Editing Lamington National Park (section)

==Natural heritage==
[[File:Nothofagus moorei in Lamington National Park Australia.jpg|thumb|left|Antarctic beech trees only grow above {{convert|1000|m|ft}}, 2001.]]
[[File:Rainforest Fungi.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Fungus]]- Green Mountains area]]
[[File:Lophostemon confertus tree1.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Lophostemon confertus|Brush box]]]]
[[File:Regentbowerbirdmale.jpg|thumb|upright|A [[regent bowerbird]], an example of the diverse range of birds in the park, renowned to [[birdwatcher]]s, 2006.]]
Rugged mountain scenery, [[waterfall]]s, caves, [[rainforest]], wildflower [[Heath (habitat)|heath]]s, tall open forests, creeks, varied wildlife and excellent [[bushwalking]] in Queensland are protected in Lamington National Park.  Lamington is the core of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area along the adjoining [[Border Ranges National Park]] in New South Wales.  The park is home to more than 200 rare and threatened plant and animal species.<ref name="eofd">{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-06/qld-lantana-weeds-lamington-national-park-2019-bushfires/100435472 |title=Extent of fire damage in Gold Coast rainforest revealed |last=McCutcheon |first=Peter |date=2 October 2019 |website=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |access-date=28 October 2021 |archive-date=28 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028051410/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-06/qld-lantana-weeds-lamington-national-park-2019-bushfires/100435472 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[David Attenborough]] visited and filmed the park while making the 1979 television series ''[[Life on Earth (TV series)|Life on Earth]]'' in which beech trees and bowerbirds were featured.<ref name="time">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1913388,00.html |title=The Luck of O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat |author=Phil Brown |access-date=5 August 2010 |date=29 July 2009 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |publisher=Time Inc. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100811201012/http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1913388,00.html |archive-date=11 August 2010  }}</ref>

===Flora===
The national park protects one of the most diverse areas of vegetation in the country.<ref name="xqnp"/> The park's lush rainforests include one of the largest upland [[subtropical]] rainforest remnants in the world and the most northern [[Nothofagus moorei|Antarctic beech]] cool [[temperate rainforest]]s in Australia.<ref name="asm"/> The roots of the oldest Antarctic beech trees are over 5,000 years old.<ref name="heritage" /><ref name="asm"/> Around Mount Widgee numbers of Antarctic beech appear to be increasing.<ref name="naq"/> The park protects one of the country's largest remaining forests of hoop pine (''[[Araucaria cunninghamii]]'') which are found on the drier slopes.<ref name="xqnp"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/lamington/culture.html |title=Lamington National Park: Nature, culture and history |date=19 October 2009 |access-date=5 October 2014 |publisher=Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006120740/http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/lamington/culture.html |archive-date=6 October 2014  }}</ref>

Below {{convert|880|m}} the [[white booyong]] and [[black booyong]] are commonly found.<ref name="naq"/> In higher elevations the [[yellow carabeen]], [[red carabeen]], [[pigeonberry ash]], [[rosewood]] and [[Ackama paniculosa|soft corkwood]] trees predominate.<ref name="naq"/>

Many of Lamington's plants are found nowhere else on earth, such as the Mt Merino [[eyebright]] and [[Xerochrysum bracteatum|Everlasting Daisy]] which are [[subalpine]] relics from the [[Last glacial period|last ice age]]. In 2006 it was realised that an old collection of the eastern [[underground orchid]] (''[[Rhizanthella slateri]]'') from Lamington was actually a separate species and has been described as the Lamington underground orchid (''[[Rhizanthella omissa]]''). This orchid, like the two other related species, has no [[chlorophyll]] and depends entirely upon a [[symbiotic]] fungus for survival. It is also one of only four flowering plants on Earth to complete its life cycle entirely underground. Sadly, one of Lamington's more than 100 fern species is now presumed extinct; ''[[Antrophyum austroqueenslandicum]]'' was known from only a single plant which has since died and no other plants have been found. Lamington is also home to a large number of threatened plant species such as the ravine and blotched ''Sarchochilus'' [[orchid]]s.  [[Strangler fig]]s are also found in Lamington.

===Fauna===
The area is one of the most important wildlife refuges in the region.<ref name="xqnp"/> Lamington is home to an incredible [[biodiversity|variety of wildlife]] including rare and threatened animals such as the [[Coxen's fig parrot]], [[eastern bristlebird]], [[Albert's lyrebird]], [[Richmond birdwing butterfly]]. The blue [[Lamington crayfish]] is found only on the Lamington plateau in pools and streams above an elevation of {{convert|450|m|ft}}. In damp conditions, they also move about the forest floor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lamington.nrsm.uq.edu.au/Documents/Anim/yab.htm|title=Lamington Spiny Crayfish|work=Waterlife of Lamington National Park|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918114123/http://lamington.nrsm.uq.edu.au/Documents/Anim/yab.htm|archive-date=18 September 2009|url-status=dead|access-date=14 December 2018}}</ref> The vulnerable [[large-eared pied bat]] is found in the park. Other rare species include the [[rainforest cool-skink]], [[elf skink]] and numerous frog species including the [[Fleay's barred frog]], [[giant barred frog]] and the [[cascade treefrog]].<ref name="xqnp"/> [[Red-necked pademelon]]s can be seen near the edges of the rainforest and [[platypus]] may be spotted in the deeper rock pools.<ref name="naq"/> The [[regent bowerbird]] and the [[crimson rosella]] are often seen in Lamington.

The beetle ''[[Lamingtonium binnaberrense]]'', the only species in the genus ''[[Lamingtonium]]'', is found in Lamington National Park.<ref name=desc>{{cite journal|doi=10.1111/j.1365-3113.1969.tb00245.x|title=On a new family of Clavicornia (Coleoptera) and a new genus of Languriidae|year=1969|last1=Gupta|first1=T. Sen|last2=Crowson|first2=R. A.|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London. Series B, Taxonomy|volume=38|issue=9–10|pages=125–131}}</ref>

===Geology===
[[File:Green Mountain Scenic View, Lamington National Park QLD Dec 2013.jpg|thumb|left|Green Mountain Valley]]
[[File:Ships Stern Lamington National Park.jpg|thumb|right|The view from a lookout on the {{convert|19|km|mi|adj=on}} long Ships Stern Circuit.]]
The Lamington National Park is located on the northern side of the [[Tweed volcano]]. This large [[shield volcano]] is over 100 kilometres in diameter, and extends from [[Tamborine Mountain]] in the north to [[Lismore, New South Wales|Lismore]] in the south. The volcanic plug of [[Mount Warning]] marks the centre of the volcano. This volcano was active around 23 million years ago<ref>Knesel K. M., Cohen B.E., Vasconcelos P. M., and Thiede D.S. (2008) Rapid change in drift of the Australian plate records collision with Ontong Java Plateau, Nature vol 454, pages 754–757.</ref> when this part of Australia was above a [[Hotspot (geology)|hotspot]] in the mantle. Both [[basaltic]] and [[rhyolitic]] lavas were erupted, and erosion of these lavas from rain and running water has formed the many spectacular landforms including cliffs, now observed in the park. Under these layers is a layer of [[tuff]] made from volcanic ash and fine rock which is up to {{convert|60|m|ft}} thick in some places.<ref name="lackner"/> The basalts of the Lamington Plateau originate from the Focal Point volcano.<ref name="tgoa">{{cite book |title=The Geology of Australia |last=Johnson |first=David |year=2009 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0521767415 |page=196 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RSIbLENyT2wC |access-date=25 August 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228095751/https://books.google.com/books?id=RSIbLENyT2wC |archive-date=28 February 2018  }}</ref> Near Binna Burra the maximum thickness of the basalt layer is estimated to be {{convert|700|m|ft}}.<ref name="naq"/>

===Waterfalls===
[[File:Elabana Falls.jpg|thumb|right|[[Elabana Falls]].]]
[[File:Morans Falls.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Morans Falls]], 2013.]]
The park is claimed to contain more than 500 waterfalls,<ref name="asm">{{cite web |url=http://www.anra.gov.au/topics/agriculture/statistics/qld/sd-morton.html |title=Agriculture – Statistics – Moreton |work=Australian Natural Resources Atlas |publisher=Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities |access-date=26 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231054113/http://www.anra.gov.au/topics/agriculture/statistics/qld/sd-morton.html |archive-date=31 December 2010  }}</ref>  including popular tourist falls [[Elabana Falls]] and Box Log (Tullerigumai) Falls located in the Green Mountains Section. [[Yarrabilgong Falls]] and [[Coomera Falls]] both flow into Coomera Gorge. Morans Falls is another cascade that is passed on the {{convert|6|km|mi|adj=on}} long Morans Falls Track. [[Nugurun Falls]], [[Box Log Falls]], Upper Ballanjui Falls, Lower Ballanjui Falls, Stairway Falls and Nagarigoon Falls are also located in the national park.

The claim of 500 waterfalls was confirmed by local explorer Dale Mullane in April 2022 when he reached his 500th documented waterfall in the park.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dale Mullane - Explorer on Instagram: "This here is my 500th waterfall in Lamington National Park!! From buying my first map of the park in 2009 with blurry novice eyes, to reading about the many grand adventures over the decades and centuries, I knew deep down this was a place I would spend a lot of my time in. A lot of long and difficult days were spent grumbling, swearing, bleeding, sweating, getting bitten and stung but I think I'll look back and say it was worth it 🤣 There has been many, many people join along the way, you all know who you are, thanks for the journey and teamwork! Thanks to the main team for another successful exploration. @aaronbgray and 📸@deantrezise #adventure #exploration #lamingtonnationalpark #lamingtongeographic #nationalgeographic #queenslandparks #queensland #warerfalls #waterfallsofinstagram #mountains #amazing #rainforest #jungle #500 #challenge #goals #yes #done" |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb52Yk4vjR1/ |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=Instagram |language=en}}</ref>