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Temperate rainforests arerainforests withconiferous orbroadleafforests that occur in thetemperate zone and receive heavy rain.
Temperate rainforests occur in oceanic moist regions around the world: thePacific temperate rainforests ofNorth AmericanPacific Northwest as well as theAppalachian temperate rainforest in theAppalachian region of theUnited States; theValdivian temperate rainforests of southwesternSouth America; the rainforests ofNew Zealand andsoutheasternAustralia;northwest Europe (small pockets inGreat Britain and larger areas inIreland, southernNorway, northernIberia andBrittany); southernJapan; theBlack Sea–Caspian Sea region from the southeasternmost coastal zone of theBulgarian coast, throughTurkey, toGeorgia, and northernIran.
The moist conditions of temperate rainforests generally have an understory ofmosses,ferns and some shrubs and berries. Temperate rainforests can betemperate coniferous forests ortemperate broadleaf and mixed forests.
For temperaterainforests of North America, Alaback's definition[1] is widely recognized:[2]
However, required annual precipitation depends on factors such as distribution of rain over the year, temperatures over the year and fog presence, and definitions in other regions of the world differ considerably. For example, Australian definitions areecological-structural rather thanclimatic:
Australian definitions would exclude some temperate rainforests of western North America that areCoast Douglas-fir dominant, such as parts of theKlamath Mountains in southern Oregon and northern California, thePuget Lowlands of western Washington and theGeorgia Depression in British Columbia,[4][5] as their dominant tree species, the Coast Douglas-fir, requires stand-destroying disturbance to initiate a new cohort of seedlings.[6] The North American definition would in turn exclude a part of temperate rainforests under definitions used elsewhere.[7]
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Forforests,canopy refers to the upper layer orhabitat zone, formed by maturetree crowns and including other biological organisms (epiphytes,lianas, arboreal animals, etc.). The canopy level is the third level of the temperate rainforest. The trees forming the canopy,conifers, can stand as tall as 100 metres or more. A variety of species survive in the canopy. The tops of these trees collect most of the rain, moisture, and photosynthesis that therainforest takes in. They form a canopy over the forest, covering about 95% of the floor during the summer.
The canopy's coverage affects theshade tolerance levels of forest floor plants. When the canopy is in full bloom, covering about 95% of the floor, plant survival decreases. Some plant species have become shade tolerant in order to survive. The treetops take in the heavy amount of rain and keep the lower levels of the forest damp.
The canopy survives throughphotosynthesis. The leaves provide energy and nutrients for the trees, which provide homes and food for the forest. Through satellite data, the radiation use efficiency (RUE) calculates the annual amount of photosynthesis that occurs in temperate rainforests. A diverse amount of photosynthesis occurs based on the location andmicroclimates of the forest.[8]
A portion of the temperate rain forest region ofNorth America, the largest area of temperate zone rainforests on the planet, is the Pacific temperate rain forests ecoregion, which occur on west-facingcoastal mountains along the Pacific coast of North America, fromKodiak Island inAlaska to northernCalifornia, and are part of theNearctic realm. In the different system established by theCommission for Environmental Cooperation, this same general region is classed as thePacific Maritime Ecozone byEnvironment Canada and as theMarine West Coast Forest Level II ecoregion by the United StatesEnvironmental Protection Agency. In terms of thefloristic province system used bybotany, the bulk of the region is theRocky Mountain Floristic Region but a small southern portion is part of theCalifornia Floristic Province.
Sub-ecoregions of the Pacific temperate rainforest ecoregion as defined by theWWF include theNorthern Pacific coastal forests,Haida Gwaii ecoregion,Vancouver Island ecoregion,British Columbia mainland coastal forests,Central Pacific coastal forests,Cascades forests,Klamath-Siskiyou coastal forests, andNorthern California coastal forests ecoregions. They vary in theirspecies composition, but are all predominantlyconiferous, sometimes with anunderstory ofbroadleavedtrees andshrubs. Most of the precipitation occurs in winter, similar toMediterranean climates, but in summer,fog moisture is extracted by the trees and produces afog drip keeping the forest moist.[9] The Northern California coastal forests are home to theCoast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), the world's tallest tree. In the other ecoregions,Coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var.menziesii),Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis),Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) andWestern redcedar (Thuja plicata) are the most important tree species. A common feature of Pacific temperate rainforests of North America is theNurse log, a fallen tree which as it decays, provides ecological facilitation to seedlings. Trees such as the Coast Douglas-fir, Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar,Pacific Yew, andVine Maple are more closely related to coniferous and deciduous trees in the temperate forests ofEast Asia.
Some of the largest expanses of old growth are found inOlympic National Park,Mount Rainier National Park,Mount Hood National Forest,Crater Lake National Park,Tongass National Forest,Mount St. Helens National Monument,Redwood National Park, and throughoutBritish Columbia (including British Columbia's Coastal Mountain Ranges), with the coastalGreat Bear Rainforest containing the largest expanses of old growth temperate rainforest found in the world.
British Columbia'sRocky Mountains,Cariboo Mountains,Rocky Mountain Trench (east ofPrince George) and theColumbia Mountains of Southeastern British Columbia (west of the Canadian Rocky Mountains that extend into parts of Idaho and Northwestern Montana in the US), which include theSelkirk Mountains,Monashee Mountains, and thePurcell Mountains, have the largest stretch of interior temperate coniferous rainforests.[10] Theseinland rainforests have more continental climate with a large proportion of the precipitation falling as snow. Being closer to the Rocky Mountains, there is more of a diverse mammalian fauna. Some of the best interior rainforests are found inMount Revelstoke National Park andGlacier National Park (Canada) in the Columbia Mountains.
Temperate rainforests are located in the southernAppalachian Mountains whereorographic precipitation increases precipitation of weather systems coming from the west and from theGulf of Mexico. Temperate rainforest extends through the Appalachian areas of westernNorth Carolina,[11] southeasternKentucky,[12] southwestVirginia, easternTennessee,[13] northern South Carolina,[14] and northernGeorgia.[15]
Red spruce and Fraser fir are dominant canopy trees in high mountain areas. In higher elevation (over 1,980 metres; 6,500 feet), Fraser fir is dominant, in middle elevation (1,675 to 1,890 metres; 5,495 to 6,201 ft) red spruce and Fraser fir grow together, and in lower elevation (1,370 to 1,650 metres; 4,490 to 5,410 ft) red spruce is dominant. Yellow birch, mountain ash, and mountain maple grow in the understory. Younger spruce and fir and shrubs like raspberry, blackberry, hobblebush, southern mountain cranberries, red elderberry, minniebush, southern bush honeysuckle are understory vegetation. Below the spruce-fir forest, at around 1,200 metres (3,900 ft), are forests of American beech, yellow birch, maple birch, and oak. Skunk cabbage and ground juniper are northern species that were pushed into the areas from the north.
The mild and wet environment supports the high diversity of fungi. Over 2,000 species live in this area and scientists estimate many unidentified fungi may be there.[10]
Largeforested regions of theAdirondack and smaller parts of theCatskill mountains in New York state routinely receive over 55 inches of rain per year, classifying them as temperate rainforests.[16][17]
The temperate rainforests ofSouth America are located on the Pacific coast of southernChile, on the west-facing slopes of the southern Chilean coast range, and theAndes Mountains in both Chile and WesternArgentina down to the southern tip of South America, and are part of theNeotropical realm. Temperate rainforests occur in theValdivian temperate rain forests andMagellanic subpolar forests ecoregions. The Valdivian rainforests are home to a variety of broadleaf evergreen trees, likeAextoxicon punctatum,Eucryphia cordifolia, andsouthern beech (Nothofagus), but include manyconifers as well, notablyAlerce (Fitzroya cupressoides), one of the largest tree species of the world.
The Valdivian and Magellanic temperate rainforests are the only temperate rainforests in South America. Together they are the second largest in the world, after the Pacific temperate rainforests of North America. The Valdivian forests are a refuge for theAntarctic flora, and share many plant families and genera with the temperate rainforests ofNew Zealand,Tasmania, andAustralia. Fully half the species of woody plants areendemic to this ecoregion.
In the Valdivian region the Andean Cordillera intercepts moist westerly winds along the Pacific coast during winter and summer months; these winds cool as they ascend the mountains, creating heavy rainfall on the mountains' west-facing slopes. The northward-flowing oceanic Humboldt Current creates humid and foggy conditions near the coast. The tree line is at about 2,400 m in the northern part of the ecoregion (35°S), and descends to 1,000 m in the south of theValdivian region. In the summer the temperature can climb to 16.5 °C (61.7 °F), while during winter the temperature can drop below 7 °C (45 °F).[18]
The temperate rainforests ofSouth Africa are part of theKnysna-Amatole forests that are located along South Africa'sGarden Route between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth on the south-facing slopes of South Africa's Drakensberg Mountains facing the Indian Ocean. There are several coniferouspodocarps that grow here. This forest receives a lot of moisture as fog from the Indian Ocean, and resembles not only other temperate rainforests worldwide, but also the montane evergreenAfromontane forests that occur at higher elevations in southern and eastern Africa. A fine example of this forest is in South Africa'sTsitsikamma National Park.
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The rainforests of theAzores (also known ascloud forests, due to the constant cloud coverage caused byorographic lift) are found in the more humid, montane areas that transition from the lower altitudelaurissilva. They are generally found at altitudes ranging from 600 to 1,000 m (2,000 to 3,300 ft), and receive 2,000 to 6,000 mm (79 to 236 in) of average annual rainfall.[19][20][21]
Despite being located in the temperate zone, the Azores rainforest is similar in many ways to the cloud forest environments of the tropics and subtropics.[22][19][23] These pluvial montane forests hold the highest biodiversity and degree of endemism of the whole archipelago.[19] They are dominated by dense formations of endemicjuniper,laurel,holly andtree heaths[19][20] with several species ofepiphytic ferns[24] and an abundance of mosses and rainforest lichens (such asErioderma).[25]
The climate in the rainforest is mild and cool, averaging 12 °C (54 °F)[19] with a narrow diurnal temperature range and temperatures that only drop below freezing in exceptional years.[26]
Since human settlement in the 15th century, these rainforests, which once covered most of the high altitudes of the archipelago, have gradually been reduced to relics and are now found almost exclusively on three of the nine islands (Flores,Pico andTerceira). Their main threat is the expansion of cattle grazing pastures.[20]
Temperate rainforest occurs in fragments across the north and west of Europe in countries such as southernNorway (seeScandinavian coastal conifer forests) and northernSpain. Other temperate rainforest regions include areas of south eastern Europe such as mountains on the east coast of theAdriatic Sea, surrounding North WesternBulgaria along with theBlack Sea.
The woodlands are variously referred to in Britain as Upland Oakwoods, Atlantic Oakwoods, Western Oakwoods or Temperate Rainforest,Caledonian forest, and colloquially as'Celtic Rainforests'.[27] They are also listed in theBritish National Vegetation Classification asBritish NVC community W11 andBritish NVC community W17 depending on the ground flora. The majority of surviving fragments of Atlantic Oakwoods in Britain occur on steep-sided slopes above rivers and lakes which have avoided clearance and intensive grazing pressure. There are notable examples on the islands and shores ofLoch Maree,Loch Sunart,Loch Lomond and one of the best preserved sites on the remoteTaynish Peninsula in Argyll.[28] There are also small areas on steep-sided riverine gorges inSnowdonia and Mid Wales, such as found at theDolmelynllyn Estate in Gwynedd.[29][30]
In England, they occur in theLake District (Borrowdale Woods) and steep sided riverine and estuarine valleys in Devon and Cornwall and theMicroclimate disused slate & granite quarries in these counties. This includes theFowey valley in Cornwall and the valley of theriver Dart which flows offDartmoor and has rainfall in excess of 2 metres per year.[28]
Derrycunnihy Wood, located in theKillarney National Park, is the best example of the ancient damp-climate oceanic forest that covered an estimated 80 percent of Ireland prior to the arrival of humans in 7,000 BCE.
Guy Shrubsole'sLost Rainforests of Britain attempts to find, map, photograph, and restore them.[31][32][33][34][35][36][37]
The Colchian rainforests are found around both the southeast and west corners of the Black Sea starting inBulgaria all the way toTurkey andGeorgia and are part of theEuxine-Colchic deciduous forests ecoregion, together with the drier Euxine forests further west. The Colchian rainforests are mixed, with deciduousblack alder(Alnus glutinosa), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus andC. orientalis),Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis), andsweet chestnut(Castanea sativa) together with evergreenNordmann fir (Abies nordmanniana, the tallest tree in Europe at 78 m),Caucasian spruce (Picea orientalis) andScots pine (Pinus sylvestris).The refugium is the largest throughout the Western Asian / near Eastern region.[38][39][40] The area has multiple representatives ofdisjunctrelict groups of plants with the closest relatives in Eastern Asia, southern Europe, and even North America.[41][42][43] Over 70 species of forest snails of the region are endemic.[44] Some relict species of vertebrates areCaucasian parsley frog,Caucasian salamander,Robert's snow vole andCaucasian grouse; they are almost entirely endemic groups of animals such as lizards of genusDarevskia. In general,species composition of this refugium is quite distinct and differs from that of the other Western Eurasian refugia.[40] Genetic data suggest that the Colchis temperate rainforest, during theIce Age, was fragmented into smaller parts; in particular, evolutionary lineages of theCaucasian Salamander from the central and south-western Colchis remained isolated from one another during the entire Ice Age.[45]
TheFragas do Eume is a natural park situated inGalicia, north-westernSpain.Fraga is aGalician word for 'natural woodland', (old-growth forest) and the park is an example of a temperate rainforest in which oak (Quercus robur andQuercus pyrenaica) is theclimax vegetation. The protected area extends along the valley of the river Eume within theFerrolterra municipalities ofPontedeume,Cabanas,A Capela,Monfero andAs Pontes de García Rodríguez. Some 500 people reside within the park. The monastery ofMonastery ofSan Xoán de Caaveiro also lies within the park.
The area was declared anatural park (a level of protection lower thannational park) in 1997. It is one of six natural parks in Galicia. TheEuropean Union has recognised the park as aSite of Community Importance. There are a number of species of ferns. Invertebrate species include theKerry slug and it is an important site for amphibians.
The Vinatovača rainforest, alternatively spelledVintovača, is the only rainforest in Serbia.[46] It has been left undisturbed for centuries due to strict conservation laws starting in the 17th century.
Vinatovača is situated in the centralKučaj mountains in theUpper Resava region, at an altitude between 640 m (2,100 ft) and 800 m (2,600 ft). It is isolated and hard to reach which helped its preservation. It is believed that trees have not been cut in Vinatovača since about 1650. Being under strict protection means not only that the trees that die of old age are not being cleared or removed, but even picking herbs or mushrooms is forbidden. It is considered as an example of what central and eastern Serbia's natural look is. Beech trees are up to 45 m (148 ft) tall and some specimens are estimated to be over 300 years old.[46]
TheCaspian Hyrcanian mixed forests ecoregion in northernIran contains a jungle in the form of a rainforest which stretches from the east in theKhorasan province to the west in theArdabil Province, covering the other provinces ofGilan,Mazandaran, andGolestan. The Elburz orAlborz mountain range is the highest mountain range in theMiddle East which captures the moisture of theCaspian Sea to its north and formssubtropical and temperate rainforests in the northern part ofIran. The Iranians call this forest and regionShomal which meansnorth inPersian. This forest was known for most of the history for being home to the now extinctCaspian Tiger.
In southeastAzerbaijan, this ecoregion includes theLankaran Lowland and theTalysh Mountains, the latter being evenly divided with Iran to the south. They aredeciduous forests containing tree species such as black alder (Alnus glutinosa subsp.barbata), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus andC. orientalis), Caucasian wingnut (Pterocarya fraxinifolia), chestnut-leaved oak (Quercus castaneifolia), Caucasian oak (Quercus macranthera), oriental beech (Fagus orientalis), Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica) and Persian silk tree (Albizia julibrissin).
The existing protected areas in Azerbaijan include:
These forests are found in eastern Taiwan and Taiwan's Central Mountain Ranges, part of theTaiwan subtropical evergreen forest region covering the higher elevations. Most of the lower elevations are covered by subtropical broadleaf evergreen forests, dominated by Chinese Cryptocarya (Cryptocarya chinensis),Castanopsis hystrix and Japanese Blue Oak (Quercus glauca). Higher elevations give way to temperate forests with large stands ofold growth Taiwan Cypress (Chamaecyparis taiwanensis), Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora), maple (Acer spp.), Chinese yew (Taxus chinensis), Taiwan Hemlock (Tsuga chinensis), and Taiwan Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga sinensis var. wilsoniana). These higher elevation forests include also giant conifers Formosan Cypress (Chamaecyparis formosensis) and Taiwania (Taiwania cryptomerioides) Some fine examples of forests are found in Yushan (Jade Mountain) National Park andAlishan.[47][48]
The forests that cover the mountains and valleys of theBaekdu Mountain Range – fromMt. Baekdu, in the north, toMt. Jiri, in the southwest, forming the spine of theKorean Peninsula – and thesouthern coast and islands of the peninsula – includingJeju Island – feature a wide variety of conifers and broadleaf trees. Much of these forests are protected in mountain and marine national forests, such as inHallyeohaesang National Park, which encompasses 150.14 km2 (57.97 sq mi) of mountainous forests spread out over 69 uninhabited islands and 30 inhabited islands in Korea's South Sea that provide a home to 1,142 plant species, including major species such as red pine, black pine, common camellia, serrata oak, and cork oak, as well as rare species such as nadopungnan (Phalaenopsis japonica), daeheongnan (Cymbidium macrorhizon) and the Korean winter hazel (Corylopsis coreana). Major animals species, such as otters, small-eared cats, and badgers also call Hallyeohaesang National Park home, and overall there are 25 mammal species, 115 bird species, 16 reptile species, 1,566 insect species, and 24 freshwater fish species found among the forested, mountains islands.[49]
Seoraksan National Park covers 398.539 km2 (153.877 sq mi) of mountainous forests near the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula, and is aUNESCO designated Biosphere Preservation District. Over 2,000 animal species live in Seoraksan, including the Korean goral, musk deer, and there are also more than 1,400 rare plant species, such as the edelweiss.[50]
SouthwesternJapan'sTaiheiyo evergreen forests region covers much ofShikoku andKyūshū Islands, and the Southern/Pacific Ocean-facing side ofHonshu ("Taiheiyo" is thePacific Ocean, in Japanese). Here the natural forests are mainlybroadleafevergreen in lower elevations anddeciduous in higher elevations. TheHydrangea hirta species is an endemic deciduous species that can be found in this area. The limit occurs at 500–1000 metres depending on latitude.[51] The main tree species are members of beech family (Fagaceae). In lower altitudes these include evergreen oaks (Quercus spp.), Japanese Chinquapin (Castanopsis cuspidata) and Japanese Stone Oak (Lithocarpus edulis),[51] and in higher altitudes Japanese Blue Beech (Fagus japonica) and Siebold's beech (Fagus crenata).[52]
Some of the best preserved examples of forest are found inKirishima-Yaku National Park on the Island ofYakushima off of Kyūshū in a very wet climate (the annual rainfall is 4,000 to 10,000 mm depending on altitude). Because of relatively infertile soils on granite, Yakushima's forests in higher elevations are dominated by a giantconifer species, Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), rather than deciduous forests typical of the mainland.[48][53] Other areas includeMount Kirishima nearKagoshima in southern Kyūshū. On Southern Honshū, there is a forest with theNachi Falls located inYoshino-Kumano National Park. This particular area of Honshū has been described as one of the rainiest spots in Japan.
It is atemperate broadleaf forestecoregion found in the middle elevations of the easternHimalayas, including parts ofNepal,India, andBhutan.
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TheRussian Far East region is the eastern-most region of both Russia and the Asian continent as a whole. The Russian federal subjects ofPrimorsky Krai andKhabarovsk Krai are located in the southeast of this region, with Primorsky Krai sharing a land border withChina andNorth Korea, and both federal subjects face the Pacific ocean to the east and share maritime borders with Japan. TheSikhote-Alin mountain range is located here and extends for about 1000 km in a northeast direction, parallel to the coast, from near the coastal city ofVladivostok.[54]
Whilst the mountain range ascends from sea level to a maximum altitude of around 1900 metres contains a variety of different habitats, they are located in region with a temperate climate. During the lastglacial maximum (or ice age), the area was not glaciated, allowing for the development of a complexecosystem containing species with origins in Siberia’s boreal forest and Manchuria’s subtropical forests.[55] Temperate rainforest covers most of the mountain slopes and the biogeographic region is known as the Primorye centre of plant diversity, a biogeographic meeting point of flora and fauna from temperate, subtropical and taiga climatic regions.[54] Historically these forests ranged from the southeastern Pacific coast of Russia, through North Korea and into northern China, however vast human development, particularly in China, has limited the forest to its current range in the Russian Far East.[56] In 2001,UNESCO recognized a 1.5 million hectare area of forest in the central part of the Sikhote-Alin mountains as aWorld Heritage Site in Russia, citing the area as one of the most unique and valuable areas of intact forest in the world[57]
Although not limited to forests, more than 2500 species of vascular plants have been described in the Primorye biographic region, of which many are considered relict and endemic species. Flora of mosses and lichens are particularly diverse. About 200 species are listed in the IUCN Red List as rare and endangered.[58] The forests fall in the transition zone between twobiomes: the southern Asianhardwood forest and the northernconiferous forest.[58] The rainforests are a mix of deciduous broadleaf and coniferous forest, with the dominant tree species becoming more coniferous at higher elevations, and more mixed forest found at lower elevations or within mountain valleys. The most common species include theKorean pine (Pinus koraiensis) andManchurian fir (Abies holophylla) at the lowest elevations and coastlines.Jezo spruce (Picea jezoensis) andKhingan fir (Abies nephrolepis) are common species to be found from 700–1400 metres altitude.[59] Other tree species includeMongolian oak (Quercus mongolica),silver birch (Betula platyphylla),Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris),trembling aspen (Populus tremula),Siberian dwarf pine (Pinus pumila),Erman's birch (Betula ermanii), andDahurian larch (Larix gmelinii), a deciduous conifer common throughout, but dominant in the northernmost reaches of the forest[58] Other characteristic flora include variousferns,lotus, (Nelumbo nucifera) and the willowSalix arbutifolia,Taxus cuspidata,Juniperus rigida,Phellodendron amurense,Kalopanax,Aralia elata,Maackia amurensis,Alnus japonica,Actinidia kolomikta,Schisandra chinensis,Celastrus orbiculatus,Thladiantha dubia,Weigela,Eleutherococcus,Flueggea suffruticosa,Deutzia,Betula schmidtii,Carpinus cordata,Acer mandshuricum,Parthenocissus tricuspidata,Vitis amurensis, andPanax ginseng and many others.[60]
Along with the neighbouringAmur region of Russia, the temperate rainforests of the Russian Far East hold the last remaining habitats for the critically endangeredSiberian tiger,Amur leopard, andManchurian sika deer. It has been estimated that there are less than 600 tigers[61] and around 90 leopards left in the wild.[62] The area also contains populations ofAsiatic black bears,Kamchatka brown bears, andMongolian grey wolves, as the Russian Far East, altogether, might probably be the only place in the world where endangered tigers, leopards, bears, and grey wolves coexist. This region also happens to be some of the last of habitat of theBlakiston’s fish owl (Bubo blakistoni); along with being the world’s largest owl, it is unique in the way that it eats fish (primarilyMasu salmon) and relies onold growth forests along river banks to hunt, nest, and breed.[63] TheSiberian grouse is similar to thespruce grouse andFranklin's grouse of North America, and can be found in the dense, remote pockets of broadleaf, coniferous and deciduous forests of Far East Russia. Common ungulates includered deer,roe deer,wild boar, Manchurian moose, andmusk deer.
InAustralia rainforests occur near the mainland east coast and inTasmania. There are warm-temperate and cool-temperate rainforests. They arebroadleafevergreen forests with the exception ofmontane rainforests of Tasmania.Eucalypt forests are not classified as rainforests although some eucalypt forest types receive high annualrainfall (to over 2000 mm in Tasmania[64]), and in the absence offire they may develop to rainforest. If these widespreadwet sclerophyll forests were considered rainforests, the total area of rainforest in Australia would be much larger.[65]
Warm-temperate rainforest replaces subtropical rainforest on poorer soils or with increasing altitude and latitude inNew South Wales andVictoria. Cool-temperate rainforests are widespread in Tasmania (Tasmanian temperate rainforests ecoregion) and they can be found scattered from theWorld Heritage listedBorder Ranges National Park andLamington National Park on the NSW/Queensland border toOtway Ranges,Strzelecki Ranges,Dandenong Ranges andTarra Bulga in Victoria. In the northern NSW they are usually dominated by Antarctic Beech (Nothofagus moorei), in the southern NSW by Pinkwood (Eucryphia moorei) and Coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum) and in Victoria and Tasmania by myrtle beech (Nothofagus cunninghamii), Southern Sassafras (Atherosperma moschatum) and mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans).[66] The montane rainforests of Tasmania are dominated by Tasmanianendemicconifers (mainlyAthrotaxis spp.).[64] They are dominated by Ferns such asCyathea cooperi,Cyathea australis,Dicksonia antarctica,Cyathea cunninghamii andCyathea leichhardtiana.
The temperate rainforests of New Zealand occur on the western shore of theSouth Island and on theNorth Island. The forests are made up of coniferouspodocarps and broadleaf evergreen trees. The podocarps are abundant at lower elevations, whilesouthern beech (Nothofagus) can be found on higher slopes and in the cooler southernmost rainforests. Ecoregions include theFiordland temperate forests andWestland temperate rainforests.
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