Gondwana Rainforests of Australia

Infobox World Heritage Site
WHS = Gondwana Rainforests of Australia


State Party = AUS
Type = Natural
Criteria = viii, ix, x
ID = 368
Region = Asia-Pacific
Year = 1986
Session = 10th
Extension = 1994
Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/368

The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia formerly known as the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves, are the most extensive area of subtropical rainforest in the world.cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/gondwana/index.html |title=Gondwana Rainforests of Australia |accessdate=2008-08-31 |date= |work= |publisher=Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts ] The reserve includes 50 separate reserves totaling 3,665 square km, clustered around the New South Wales - Queensland border.cite book |title=Australia's National and Marine Parks: Queensland |last=Reid |first=Greg |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2004 |publisher=Macmillan Education Australia |location=South Yarra, Victoria |isbn=073299053X |pages=11 ]

The Gondwana Rainforests are so-named because the fossil record indicates that when Gondwana existed it was covered by rainforests containing the same kinds of species that are living today. The number of visitors to the reserve is about 2 million per year. ]

Conservation value

The forests were inscribed to the World Heritage list in 1986, covering only the New South Wales sites (3600 km²) and extended in 1994 to cover the Queensland sites (592 km²). The rainforest reserves have an extremely high conservation value, with more than 200 rare or threatened plant and animal species. ]

National Parks

The Queensland areas include Lamington National Park, Mount Chinghee National Park, Springbrook National Park, Mount Barney National Park and Main Range National Park. The New South Wales areas include Barrington Tops National Park, Dorrigo National Park, Mount Warning National Park, New England National Park, Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, Washpool National Park, Willi Willi National Park and Werrikimbe National Park. [cite web |url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/368/multiple=1&unique_number=422 |title=Gondwana Rainforests of Australia |accessdate=2008-06-09 |format= |work=UNESCO ]

ee also

*Environment of Australia
*Forests of Australia
*List of World Heritage Sites in Asia and Australasia

References

External links

* [http://environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/gondwana/index.html World heritage listing for Gondwana Rainforests of Australia]