Yarra Ranges National Park is a national park located in the southeastern state of Victoria, roughly 107 km (66.5 mi) northeast of Melbourne. Established in 1995, and managed by the statutory authority Parks Victoria, the park features a carbon-rich, temperate rainforest as well as a subalpine, eucalypt-dominant forest on its northern plateau.
The park is home to large groves of mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans), the tallest species of tree in Australia, and among the tallest in the world, with specimens reaching 80 metres (262 ft) in height. A wide diversity of flora, fauna and fungi (nearly 6,000 documented species on iNaturalist.org) make their home across the park's 76,003 hectares, including iconic Australian species such as bandicoots, echidnas, kangaroos, koalas, platypuses, possums, sugar and greater gliders, wallabies and wombats. There are nearly 200 documented species of birds in the area, with at least 60 herpetofaunal (reptile and amphibian) species, thousands of invertebrates and worms, over 900 types of fungi and mushrooms, and over 1,000 plant species.
Among the conservation challenges facing Yarra Ranges National Park are climate change and invasive species of weeds, as well as the interaction of native species with non-native, introduced invasive animals, such as European hares and rabbits, domestic sheep, feral cats and dogs, red foxes, South Asian sambar deer, and European red and fallow deer.
In winter, Lake Mountain, located on the plateau at the northern end of the park, provides cross-country skiing on both groomed and ungroomed ski trails.
Description The Yarra Ranges National Park was created in December 1995, and spans 76,003 hectares within Australia's Great Dividing Range. This National Park has been given "the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Category 2 (National Parks) of the United Nations List of National Parks and Protected Areas"., IUCN, Protected Areas Categories System – Category II, 2014. By being category 2, it means that the park is primarily managed for the ecosystem conservation and appropriate recreation within it. The park is made up of wet mountain ash forest and cool temperate rainforest,, Elith, J. and Burgman, M.A., 2002. Predictions and their validation: rare plants in the Central Highlands, Victoria, Australia. Predicting species occurrences: issues of accuracy and scale, pp.303-314. as well as a diverse range of flora and fauna species. Mount Donna Buang, standing 1,245 metres above the town of Warburton, Howard T.M., Studies in the Ecology of Nothofagus Cunninghamii Oerst. i Natural Regeneration on the Mt. Donna Buang Massif Victoria, 1973, Australian Journal of Botany 21(1) 67 – 78. is the park's largest mountain. The park encompasses the headwaters of the Yarra, O'Shannassy and Taggerty Rivers, as well as their reservoirs, which make up 70% of Melbourne's water supply. , Parks Victoria, Yarra Ranges National Park Management Plan, 2002. This is because 84% of the park is within the Designated Water Supply Catchment Area (DWSCA) which is managed under the Government's Closed Catchment Policy., Closed Catchment Policy, Melbourne Water, 2002. Because of this, much of the park has limited access to the public to better protect the water supply catchments.
Ecology Victoria's mountain ash trees (Eucalyptus regnans) are among the most spectacular trees in the world being one of the world's tallest tree species, as well as the tallest flowering plant.
The mountain ash trees have a lifespan of 400 years and heights of up to 90 metres,, Lindenmayer, D., Blair, D., McBurney, L. and Banks, S., 2015, Mountain Ash: Fire, Logging and the Future of Victoria's Giant Forests, CSIRO Publishing, pgs 200, . though have been known to grow taller, with the highest recorded being the "Ferguson Tree", discovered near Healesville in 1872, standing at over 154 metres. They grow in stands that have the highest above-ground biomass of any trees in the world, allowing them to store large quantities of carbon dioxide. In 2009, a study was conducted by Brendan Mackey of the Australian National University, who found that mountain ash forests are the best in the world at locking up carbon, storing 1,867 tonnes of carbon per hectare. Once they have reached the end of their lifespan, their dead tree stumps and fallen logs continue to provide homes for at least 40 hollow-dependant species, including Victoria's faunal emblem – the endangered Leadbeater's possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri) – as well as the mountain brushtail possum (Trichosurus cunninghami) and the greater glider (Petauroides volans). There have also been nine epiphyte species that have been observed growing on the mountain ash trees, the most prevalent of these being liverwort (Bazzania adnexa)."Epiphytes on Nothofagus Cunninghamii and Eucalyptus Regnans in a Victorian Cool Temperate Rainforest," Kellar, Claudette; Short, Megan; Milne, Josephine, 2006, The Victorian Naturalist, pp. 222–229. ISSN 0042-5184. Other than mountain ash trees, the park also contains several threatened species of flora, including the slender tree fern (Cyathea cunninghamii).
The park provides a habitat for many native species of fauna. There are over 120 recorded species of native birds, with some notable species being the pink robin (Petroica rodinogaster), yellow-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus), Australian king parrot (Alisterus scapularis) and the grey goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae)., Longmore, W., 2011. Birds of the Yarra Catchment and where to find them, Victorian Naturalist, 128(5), p.251. The park also contains three species of threatened owl – sooty owl (Tyto tenebricosa), powerful owl (Ninox strenua) and the barking owl (Ninox connivens). Native mammals that are frequently seen within the park are kangaroos, wallabies and wombats. The waterways are abundant with platypuses, as well as many species of fish, including redfin perch (Perca fluviatillis), European carp (Cyprinus carpio) and golden perch (Macquaria ambigua). When it comes to insects, Mount Doona Buang is home to an endemic rare species known as the Mount Donna Buang wingless stonefly (Riekoperla darlingtoni)., Ahern, L.D., Tsyrlin, E. and Myers, R., 2003. Mount Donna Buang Wingless Stonefly Riekoperla darlingtoni. Action Statement, (125)., Neumann, F.G. and Morey, J.L., 1984, A study of the rare wingless stonefly, Riekoperla darlingtoni (Illies), near Mount. Donna Buang, Victoria, Forest Commission Victoria, Vol. 253.
Environmental threats
Weeds and feral animals One of the most major environmental threats against the Yarra Ranges National Park is invasive weeds. The park is rich with native plants that are being overcome by competition by the 200 species of weeds that are spreading into the park from private gardens.Blair, D. and Blair, S., 2005. Shire of Yarra Ranges Weed Management Strategy. Shire of Yarra Ranges, Lilydale, Victoria. In the park there are three significant types of weeds: Weeds of National Significance (WONS) are plants that have the most significant impacts across Australia both environmentally and economically, and are a priority for control.[], Weeds of National Significance 2009. Commonwealth of Australia. In the Yarra Ranges National Park some WONS are willow (Salix app.), blackberry (Rubus fruticosus spp.aggregate), boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera) and bridal creeper (Asparagus asparagoides). Native species as weeds. There are some Australian native species that can have weed characteristics when they grow outside of their normal range and can cause harm to the park's environment. Some native weeds in the park are bluebell creeper (Billardieria heterophylla), cedar wattle (Acacia elata) and Cootamundra wattle (Acacia baileyana). Declared noxious weeds. These plants have been declared noxious under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994., Parsons, W.T. and Cuthbertson, E.G., 2001. Noxious weeds of Australia. CSIRO publishing. These plants have the potential to cause serious environmental harm and therefore must be managed. Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare) and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) are all declared noxious weeds.
Invasive pest animals can have detrimental effects on the park because they prey on native wildlife and can "out-compete and displace native animals by competing for their habitat, food and water resources".[], McLeod, R. and Norris, A., 2004. Counting the cost: impact of invasive animals in Australia, 2004 (p. 71). Canberra: Cooperative Research Centre for Pest Animal Control. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are an established pest animal in all of Victoria., Kirkwood, R., Sutherland, D.R., Murphy, S. and Dann, P., 2014. Lessons from long-term predator control: a case study with the red fox. Wildlife Research, 41(3), pp.222-232. When it comes to the Yarra Ranges National Park, mainly trapping methods are employed to manage the issue. In Victoria there is a program that rewards eligible Victorian hunters with a $10 bounty reward for each individual fox killed,, McGeary, J., 2005. Enhanced Fox Management Program-phase 2 baseline survey. In 13th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference, Wellington, New Zealand, pp. 33-38, Manaaki Whenua Press, Landcare Research. subject to the Victorian Fox Bounty Terms and Conditions. Due to this, and the amount of foxes in the park, Parks Victoria opens up the park occasionally to allow hunters in to help manage the fox issue. Other pest animals within the park are European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and feral cats.
Fires Fires are a natural part of Australian environment because they are needed for the renewal of ecosystems; however, in recent times these bushfires have been occurring outside normal frequencies, intensities, seasons and scale of what fauna and flora can tolerate. To reduce the potential impact of fire on the park, controlled burns are conducted throughout specific months of the year and are carefully managed by Parks Victoria and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. The controlled burns are used to reduce the amount of fuel, such as dead wood, leaf litter, bark or shrubs that could easily catch alight during the summer months. A reduced amount of fuel decreases the impact of a bushfire because it lowers its intensity.
Climate change Climate change is having a major impact on all ecosystems within Australia, and the Yarra Ranges National Park is no exception. As the temperature increases, the average rainfall decreases, meaning less water flowing in the waterways. Less water reduces water quality that is supplied to Melbourne and used by the fauna and flora within the park. The annual surface temperature is predicted to increase by 0.6-1C and wind speed is set to increase by 6%. All these changes will impact what makes up the park's ecosystem and how it functions.
Heritage European colonists found it difficult to access the area. It was eventually settled in 1860 and was seen as a valuable area for timber. Soon after, the area was recognised as a good place for water catchments, so the Maroondah and Upper Yarra dams were built.
Management Yarra Ranges National Park is managed by Parks Victoria, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and Melbourne Water. Parks Victoria released a Management Plan for the park in 2002 in which they outlined the significant management directions for the Park, all of which are still used today.