The Forest and its Inhabitants

Sherbrooke Forest is located some 40km east of Melbourne (Australia) in the Dandenong Ranges.  At an altitude of 300m, 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 30m.   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). 

The above video is used with permission from BBC Worldwide.
See this and other fantastic videos from BBC WorldWide  on YouTube! 
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.                  


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