Sherbrooke Forest is located some 40km east of Melbourne (Australia) in the
Dandenong Ranges. At an altitude of 300 m, it has a rainfall of about 1200 mm
per annum.
This forest is an 800 ha remnant of wet sclerophyll forest
characterised by Mountain Ash, (the tallest flowering plant in the world at
up to 90 meters) and
various ferns. Beneath the canopy there are a number of other Eucalypts,
Acacias, Olearias, Sassafras and Pomaderris at heights of 15 to 30 m.
Below
these levels, in quite subdued light, is a range of shrubs including species
of Coprosma, Pimelia, Hedycarya and some tree ferns. At ground level one finds
various grasses, creepers and ground ferns .
The most famous of the indigenous animals is the Superb Lyrebird. Many
visitors to Sherbrooke forest are delighted to see wild
lyrebirds roaming the forest floor. Widely famous for
their talent as mimics, the birds' calls
are best heard in the breeding season (during the winter months).
Of the
other birds, the kookaburra and crimson rosella are the most prominent, but
king parrots, eastern rosellas, and rainbow lorikeets are also
present. Non-avian animals include the wallaby, wombat, possum and echidna.
The above
video is used with permission from BBC Worldwide.
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Last modified: 18 June 2010
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