Daintree - Queensland
Location:
The Daintree is located north of Cairns in the Great Dividing Range approximately 16° 15' S 145° 15' E
Photograph:
Scale 1:25,000 Date 12-7-91
Background Information:
The forest and National Park extends from the Belleden Ker Range to the coast. It is a tropical rainforest (vine forest), the largest remaining virgin rainforest in Australia. The dense rainforest is supported by a heavy tropical rainfall. The climate has only a few "dry" months each year but these do not have drought conditions. The orographic effect of the Great Dividing Range increases the rainfall. In the rainforest, a 40 m canopy encloses a large variety of plants in three storeys. The canopy also used to contain cedar, kauri and hoop pine, these however were felled years ago. The middle storey is composed of young canopy species, waiting for their chance to race to the canopy, palm trees and tree ferns which can grow 4 to 5 metres high. The 70% canopy cover reduces the amount of growth on the forest floor which is occupied by shade tolerant species such as ferns, mosses and herbs. The coastal margin has mangrove communities, but at times the rainforest grows right to the water's edge. The Daintree has come under development pressure in recent years. Conservationists unsuccessfully tried to prevent the construction of a coastal road and there were fears that tourist pressure may affect the rainforest ecosystem.