Tasmanian high mountain vegetation II - Rocky Hill and Pyramid Mountain

Abstract

Rocky Hill and Pyramid Mountain are composed of horizontally bedded Permian to Upper Carboniferous sedimentary rocks, the nature of which has encouraged the development of fjaeldmark and nonsorted stone steps and stripes. Buried Athrotaxis logs in the present alpine zone, the patterns of distribution of fire-susceptible species and other evidence suggest that the area has been subject to at least two severe and extensive fires, which have resulted in landscape instability. Nevertheless, the present vegetation of the area is varied, lacking only deciduous heath and tussock grassland of the alpine subformations and having a full range from sedgeland to closed-forest in the subalpine vegetation. The species composition of the vegetation of the two mountains is most similar to that of Cradle Mountain.