Dean M. Chriss
Photography
Tree Fern Falls, Victoria, Australia

Tree Fern Falls, Victoria, Australia

(Click image to enlarge)

This waterfall is situated in a densely vegetated rainforest where the streams are lined with tree ferns. The deadfall in the stream is typical of old growth forests worldwide and is one of their necessary components. The dead wood slows the water and creates pools that hold smaller woody debris. These are processed as food and used as shelter by insects and bacteria that further break down the wood. The insects are an important food source for fish. Old growth forests everywhere are in steep decline, as are the fish that rely on them.