Liffey Reserve

The Lower Liffey Reserve is an approximately 14 ha property located adjacent to the Liffey Falls State Reserve, the reserve has southern and western boundaries with the Liffey Falls State Reserve, an informal forest reserve managed by Forestry Tasmania to the west and private land to the north. 

The land rises steeply from the Liffey River and has a few fine examples of mature Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) scattered amongst the beautifully intact riparian vegetation.  The rest of the land is mostly regenerating Gum topped stringy bark (Eucalyptus delegatensis), Brown top stringy bark (Eucalyptus obliqua), occasional White gum (E. viminalis) with a midstorey of large old Silver wattle (Acacia dealbata). The property has a wide variety of ferns in some places there are patches of tree ferns (Dicksonia antartica) 2-4 m tall others ferns include Mothershield fern (Polystichum proliferum), Fishbone water fern (Blechnum nudum), Hard water fern (B. wattsii),  Bracken fern (Ptredium esculentum), several Hymenophyllum sp. In fact the reserve is a haven for ferns.

The land has obviously been cleared in the past and it is good to see the natural regeneration process that has been occurring over the past 30-40 years or so.  Of conservation significance, the land makes up part of the Great Western Tiers Escarpment Geoconservation Site, has boundaries with both formal; and informal reserves and adds to the quality of the visit to the Liffey Falls State Reserve.  While there have been no threatened species recorded on the property there is good habitat for Maidenhair spleenwort (Asplenium hookerianum)  a state and nationally listed threatened fern and no doubt other interesting species will be identified as we become more familiar with the block.