A Diverse and Distinct Landscape

Victoria's Box-Ironbark forests and woodlands lie between arid inland Victoria and the tall mountain forests of the Great Dividing Range. The landscape is extremely old and weathered and generally consists of low hills of ancient sedimentary rock and extrusions of granite boulders. The vegetation is typically dominated by eucalypts with an understorey of shrubs, heaths and scattered grasses. Gold bearing reefs cross the ancient sedimentary strata, which has resulted in a long history of goldmining and associated industry in the Box-Ironbark forests.

The ancient weathered soils are generally nutrient poor, gravelly and porus, making plant and animal life in these areas rather challenging. To survive in the Box-Ironbark forests plants have made some amazing adaptations. Some of these include deep root systems, underground dormant buds or bulbs and leaves with a reduced surface area to help reduce transpiration.

Despite these challenges, the flora and fauna is extremely diverse. Approximately 1500 species of plants and 250 vertebrate animals have been recorded. Furthermore, many plants and animals that occur here, occur nowhere else in the country or the world. Rare and endangered species such as Rufous bettong, Eastern Quoll, Magnificent Spicer Orchid, Malleefowl, Regent Honeyeater, Whipstick Westringia, Swift Parrot and Pink tailed Worm Lizard are all residents of the Box-Ironbark forest. There is also a range of orchids and lilies, some of which are rare or endangered.

Unfortunately over 83% of the Box-Ironbark forests have been cleared and the remaining sliver has been subjected to grazing, timber cutting, firewood collection, oil harvesting and mining. As a result of this intense use over many years the country has suffered significantly.

Recent changes in legislation and mangement have allowed much of the remaining forest to be preserved. It is now time to think about giving back to an environment from which we have taken for so many years.

Rising water tables resulting in salinity, soil erosion, algal blooms in water ways, weed invasion, fragmentation and the loss of many indigenous plants and animals are some of the challenges we face in trying to preserve these unique forests and woodlands.

We now need to work at piecing together the remaining islands of vegetation. Some ways to achieve this include the development of vegetation corridors between private and public land, saving old trees with hollows to provide homes for birds and animals, joining a local landcare or friends group, planting native vegeation rather than exotic and reducing weed infestations.

Box-Ironbark forests are highly accessible all year round and provide the ideal setting for recreational pursuits such as camping, bushwalking, birdwatching, horseriding. The vibrant array of wildflowers, the chatter of parrots, flocks of sweet singing birds, the rich aroma of eucalyptus oils and nectars, along with the striking contrasting trunks of the Box and Ironbark trees ironbark offers a charm unique to these forests.