Editing Mount Field National Park

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                   = protected
| name                   = Mount Field National Park
| state                  = tas
| iucn_category          = II
| image                  = Russell Falls 2.jpg
| caption                = Russell Falls
| image_alt              = 
| coordinates            = {{coord|42|39|19|S|146|35|15|E|display=inline,title}}
| relief                 = yes
| pushpin_label_position = left
| map_alt                = 
| map_type               = nomap
| image2                 =
<mapframe frameless width="300" height="300" latitude="-42.6370" longitude="146.5974" zoom="9" align="center">
{
  "type": "ExternalData",
  "service": "geoshape",
  "ids": "Q1905973",
  "properties": {
    "title": "Mount Field National Park",
    "fill": "#447F06",
    "stroke-width": 0
  }
}
</mapframe>
| caption2               = 
| image2_alt             = Interactive map showing Mount Field National Park in Tasmania

| nearest_town_or_city   = [[Maydena, Tasmania|Maydena]]
| area                   = 162.65
| area_footnotes         = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://tourtasmania.com/content.php?id=mtfield|title=Mount Field National Park|publisher=The interactive Tour of Tasmania|access-date=2009-09-24}}</ref>
| established            = 1916
| established_footnotes  = 
| visitation_num         = 
| visitation_year        = 
| visitation_footnotes   = 
| managing_authorities   = Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service
| url                    = https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/mount-field-national-park
|footnotes =
  {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
  |child = yes 
  |ID = 181
  |Year = 1982
  |Criteria = Cultural: iii, iv, vi, vii; natural: viii, ix, x
  }}
}}
[[File:Tarn Shelf Mt Field National Park 2.jpg|thumb|Robert Tarn, Mackenzie Tarn and Johnston Tarn (foreground to background), Tarn Shelf]]
[[File:Russell Falls, Mount Field National Park.jpg|thumb|Russell Falls]]
'''Mount Field National Park''' is a national park in [[Tasmania]], [[Australia]], 64&nbsp;km northwest of [[Hobart, Australia|Hobart]]. The landscape ranges from [[eucalyptus]] [[temperate rainforest]] to alpine moorland, rising to 1,434 metres (4,705&nbsp;ft) at the summit of [[Mount Field West (Tasmania)|Mount Field West]].

==History==
Mount Field National Park was founded in 1916, making it, along with [[Freycinet National Park]], Tasmania's oldest national park. 

The area around Russell Falls has been protected for its natural beauty since 1885, when it was set aside as Tasmania's first nature reserve.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Kiernan, Kevin | title=Eroding the edges of nature : Mount Field and the Florentine Valley : Tasmania's first national park and a century of lessons | publication-date=2018 | publisher=Fullers Publishing | isbn=978-0-648-21802-9 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=2728 |title=Parks and Wildlife Service, Introduction |access-date=8 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612004243/http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=2728 |archive-date=12 June 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The last known wild [[thylacine]] was captured in the region in 1933. The reserve was called "National Park" before 1946, but was officially renamed to its present name in 1947.<ref name="buckman">{{cite book|last=Buckman|first=Greg|title=Tasmania's Wilderness Battles: A History|publisher=Allen & Unwin|year=2008|isbn=9781741754643}}</ref>

==Etymology==
Mount Field National Park was named for Judge [[Barron Field (author)|Barron Field]], who visited Tasmania as an itinerant judge in 1819 and 1821.<ref name=Placename>{{cite web |url=https://www.placenames.tas.gov.au/#p1 |title=Placenames Tasmania – Mount Field National Park |author=<!--Not stated--> |publisher=Placenames Tasmania |access-date=29 July 2020 |at=Select “Search”, enter "38484D", click “Search”, select row, map is displayed, click “Details”}}</ref>

==Geology==
During the [[Pleistocene]] period, a snowfield covered the top of the Mount Field plateau and fed glaciers in the surrounding valleys.<ref name="pws2">{{cite web|url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6757|title=Mt Field National Park: Landforms, Flora and Fauna|publisher=Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania|access-date=2009-05-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609013854/http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6757|archive-date=9 June 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> A large, 12&nbsp;km long glacier formed the broad river valley and the cirque walls above Lake Seal.<ref name="pws2" /> Twisted Tarn, Twilight Tarn, and the tarns on the [[tarn shelf]] were formed by glacial scouring.<ref name="pws2" /> A glacier flowed south from the Rodway Range, forming lakes Belcher and Belton, and north to form the Hayes Valley and Lake Hayes.<ref name="pws2" />

[[File:Lake Seal Mt Field NP edit.jpg|thumb|left|400px|Lake Seal, Mount Field National Park. The remains of a [[cirque]] glacier are visible in the walls around Lake Seal.<ref name="pws2"/>]]

In alpine areas podzolic, humus and leached soil is most common. The podzols often occur on deep periglacial solifluction deposits down to {{Nowrap|450 m}}.<ref name="pws2" /> Alluvial floodplains have developed in the lower park on deposits of quaternary alluvium.<ref name="pws2" />

==Fauna==
The park has good representation of much of native Tasmanian fauna including [[wombats]], [[platypuses]], eastern barred [[bandicoots]], [[echidnas]], and the [[Tasmanian devil]].

==Fungi==

Mount Field National Park is also home to an enormous diversity of fungi. Fungi are ecologically important and megadiverse, yet their significance in underpinning the terrestrial ecology of the Park is little recognised.

While the [http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6756 Management Plan for Mt Field National Park] only mentions fungi in the context of their destructive effects (''Phytophthora cinnamomi'' and ''Chalara australis''), the Park has a great variety of fungi that perform beneficial ecological roles. In fact, most fungi perform positive rather than negative roles. Even parasitic fungi – often regarded only negatively – are a vital part of healthy ecosystems, regulating ecosystem functions. [[File:Cortinarius sinapicolor.jpg|thumb|''Cortinarius sinapicolor'']]

As primary recyclers of organic matter, saprobic fungi break down fallen branches and leaf litter, making vital nutrients available to other organisms. Other fungi form symbiotic relationships with other organisms. Although rarely acknowledged, the great majority of plants in Mount Field National Park (indeed in the world) form mutually beneficial [[mycorrhiza]]l relationships with fungi.

Given the great diversity of plants, specialist habitats and micro-climates in the park, a great diversity of fungi, including lichens, is also expected to occur there. Two hundred and eighty-nine species have already been recorded by field naturalists and interested individuals and a list can be found in the [http://www.ala.org.au/ Atlas of Living Australia]. [[File:Chlorociboria aeruginascens group.jpg|thumb|''Chlorociboria aeruginascens group'']]

The Green Elfcup (''[http://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=Chlorociboria+subaeruginascens Chlorociboria aeruginascens group]'') is found growing on rotten wood in wetter parts of the park. Even when its fruitbodies are not conspicuous, its presence can often be detected by the blue-green staining of the wood it inhabits. The Slimy Yellow Cortinar (''[http://bie.ala.org.au/species/Cortinarius+sinapicolor Cortinarius sinapicolor]'') is one of the more commonly encountered species that forms mycorrhizal relationships with various Eucalyptus species and is recognisable by its viscous sulphur-yellow fruit bodies. The Australian citizen-science organisation, [http://fungimap.org.au/ Fungimap] is documenting and mapping the distribution of fungi including those that occur in National Parks.

Despite their essential roles in supporting ecosystems, fungi are barely recognised as a vital part of Australia's biodiversity. Although Australia has national and state level biodiversity conservation strategies and has ratified international conventions, most overlook fungi, including [http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/conservation/natural-heritage-strategy-%282013-2030%29 Tasmania's Natural Heritage Strategy], which only makes one generic reference to fungi.

==Accommodation and facilities==
There is camping, with powered and unpowered sites at the entrance to the Park, as well as the Government-owned Lake Dobson cabins near the end of the access road within the Park.  Several private ski/walking clubs have private huts, and a ski-lodge on the ski slopes has limited accommodation during the skiing season.

The Visitor Centre located near the entrance to the Park houses an interpretive centre, cafe, gift shop, gallery and public toilets.

Beside the Visitor Centre there are picnic and [[barbecue]] facilities, as well as a playground and public toilets.

==Activities==
From the visitor centre:
[[File:Horseshoe Falls 2 Mt Field National Park.jpg|thumb|right|[[Horseshoe Falls, Tasmania|Horseshoe Falls]] at Mount Field National Park]]
[[File:Lady Barron Falls Mt Field National Park.jpg|thumb|right|[[Lady Barron Falls]] at Mount Field National Park]]
* [[Russell Falls]] is an easy, 20-minute return walk on asphalt and boardwalks.
* [[Horseshoe Falls (Tasmania)|Horseshoe Falls]] is a 30-minute walk.
*The [[Lady Barron Falls]] circuit (via Russell Falls and Horseshoe Falls) is approximately two hours return.
*Tall Trees Walk is an easy thirty-minute walk through the tall [[Eucalyptus regnans|swamp gum]]s.

Walks from the Lake Dobson car park include:

*The Ski Lodge and Lake Seal lookout, one hour return
*Seagers Lookout, two hours return
*Mount Field East via Lake Nicholls, five hours return
*Mount Field West, eight hours return
*Tarn Shelf, Lake Newdegate, Twilight Tarn and Lake Webster circuit, six hours return

Mount Field National park has one of Tasmania's downhill skiing areas. There are three ski tows, two on Mount Mawson and one on the Rodway range.<ref name="stsa">{{cite web|url=http://stsa.webbed.com.au/|title=Southern Tasmania Ski Association|publisher=Southern Tasmania Ski Association|access-date=2009-06-02}}</ref> There is generally sufficient snow cover for skiing from mid July to mid September.

==See also==

* [[Protected areas of Tasmania]]
* [[Mount Field (Tasmania)]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* [https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/mount-field-national-park Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service website]

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
* [http://www.utas.edu.au/docs/plant_science/field_botany/ Mt Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia]
* [https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/mount-field-national-park Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service - Mount Field National Park]

{{National parks in Tasmania}}

{{Authority control}}
[[Category:National parks of Tasmania]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1916]]
[[Category:1916 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area]]