Land clearing impact on threatened flora habitat
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Key finding
Land use clearing for pasture is the greatest pressure on threatened flora pre-clear habitat, increasing by 34% from the 2014-2015 reporting period and 357% from 2010-2011, when clearing rates were at their lowest since annual reporting began in 1999-2010.
Queensland
Land use associated with clearing is monitored by the Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) annual reporting program. The analysis of land clearing pressure for threatened flora pre-clear habitat refers to SLATS woody vegetation replacement landcover. Pre-clear habitat refers to the original extent of species habitat, prior to European settlement.
Across Queensland, clearing of threatened flora pre-clear habitat within woody vegetation has increased 34% from 2014-2015 and 357% from the lowest point in 2010-2011. The Brigalow Belt, Mulga Lands and South East Queensland bioregions recorded the highest clearing rates.
Clearing for pasture was the greatest pressure for threatened flora pre-clear habitat across Queensland. Thinning was the second highest pressure, particularly in the Brigalow Belt, Mulga Lands, Desert Uplands and South East Queensland bioregions.
Some threatened flora species may be unable to utilise woody regrowth vegetation as habitat. Threatening processes such as habitat degradation, loss of habitat connectivity, disease, predation, invasive species, grazing and inappropriate fire management place significant additional pressure on threatened flora in both remnant and non-remnant habitat.
Brigalow Belt
The Brigalow Belt bioregion recorded the highest clearing of threatened flora pre-clear habitat within woody vegetation across Queensland in 2015-2016, an increase of 47% from the 2014-2015 reporting period and a 431% increase from the lowest clearing rate in 2010-2011.
Clearing land for pasture was the greatest pressure.
Some threatened flora species may be unable to utilise woody regrowth vegetation as habitat. Threatening processes such as habitat degradation, loss of habitat connectivity, disease, predation, invasive species, grazing and inappropriate fire management place significant additional pressure on threatened flora in both remnant and non-remnant habitat.
Cape York Peninsula
In 2015-2016, clearing of threatened flora pre-clear habitat within woody vegetation in the Cape York Peninsula bioregion decreased by 18.1% from the 2014-2015 reporting period. This represents a 614% increase from the lowest clearing rates in the Cape York bioregion were recorded in 2001-2002.
Clearing land for mining and infrastructure were the greatest pressures.
Some threatened flora species may be unable to utilise woody regrowth vegetation as habitat. Threatening processes such as habitat degradation, loss of habitat connectivity, disease, predation, invasive species, grazing and inappropriate fire management place significant additional pressure on threatened flora in both remnant and non-remnant habitat.
Central Queensland Coast
In 2015-2016, the clearing of threatened flora pre-clear habitat within woody vegetation in the Central Queensland Coast bioregion increased by 55% since the previous reporting period of 2014-2015 and by 778% since the lowest rate of clearing recorded in 2010-2011.
Forestry was the dominant clearing pressure, pasture was another pressure.
Some threatened flora species may be unable to utilise woody regrowth vegetation as habitat. Threatening processes such as habitat degradation, loss of habitat connectivity, disease, predation, invasive species, grazing and inappropriate fire management place significant additional pressure on threatened flora in both remnant and non-remnant habitat.
Channel Country
In 2015-2016, there was no reported woody vegetation loss in threatened flora habitat in the Channel Country bioregion. The largest losses occurred in the 2013-2014 reporting periods were due to clearing for pasture.
Some threatened flora species may be unable to utilise woody regrowth vegetation as habitat. Threatening processes such as habitat degradation, loss of habitat connectivity, disease, predation, invasive species, grazing and inappropriate fire management place significant additional pressure on threatened flora in both remnant and non-remnant habitat.
Desert Uplands
In 2015-2016, clearing of threatened flora pre-clear habitat within woody vegetation in the Desert Uplands bioregion increased by 115% from the previous reporting period of 2014-2015 and increased 36-fold from the lowest clearing rate in 2009-2010.
Clearing land for pasture was the greatest pressure.
Some threatened flora species may be unable to utilise woody regrowth vegetation as habitat. Threatening processes such as habitat degradation, loss of habitat connectivity, disease, predation, invasive species, grazing and inappropriate fire management place significant additional pressure on threatened flora in both remnant and non-remnant habitat.
Einasleigh Uplands
In 2015-2016, clearing of threatened flora pre-clear habitat within woody vegetation in the Einasleigh Uplands bioregion increased by 117% since the previous reporting period of 2014-2015. This represents a 421% increase in annual clearing since its lowest point in 2010-2011.
Clearing land for pasture was the greatest pressure.
Some threatened flora species may be unable to utilise woody regrowth vegetation as habitat. Threatening processes such as habitat degradation, loss of habitat connectivity, disease, predation, invasive species, grazing and inappropriate fire management place significant additional pressure on threatened flora in both remnant and non-remnant habitat.
Gulf Plains
In 2015-2016, clearing of threatened flora pre-clear habitat within woody vegetation in the Gulf Plains bioregion increased by 53% from 2014-2015. This is a 222% increase from the lowest clearing rate which occurred in 2008-2009.
Clearing land for pasture was the greatest pressure.
Some threatened flora species may be unable to utilise woody regrowth vegetation as habitat. Threatening processes such as habitat degradation, loss of habitat connectivity, disease, predation, invasive species, grazing and inappropriate fire management place significant additional pressure on threatened flora in both remnant and non-remnant habitat.
Mitchell Grass Downs
In 2015-2016, clearing of threatened flora pre-clear habitat within woody vegetation in the Mitchell Grass Downs bioregion decreased by 79% since the previous reporting period of 2014-2015 and was similar to the clearing rate in 2013-2014. The 2015-2016 clearing rate was 375% higher than the lowest clearing rate which was recorded in 2008-2009.
Clearing land for pasture was the greatest pressure.
Some threatened flora species may be unable to utilise woody regrowth vegetation as habitat. Threatening processes such as habitat degradation, loss of habitat connectivity, disease, predation, invasive species, grazing and inappropriate fire management place significant additional pressure on threatened flora in both remnant and non-remnant habitat.
Mulga Lands
In 2015-2016, the Mulga Lands bioregion experienced an 89% increase in clearing of threatened flora pre-clear habitat within woody vegetation from the previous reporting period of 2014-2015. This constitutes a 650% increase from the lowest clearing rate which occurred in 2009-2010.
Clearing land for pasture was the greatest pressure.
Some threatened flora species may be unable to utilise woody regrowth vegetation as habitat. Threatening processes such as habitat degradation, loss of habitat connectivity, disease, predation, invasive species, grazing and inappropriate fire management place significant additional pressure on threatened flora in both remnant and non-remnant habitat.
New England Tableland
In 2015-2016, clearing of threatened flora pre-clear habitat within woody vegetation for the New England Tableland bioregion decreased by 57% since the previous reporting period of 2014-2015. The 2015-2016 clearing rate was almost double (198%) the lowest clearing rate recorded in 2010-2011.
Clearing land for pasture was the greatest pressure.
Some threatened flora species may be unable to utilise woody regrowth vegetation as habitat. Threatening processes such as habitat degradation, loss of habitat connectivity, disease, predation, invasive species, grazing and inappropriate fire management place significant additional pressure on threatened flora in both remnant and non-remnant habitat.
Northwest Highlands
There was no recorded clearing of threatened flora habitat in the North West Highlands bioregion in 2015-2016 or any reporting period dating back to 1999.
Some threatened flora species may be unable to utilise woody regrowth vegetation as habitat. Threatening processes such as habitat degradation, loss of habitat connectivity, disease, predation, invasive species, grazing and inappropriate fire management place significant additional pressure on threatened flora in both remnant and non-remnant habitat.
Southeast Queensland
In 2015-2016, clearing of threatened flora pre-clear habitat within woody vegetation in the South East Queensland bioregion decreased by 16% since the previous reporting period of 2014-2015. The rate of clearing experienced in 2015-2016 represents a 148% increase from the lowest clearing rates in 2008-2009,
Clearing land for pasture and forestry were the greatest pressures.
Some threatened flora species may be unable to utilise woody regrowth vegetation as habitat. Threatening processes such as habitat degradation, loss of habitat connectivity, disease, predation, invasive species, grazing and inappropriate fire management place significant additional pressure on threatened flora in both remnant and non-remnant habitat.
Wet Tropics
In 2015-2016, clearing of threatened flora pre-clear habitat within woody vegetation in the Wet Tropics bioregion increased by 37% since the previous reporting period of 2014-2015. This represents an almost 14-fold increase in clearing since its lowest point in 2009-2010.
Forestry continued to be the greatest clearing pressure.
Some threatened flora species may be unable to utilise woody regrowth vegetation as habitat. Threatening processes such as habitat degradation, loss of habitat connectivity, disease, predation, invasive species, grazing and inappropriate fire management place significant additional pressure on threatened flora in both remnant and non-remnant habitat.
More information:
Indicator: Land use resulting in clearing and its impact on threatened flora habitat
An analysis between native vegetation clearing types and habitat for threatened flora. Data is based on the latest Regional Ecosystems (version 10, 2016) and Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) 2015-2016.