Mount Keira - Flora and Fauna

Flora and Fauna

Eucalypt forest and rainforest cover the mountain summit and undeveloped slopes. Rainforest is predominant in sheltered areas, particularly on the southern side.

The mountain has been heavily logged in the past, yielding blackbutt, blue gum, turpentine and other timbers. Red cedar in particular was highly prized, and there are stories of giant trees with trunk diameters of 3 metres or more being felled. Remnant bushland on the west and north slopes and a few trees defying extensive logging still exist, but much of the east slopes are replaced bushland grown after clearing since the 1930s.

Plant species found on the mountain include:

• Cabbage tree palm (Livistona australis).
• Coast white box (Eucalyptus quadrangulata).
• Giant stinging tree (Dendrocnide excelsa)
• Native Tamarind (Diploglottis australis).
• Red cedar (Toona australis).
• Sassafras (Doryphora sassafras).
• Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera).
• Citronella (Citronella moorei).
• Jackwood (Cryptocarya glaucescens).
• Bollygum (Litsea reticulata).

Introduced weeds such as lantana (Lantana camara) have also gained a hold on the mountain, particularly since the 1968 bushfires.

The forests provides habitat for a large number of bird and other fauna species.

Notable fauna species include:

• Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus).
• Eastern Blue-tongued lizard (Tiliqua scincoides scincoides).
• Superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae).
• Wallaby.

There is also a population of introduced Rusa deer residing on and around the mountain, which are often seen by local residents at dusk or dawn.