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Tuart forest is an open forest in which the dominant overstorey tree is Eucalyptus gomphocephala (tuart). This form of vegetation occurs only in the Southwest Botanical Province of Western Australia. Tuart being predominantly a coastal tree, tuart forest occurs only in a narrow belt along the coast.
Coastal land in the southwest of Western Australia has been in high demand ever since British settlement of the Swan River Colony, initially for grazing, and more recently for housing. Tuart was also a prized timber. It is light in colour, similar to honey oak, and unusually hard. It was particularly useful where a very hard wood was needed, and most old-style butchers had a tuart "round" as a durable chopping block. As a result of its value as a timber and as grazing land, most of the tuart forest has now been cleared. The only remaining tall tuart forest is the Ludlow Tuart Forest now protected by the Tuart Forest National Park. Other tuart forest occurs in the Maiden Tuart Forest near Bunbury, and further north near Mandurah, although these are smaller trees. The forests and other surviving remnants are now the target of active conservation efforts such as the National Trust of Australia's Tuart Forest Appeal.
The world's only tall tuarts grow in an area of less than 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) around Ludlow near Busselton, 200 kilometres (120 mi) south of Perth, making it one of the rarest forests in the world. Now that it has been preserved from further logging, the next challenge is to revive the ageing forest, which suffers from degradation due to almost two centuries of cattle grazing, to weed infestation (particularly arum lilies), and an absence of new young trees due to overpopulation of western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), for whom infant tuart saplings are a favoured dietary item. In addition, many areas of tuart forest have suffered from tree death and decline due to a newly described dieback organism, ( Phytophthora multivora ), which acts in a similar way to the well-publicised ( Phytophthora cinnamomi ). [1]
Besides the western grey kangaroos, other inhabitants are the western brushtail and the endangered western ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus occidentalis), whose principal diet is the leaves of the peppermint ( Agonis flexuosa ) tree. These animals rest by day in hollows in the tuart trees and move to the peppermints to feed at night. Also inhabiting the forest are the carnivorous wambenger ( Phascogale tapoatafa ) and the quenda ( Isoodon obesulus ) or southern brown bandicoot, and the tiny freetail bat ( Tadarida australis ). Abundant birdlife can be seen in the forest and the nearby Vasse-Wonnerup Estuary. A number of spectacular birds of prey will frequently be seen, such as ospreys (Pandion haliaetus cristatus) and whistling kites (Haliastur sphenurus), but of particular interest is the Australian shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides) which nests high in tuart tree hollows. The female incubates five to fourteen cream-coloured eggs for 30 to 33 days while her mate defends the surrounding territory. The newly hatched young leap from the nest cavity to the ground and are led by their parents on a perilous overland journey to their brooding territory in the nearby estuary. They remain together in a family group for the first six weeks of the ducklings' lives. Once the young birds fledge they are completely independent.
Eucalyptus marginata, commonly known as jarrah, djarraly in Noongar language and historically as Swan River mahogany, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tree with rough, fibrous bark, leaves with a distinct midvein, white flowers and relatively large, more or less spherical fruit. Its hard, dense timber is insect resistant although the tree is susceptible to dieback. The timber has been utilised for cabinet-making, flooring and railway sleepers.
Tuart Forest National Park is a national park in the South West region of Western Australia, 183 kilometres (114 mi) south of Perth. It contains the largest remaining section of pure tuart forest in the world. Traditionally the state forest associated with this stand of trees has been known as the Ludlow State Forest, named for Frederick Ludlow.
Phytophthora is a genus of plant-damaging oomycetes, whose member species are capable of causing enormous economic losses on crops worldwide, as well as environmental damage in natural ecosystems. The cell wall of Phytophthora is made up of cellulose. The genus was first described by Heinrich Anton de Bary in 1875. Approximately 170 species have been described, although 100–500 undiscovered Phytophthora species are estimated to exist.
Phytophthora cinnamomi is a soil-borne water mould that produces an infection which causes a condition in plants variously called "root rot", "dieback", or, "ink disease". The plant pathogen is one of the world's most invasive species and is present in over 70 countries around the world.
Frederick Ludlow was an early colonial settler in Western Australia. He is credited with the discovery of the Capel River.
Agonis flexuosa is a species of tree that grows in the south west of Western Australia. It is easily the most common of the Agonis species, and is one of the most recognisable trees of Western Australia, being commonly grown in parks and on road verges in Perth.
Adenanthos cygnorum, commonly known as common woollybush or just woollybush, is a tall shrub in the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to Western Australia, commonly occurring in the south west of the State from north of Geraldton south to Kojonup. It is very common on road verges and in disturbed areas of Perth.
The red-capped parrot is a species of broad-tailed parrot native to southwest Western Australia. It was described by Heinrich Kuhl in 1820, with no subspecies recognised. It has long been classified in its own genus owing to its distinctive elongated beak, though genetic analysis shows that it lies within the lineage of the Psephotellus parrots and that its closest relative is the mulga parrot. Not easily confused with other parrot species, it has a bright crimson crown, green-yellow cheeks, and a distinctive long bill. The wings, back, and long tail are dark green, and the underparts are purple-blue. The adult female is very similar though sometimes slightly duller than the male; her key distinguishing feature is a white stripe on the wing under-surface. Juveniles are predominantly green.
Corymbia calophylla is a large and common tree in the southwest of Australia.
The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature which contains the Swan River as it travels west to the Indian Ocean. The coastal plain continues well beyond the boundaries of the Swan River and its tributaries, as a geological and biological zone, one of Western Australia's Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) regions. It is also one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger West Australian Shield division.
Bussell Highway is a generally north–south highway in the South West of Western Australia. The highway links the city of Bunbury with the town of Augusta and is approximately 140 kilometres (87 mi) in length. The highway is signed State Route 10, except in Busselton where the construction of the Busselton Bypass in 2000 resulted in this stretch being changed to Alternate State Route 10 with the Bypass signed State Route 10.
Eucalyptus gomphocephala, known as tuart, is a species of tree, one of the six forest giants of Southwest Australia. Tuart forest was common on the Swan coastal plain, until the valuable trees were felled for export and displaced by the urban development around Perth, Western Australia. The wood is dense, hard, water resistant and resists splintering, and found many uses when it was available. Remnants of tuart forest occur in state reserves and parks, the tree has occasionally been introduced to other regions of Australia and overseas. Remaining trees are vulnerable to phytophthora dieback, an often fatal disorder, including a previously unknown species discovered during analysis of dead specimens.
Warren, also known as Karri Forest Region and the Jarrah-Karri forest and shrublands ecoregion, is a biogeographic region in southern Western Australia. Located in the southwest corner of Western Australia between Cape Naturaliste and Albany, it is bordered to the north and east by the Jarrah Forest region. Its defining characteristic is an extensive tall forest of Eucalyptus diversicolor (karri). This occurs on dissected, hilly ground, with a moderately wet climate. Karri is a valuable timber and much of the karri forest has been logged over, but less than a third has been cleared for agriculture. Recognised as a region under the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA), and as a terrestrial ecoregion by the World Wide Fund for Nature, it was first defined by Ludwig Diels in 1906.
Jarrah Forest is an interim Australian bioregion located in Western Australia. The Jarrah Forest comprises reserves across the south-west corner of WA and is managed for uses including recreation. There are many small areas of parkland while larger protected areas include the Dryandra Woodland, Lane-Poole Reserve, and the Perup Forest Ecology Centre. However, there are no large and secure reserves such as national parks and nature reserves in the northern jarrah region where the best forest occurs due to this region being under long term mining leases for bauxite owned by Alcoa and Worsley who have actively resisted attempts to allow the WA government to create substantial and secure reserves. Also managed for land uses such as water, timber and mineral production, recreation and conservation, the forest is recognised globally as a significant hotspot of plant biodiversity and endemism.
A tree hollow or tree hole is a semi-enclosed cavity which has naturally formed in the trunk or branch of a tree. They are found mainly in old trees, whether living or not. Hollows form in many species of trees, and are a prominent feature of natural forests and woodlands, and act as a resource or habitat for a number of vertebrate and invertebrate animals.
The western ringtail possum or ngwayir refers to a species of possum, Pseudocheirus occidentalis, found in a small area of Southwest Australia. They are a cat-sized marsupial with a stocky build, dark greyish-brown fur, pale underparts and a long prehensile tail with a whitish tip. Ngwayir forage at night through the upper canopy of trees, feeding on young leaves, flowers and fruit, especially in groves of the weeping peppermint Agonis flexuosa. Breeding occurs mainly during the winter, the single juvenile emerging from the pouch after about three months. The population has declined by more than 95% since British settlement, due to clearing of habitat, fire and the introduction of the red fox Vulpes vulpes, and is classified as Critically Endangered. The population in most areas has catastrophically declined or become locally extinct, but strongholds remain in the urbanised areas near Busselton and Albany.
The Warby-Ovens National Park is a national park located on the lands of the Bangerang clan of the Yorta Yorta Nation in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia near Killawara. The 14,655-hectare (36,210-acre) national park is situated approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of Wangaratta and 240 kilometres (150 mi) northeast of Melbourne.
The Kangaroo River Nature Reserve, part of the Kangaroo Valley Group of Nature Reserves, is a protected nature reserve that is located on the floor of the Kangaroo Valley in the Southern Highlands and South Coast regions of New South Wales in eastern Australia. The reserve is situated approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) south of Sydney, 50 kilometres (31 mi) southwest of Wollongong and 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) northwest of Nowra. The reserve has a protective covenant placed upon it with purpose to ensure the protection of the natural heritage of this area. National parks in the area include the Morton National Park and the Budderoo National Park. Other nature reserves in the area include the Barren Grounds Nature Reserve, and the Cambewarra Range, Barrengarry and Rodway nature reserves – the latter three part of the Kangaroo Valley Group of Nature Reserves.
Phytophthora multivora is a species of Oomycete, water moulds, identified as a plant pathogen implicated in dieback. It was first isolated in tuart forest of Southwest Australia in a study of the decline of tuart Eucalyptus gomphocephala, jarrah Eucalyptus marginata, peppermint Agonis and banksia species.
Ludlow is a locality in the South West region of Western Australia near the Tuart Forest National Park. It is in the local government areas of the City of Busselton and the Shire of Capel. At the 2016 census, the area had a population of 108.