Threatened plants and animals

“Containing the most important and significant habitats where threatened species of plants and animals of outstanding universal value1 from the point of view of science and conservation still survive.”

The current prognosis for these threatened species is not good. The conservation status of an overwhelming proportion of the species (80 per cent or more) occurring at Springbrook has either deteriorated or shown no improvement over the past 18 years since listing in 1994. The most significant factor affecting this prognosis is the availability of sufficient viable critical habitat. Critical habitat continues to decline, despite the obligation under the World Heritage Convention for each State Party (the Australian Government) to do the utmost within its powers to ensure the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission to future generations of the natural heritage within its territory. The ‘integrity’ criterion for successful listing required the inclusion and protection of the most critical habitats essential to ensure survival of viable populations of the identified species.

The Springbrook Rescue initiative is an important contribution to restoring critical habitat of species that contribute to the values and integrity of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area (Project SS1). As an important component of the project, autonomous audio-recording systems are deployed at a range of sites for detecting the presence and, potentially, reproductive success of key indicator species in both reference and recovery sites.

Currently 100 species of plants and animals occurring at Springbrook are formally listed as threatened, near threatened and, from ARCS point of view, as of special concern because of immense phylogenetic distinctness and significance, albeit not officially considered threatened (e.g. the Echidna):

More details are provided on threatened flora and threatened fauna in the linked pages.

Gossia fragrantissima (Photo © H. Nicholson)	Corynocarpus rupestris subsp. arborea (Photo © H. Nicholson)	Sarcochilus fitzgeraldii (Photo: Aila Keto)	Adelotus brevis (Photo: © Jean-Marc Hero);
For further details see Footnote after References.

Plant population Trends

Overall, almost 80 per cent of plant species recorded as rare and/or threatened at the time of listing in 1994 that also occur at Springbrook are declining or show no improvement in their conservation status over the past 18 years.

The conservation status in Queensland of 11 species that occur in the Springbrook precinct has deteriorated since the time of Listing in 1994 (i.e. 16.2 per cent of species recognised as threatened at the time).

Forty-three species (63.2 per cent) have shown no improvement in conservation status over the past 18 years compared with five species that have shown an improvement in conservation status.

Only seven species listed in 1994 as endangered, vulnerable or uncertain (“K”) have improved their status to the next level of either vulnerable or “near threatened, NT”.

Eight species that were listed as rare in 1994 have been reassigned a conservation status of “no concern”. All however remain rare species, many of great phylogenetic interest. The Gondwanan rosid family Picrodendracese (Greek picro bitter, dendron tree, referring to bitter fruits) in the Malpighiales order is a small family of only 94 species in 25 small genera restricted to subtropical and tropical regions of the southern hemisphere including Australia, New Caledonia, New Guinea and Madagascar. Many of the genera are monotypic (40 per cent of genera) or ditypic (16 per cent) relicts, and most species are endemic in Australia, New Caledonia or Madagascar. One of the component clades within the Picrodendraceae (which included Austrobuxus) is centred on Australia. Austrobuxus was recently identified in the late Eocene (35 Ma) deposits in New Zealand and earlier in the Late Paleocene (55.5 Ma) in Australia. Recent studies (Davis et al. 2005) implicate the explosive radiation of the Malpighiales in the Mid-Cretaceous with origin of modern tropical(/subtropical) rainforests. Relict taxa, such as Austrobuxus, within this order are thus of strong evolutionary significance requiring continuing monitoring for ensuring adequate long-term protection.

A significant number of additional species (10 species in seven families) have subsequently been recognised as occurring in the area and which are rated as threatened with extinction.

There are no data to indicate the reasons for these changes, e.g. better information or changes in threat levels. Notwithstanding the reasons, increasing the area of National Park and consequently the World Heritage Area should have beneficial effects in the long term.

Animal population Trends

Eighty-five per cent of animal species recorded in 1994 as rare and/or threatened that also occur at Springbrook are declining or have shown no improvement in their conservation status over the past 18 years. A declining status is recorded for 57.5 per cent of species. No improvement is observable for 27.5 per cent of species. Only 15 per cent of species are recorded as no longer threatened.

Table I: Change in conservation status of species associated with the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area after 18 years since the original listing in 1994.

Three codes were used for conservation status in 1994 as part of the ROTAP System (plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Trichosanthes~subvelutina):
Distribution: 1, species known from type locality only; 2, species with a maximum distribution of <100 km; 3, species with a range of >100 km but occurring in small populations mainly restricted to specific habitats
Conservation status: E, endangered; V, vulnerable; R, rare; K, poorly known
Supplementary Codes: C, known to be represented in a national Park or similar reserve.

Table II: Changes in conservation status and population trends of animal species associated with the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area after 18 years since original listing.

a Under consideration or review (submitted for Erythrotriorchis radiatus in 2005 by Baker-Gabb, DJ)
b Hastings River Mouse (Pseudomys oralis) has not yet been formally recorded from the Springbrook precinct but, as suitable habitat does exist there, autonomous infra-red camera detection systems are deployed by ARCS to monitor possible occurrence. I: IUCN RP: Recovery Plan.

The current threatened status of plants and animals is based on official websites: New South Wales (www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp); Australia (www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species.html); and internationally based on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Version 2012.2 (www.iucnredlist.org/search); all were last accessed on 02/02/2013.