Contain the most important and significant habitats where threatened species of plants and animals of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science and conservation still survive.
The ecosystems of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia contain significant and important natural habitats species of conservation significance, particularly associated with rainforest which once covered much of the continent of Australia and is now restricted to archipelagos of small areas of rainforest isolated largely by sclerophyll vegetation and cleared land.
The World Heritage values include:
Habitats associated with:
subtropical rainforest.
wet sclerophyll forest.
montane heathlands.
rocky outcrops.
ecotones between rainforest and sclerophyll communities.
Plant taxa of conservation significance (more than 200 plant taxa, particularly in the families Proteaceae, Myrtaceae and Euphorbiaceae and including species of Cryptocarya, Tasmannia and Endiandra).
Species of vertebrate fauna of conservation significance (including at least 80 taxa such as Albert's lyrebird, rufous scrub-bird, marbled frogmouth, eastern bristlebird, black-breasted button quail, Philoria/Kyarranus spp., pouched frog, barred frogs, parma wallaby, yellow-bellied glider, Hastings River mouse, New Holland mouse, fawn-footed melomys and golden-tipped bat).
Species of invertebrate fauna of conservation significance (such as the Richmond River bird-wing butterfly and Euastacus jagara).
