Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre

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Eucalypt forest

Eucalypt forest

Description

Eucalypt forests have an open tree canopy dominated by eucalypt species. Trees are typically taller than 10 metres with crowns that touch. A tree's crown is made up of the top branches and leaves of a tree. The canopy is made up of the tree crowns. 

Gum tree with thick trunk and spreading branches
Image: There are over 700 species of eucalypt trees in Australia, commonly referred to in English as gum trees. Yarra is the Darug name for gum tree.
Eucalypt forest with a variety of trees, shrubs and ground covers
Image: Eucalypt forest usually have three vegetation layers. The tree canopy layer, a shrub layer and a ground cover layer.
Rough-barked tree trunk with charcoal patches on the bark
Image: Many species in eucalypt forests require fire to encourage seed germination.

Climate 

Eucalypt forests are found in the majority of climate zones around Australia that receive enough rainfall. This includes equatorial, tropical, subtropical and temperate areas that are found around the outer part of Australia.

The climate will affect the type of forest that can grow in an area and the species it contains.

Climate map of Australia with the temperate zone in the south-eastern and south-western parts of the coast
Image: Isoline map of Australian climate classifications

Topography

The landscape has an influence on soil depth, exposure to sunlight and moisture availability. Variation in the topography results in different plant habitats and formations of natural environments.

Cliffs with stunted, sparse vegetation and valleys with dense vegetation
Image: The types of eucalyptus species found in the sheltered valleys of the Blue Mountains National Park is different to those growing on the exposed cliffs and ridge tops.

Soil

Soil has a significant influence on the species of vegetation that grow in a eucalypt forest. On nutrient poor soils, such as sandy soil, hard and often prickly-leaved plants dominate the understorey. These include banksias, snow wreaths and grass trees. On clay soils, which are generally higher in nutrients, small herbs and grasses often dominate the groundcover layer.

Eucalyptus forest with Sydney red gum trees, hair pin banksia shrubs and bracken fern and grasses growing on the ground layer
Image: The soil found in the Field of Mars Reserve is sandy and nutrient poor. Sydney red gums, hairpin banksias and mat rush all have special adaptations to help them thrive in these areas.

Plants

Eucalypt forests support a range of species from the Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora genus groups. These trees provide tree habitats that many species depend on for food, nesting and shelter.

Forests are more than trees. The shrub and ground cover layers also provide vital food and shelter for animals such as small birds, ground dwelling mammals such as wallabies and bandicoots, reptiles and a diversity of invertebrates.

Eggs and bacon plant with flowers with rounded petals and small spiky leaves
Image: Eggs and bacon is a type of small shrub found in a eucalypt forest. Pollen is collected from their flowers by pollinating animals such as bees and birds..
Vine with elongated heart-shaped leaves
Image: Native sarsaparilla is a type of vine that grows in the grounds cover layer up through the branches of shrubs.
Leaf litter comprised of fallen leaves and pieces of bark
Image: As eucalypt trees grow they drop leaves, branches and bark to the ground. This is called leaf litter and is an important habitat for animals such as bush cockroaches, slaters and centipedes..
Toadstools growing from a rotting log
Image: Fungi are important decomposers breaking down dead plants and recycling essential nutrients back into the ecosystem.
Wattle with small round fluffy flowers and narrow long leaves
Image: Wattles are a type of shrub that are commonly found growing in eucalypt forests.
Kangaroo grass with long narrow leaves and clusters of seeds shaped like a kangaroo's head
Image: Kangaroo grass provides food for seed-eating birds and shelter for lizards

Animals

Eucalypt forests are home to a rich diversity of fauna including ringtail possums, water dragons, red-crowned toadlets and red triangle slugs.

There are many simple and complex interactions between animals and plants that take place within this environment.

Tree canopy layer | YouTube | Field of Mars EEC (1:04 min) | Video transcript

Rainbow lorikeet feeding on gum blossums
Image: Rainbow lorikeets are mainly nectar feeders and help pollinate eucalypts and flowering shrubs.

Eucalypt forest digital book
Image: Eucalypt forest digital book

Find out more

Eucalypt forest explores the beautiful natural environment of the Australian eucalyptus forest.

Learn about the interactions between plants and animals in the forest and how people can interact with and care for these special natural areas.

Containing a suite of interactive activities, videos and beautiful images, this book will encourage you to go out and explore your local eucalypt forest.

This book is designed by teachers to support the NSW Geography K-10 syllabus and Science and Technology K-6 syllabus.

Download free from Apple Books

Image attributions

Rainbow lorikeets are mainly nectar feeders and help pollinate eucalypts and flowering shrubs. Rainbow Lorikeet feeding on a lemon myrtle tree by James Niland on Flickr. Licensed under CC BY 2.0

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We’d like to acknowledge the Wallumedegal Peoples of the Darug Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we stand and pay our respects to Elders past and present.

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