Temperate rainforests of Australasia

Temperate rainforests of western and northeastern Tasmania, mainland Australia (New South Wales, Victoria), and New Zealand, collectively referred to as Australasia throughout this book (see figure 8-1), are restricted primarily to coastal areas of latitudes 39.5 to 43.5°S latitude. These rainforests are valued for their beauty, mystery, and spirituality by nearly all Australians and New Zealanders, having been globally recognized by scientists, bureaucrats, and nongovernmental organizations for outstanding universal significance according to a wide variety of tests of the forests’ importance.