Littoral Rainforests of New South Wales

Littoral Rainforests of New South Wales
Littoral Rainforest at Brunswick Heads Nature Reserve, Australia
Governing body	NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Website	Official website

The Littoral Rainforests of New South Wales is a group of fragmented and endangered ecological communities found by the coast in eastern Australia. Much of this seaside form has been destroyed by mining, tourist development or housing. It is threatened by extinction in the near future. 90% of the 433 sites are less than ten hectares in size. Littoral rainforest amounts to 0.6% of the rainforests in New South Wales.

The littoral rainforests of Australia extends from North Queensland to Victoria and many offshore islands, with a minority found within New South Wales.

Usually seen within 2 kilometres of the coast, from Mimosa Rocks National Park in the south to the border with the state of Queensland. the forest has a closed canopy of around 70% shade. Trees may be up to 30 metres tall in sheltered sites. But it is more often seen 5 to 15 metres tall. This forest type has been considered a form of sub-tropical rainforest, as only a few rainforest species are restricted to littoral sites.

Plants often have thick and leathery leaves, as a protection against sea winds. Vines are common. Tree species are often from the following botanical families: Myrtaceae, Lauraceae, Sapindaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae, & Rutaceae. Salt tolerant species such as Plum Pine, Tuckeroo, Red Fruited Olive Plum, Black Apple, Mock Olive and Bolwarra are often encountered.Endangered species include the Coast Fontainea and the Scented Acronychia. Ferns are less often seen than in nearby sub-tropical rainforests. Non rainforest species are occasionally seen in these forests, such as the Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) and Bangalay (Eucalyptus botryoides).