Threatened Plants and Animals

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Nature & People

The term 'threatened species' relates to any species vulnerable to extinction, including endangered species.

Over 50 mammal and bird species and 50 plant species have become extinct in Australia since the arrival of Captain James Cook the late 18th century. Major threats to plant and animals and their habitats include:

land clearing, mining and other development
competition and predation by introduced pest plants, animals and diseases.

For example:

Land clearing for agriculture, urban development and industry destroys habitats as well as isolating patches of remaining habitat that are then not large enough to sustain all the original species.
Introduced species such as the European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), European Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes), Cat (Felis catus) and Pig (Sus scrofa) are having a major negative impact on many native species and their habitats.

Climate change will endanger many common species, as well as species already regarded as threatened. The Great Eastern Ranges contains a long chain of interconnected ecosystems from north to south and from lowland to highland, providing many refuge areas where species can move and gradually adapt to climate change. This will not protect all threatened species and their habitats, however maintaining and improving the connectivity of natural lands provides opportunities for species to disperse and adapt that are not available when habitats are fragmented and isolated.