Epping Forest is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 855 km northwest of Brisbane. The park is a scientific national park so it is not open to the public. Only scientists, rangers and volunteers may visit the park. The park lies within the Brigalow Belt North bioregion.[1] It is within the Drummond Basin geological basin and the Belyando River water catchment area.[1] The park was established to protect a species of wombat, the northern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii) that is the world’s largest burrowing herbivore.[2]
| Epping Forest National Park Queensland | |
|---|---|
  Epping Forest National Park | |
| Nearest town or city | Clermont |
| Coordinates | 22°21′06″S 146°42′05″E / 22.35167°S 146.70139°E |
| Established | 1971 |
| Area | 31.60 km2 (12.20 sq mi) |
| Managing authorities | Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service |
| See also | Protected areas of Queensland |
Restricted access is used to ensure Epping Forest remains very much undisturbed as it is the sole remaining natural habitat of the endangered Northern hairy-nosed wombat.[3] The last census of the animal, undertaken in 2007, estimated there was a population of about 138 of the species.[1] In the 1970s the population was estimated to have reached a low of somewhere between 20 and 30 wombats.
Most of the park is eucalypt woodland with patches of sandy soils that are used by the wombats for burrowing.[1]
The wildlife in the park consists of 251 species of animals and 103 species of plants.[4]
The elevation of the terrain in Epping Forest Park is 230 metres.[5]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d "Epping Forest National Park (Scientific) Management Plan 2011" (PDF). Department of Environment and Resource Management. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
- ^ Kamenev, Marina (1 February 2011). "Value of national parks confirmed". Australian Geographic. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ "Belyando Basin". NQ Dry Tropics. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ "Epping Forest National Park (Scientific) — facts and maps". wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Epping Forest National Park elevation - Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
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