temperate rainforest in the park has been heavily logged. Although pockets of slightly disturbed warm temperate rainforest do occur in the heavily logged area, much of the logged rainforest consists of remnant blackwood (Acacia melonoxylon), callicoma (Callicoma serratifolia) and sweet pittosporum.

Small areas of cool temperate rainforest, characterised by the Antarctic beech (Nothofagus moorei) with it's dark brown, often mossy covered bark, occur within the park along the Rosewood River and the ridgetop in the Killungoondie section. Some scattered trees of Antarctic beech also occur on Dome Mountain. The Antarctic beech forests contain hoop pine emergents. Cool temperate rainforest represents the cool and moist extreme in rainforest development.

Several patches of marginal dry rainforest occur within the southern escarpment section of the park along the Waterfall Way. They are found in the area where the Dorrigo Mountain complex of igneous rocks is exposed below the basalts of the plateau. The presence of this rainforest community appears to be determined by the steep slopes of the escarpment, which are covered only with a shallow, skeletal soil and rock outcrops.

Another small patch is located 5 kilometres to the north-east below the cliffs at Cedar falls. This occurrence is also associated with a band of resistant rock that has given rise to shallow stony soils. The community is stunted and open in some places but tall and reasonably dense in others. Vines are well developed but epiphytes are less abundant and diverse than in the sub-tropical rainforest communities. Palms are absent and the occasional strangling figs are small leafed figs (Ficus obliqua) rather than the common strangling fig. Hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) occurs as a tall emergent tree in some of the dry rainforest patches. Several other trees and shrubs are species found in both sub-tropical rainforest and dry rainforest. Examples include:

 

*  flame tree (Brachychiton acerifolius)

*  guioa (Guioa semiglauca)

*  black apple (Planchonella australis)

*  sweet pittosporum (Pittosporum undulatum)

*  rosewood (Dysoxylum fraserianum).

Grasslands

Grassland is confined to the Killungoondie Plain. It occurs on relatively fertile soils and may have developed because of past burning but is now partially maintained by frosts.

Dry eucalypt forests

Tall open forest is one of the main vegetation types in the park. In the southern escarpment section it extends down the steep ridges separating the rainforest gullies.

Many of the stands are completely surrounded by rainforest and have probably escaped fire for long periods.

The forests are mostly of the wet eucalypt type, with trees of up to 60m in height. You'll see the tall, straight trunks of the tallowwood trees, and the smooth bark and glossy dark green leaves of the coastal blackbutt. These forests usually have a dense to mid-dense understorey of mesophytic shrubs, however on some of the ridges below the Waterfall Way, the forests tend to be of a drier type. The shrub layer is less mesic and more open. A blady grass (Imperata cylindrica) ground cover is well developed. This may be due to a greater incidence of fire in this area, its exposed northern aspect and/or lower rainfall.

The main tree species are:

 

*  tallowwood (Eucalyptus microcorys)

*  brush box (Lophestemon confertus)

*  Sydney blue gum (E. saligna)

*  coastal blackbutt (E. pilularis).

These trees form a variety of associations throughout the park.

Heathlands

This community is found in the Dome Mountain and Dibbs Head sections of the park, where it occurs in very small stands on high rocky outcrops. It is dominated by shrubs ranging from 1-2 m to 4-5 m in height. It favours a combination of shallow well-drained soils and a high degree of exposure to winds.

The main shrub species are:

 

*  oval mint bush (Prostanthera ovalifolia)

*  New England tea-tree (Leptospermum phylicoides)

*  lemon scented tea-tree (Leptospermum petersonii)

*  creek tea-tree (Leptospermum flavescens)

*  mountain pomaderres (Pomaderres nitidula)

*  giant grass tree (Xanthorrhoea australis).

Native animals

Mammals

Thirty species of native mammals have been confirmed as living in the park with some additional sightings such as the parma wallaby (Macropus parma) requiring verification.

The largest mammal in the park is the swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor). This species is common and found throughout. Red-necked pademelon (Thylogale thetis) are also very common within the rainforest areas. They are commonly seen at the Rainforest Centre picnic area, when they come out at twilight to feed on grass and herbs. Red-legged pademelons (Thylogale stigmatica) and long-nosed potoroos are also found in the rainforest, but are less common.

There are four species of climbing possum in the park, including the common grey brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecular), the mountain brushtail possum (Trichosurus caninus), which appears almost black in colour, the ringtail possum (pseudocheirus peregrinus) and the pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus).

The two brushtail possum species inhabit most of the heavily forested areas of the park. They need hollows in mature trees for shelter and breeding sites. The ringtail possum occurs in all forested areas of the park but is most common in the highland sub-tropical and warm temperate rain forest. The pygmy-possum is the smallest in the park, about the size of a house mouse. It has only been recorded in the sub-tropical rainforest.

At least four species of gliding possum are known from the park. The largest is the greater glider (Schoinobates volans) which is found in the eucalypt forests. The squirrel glider (Petauris australis) and the sugar glider (Petauris breviceps) have also been recorded. Feathertail gliders (Acrobates pygmaeus), the smallest of all gliding species, are also found in the park. They live and hunt in the eucalypt forest treetops. The yellow-bellied glider (Petauris australis), listed as vulnerable under the Threatened Species Conservation Act has been recorded.

Other species recorded in Dorrigo National Park include:

 

*  long-nosed bandicoot (Parammeles nasuta)

*  northern brown bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus)

*  spotted tail quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)

*  koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)

      *  brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa).

 

These last three are listed as vulnerable under the Threatened Species Conservation Act.

Birds

The most easily observed animals in the park are the birds. 128 species have been recorded and many of these depend on the bounty of the rainforest for their existence. This includes many of the fruit eating pigeons, noisy pittas (Pitta versicolor),  paradise riflebird (Ptiloris paradiseus) and green catbird (Ailuroelus crassirostrus).

You may see the spectacular regent bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus), the male of the species with gold splashes of colour on a black head and body, or the brilliant red of the Australian king parrot and the crimson rosella.

Birds of special interest are the powerful owl (Ninox strenua), masked owl (Tyto novaehollandiae) and sooty owl (Tyto novaehollandiae), all of which are listed as vulnerable under the Threatened Species Conservation Act.

Other birds listed as vulnerable found in the park are:

 

*  Wompoo fruit-dove (Ptilinopus magnificus)

*  rose crowned fruit-dove (Ptilinopus regina)

*  glossy black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami)

*  turquoise parrot (Neophema pulchella).

 

Amphibians and Reptiles

The dense forest covering most of the park provides a perfect hiding place for reptiles. If you are quiet and patient, you might catch a glimpe of some of the 44 species recorded, including the southern angle-headed dragon (Gonocephalus spinipes), which is confined to the rainforest. Try looking closely at tree trunks, where it clings motionless when not hunting insects on the forest floor. You might also spot the coastal carpet python or Stephens' banded snake, both of which spend much of their time in tree crevices.

The moist forests and streams within the park also support a large number of frogs and toads. Of particular interest is the pouched frog (Assa darlingtoni). The male of the species has side pouches for carrying tadpoles after hatching, where they stay until they emerge as fully formed frogs ready to fend for themselves. The sphagnum frog (Philoria sphagnicolus), Mixophyes balbus and Litoria subglandulosa, and the pouched frog are all listed as vulnerable.

The amphibian population of the park is recognised as being a particularly useful indicator of the health of streams and other wetlands in protected areas.

Invertebrates

There is a great diversity of invertebrate species in the rainforest. Many of these species are highly specialised in their habitat requirements, being restricted to particular host plant species or even parts of their host plant species, and having specific hosts for different stages of their life.

One of the most visually prominent groups of rainforest invertebrates is the Lepidoptera (moths & butterflies).

Some species of invertebrates notable for their large size are found in the rainforests. These include the largest known earwig (Titanolabis collossea), which can also be found in wet eucalypt forest, and Australia's largest weevil (Eurhampus fasciculatus), which is associated with the fallen logs of the hoop pine.

© State of New South Wales through the Office of Environment and Heritage

Click the link for more information about Dorrigo National  Park

Dorrigo National Park, part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area offers stunning scenery that has been millions of years in the making. The park contains a range of forest types that protect an enormous variety of animals and birds, like red-necked pademelons, the vibrantly coloured wompoo fruit-dove and the spectacular regent bowerbird.

A great daytrip from Coffs Harbour, you can go birdwatching, relax at scenic picnic and barbecue spots, explore secret waterfalls and rainforest walks and be amazed by the views from the elevated walk which looks all the way from the forest to the sea. Be sure to stop in at the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre.

Crystal Shower Falls from footbridge

Photos of Dorrigo National Park

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