Threatened flora species numbers
Key Finding
The number of flora species listed as threatened (‘vulnerable’, ‘endangered’ or ‘presumed extinct’) in Queensland increased by 277 between 2007 and 2019. There has been no change in the total number of flora species listed as ‘presumed extinct’ since 2017.
Threatened species in Queensland are listed under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) in the categories ‘vulnerable’, ‘endangered’ and ‘presumed extinct’. Species at risk of becoming threatened in the near future are listed as ‘near threatened’.
Comparison of species numbers between 2017 and 2019 show:
- the total number of threatened flora has increased by 2 (2 ‘endangered’ species)
- there has been no change in the total number of flora species (22 species) listed as ‘presumed extinct’ since 2017.
Angiosperms (flowering plants) have the highest number of threatened species (655 species), followed by pteridophytes (spore-producing plants i.e. ferns and fern allies) (65 species) and gymnosperms (seed-producing plants i.e. conifers and cycads) (12 species).
‘Near threatened’ flora reduced by 3 species between 2017 and 2019.
As part of the Common Assessment Method process to align the threatened species classes between the NCA and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) the new classes of ‘Extinct’ and ‘Critically Endangered’ have been added.
The growing number of flora in the ‘endangered’ category indicates that, despite recovery efforts by Queensland state and local governments and by many non-government organisations, threatened flora continue to be at risk of extinction.
The loss of flora species significantly impacts First Nations People who through thousands of generations have passed on their knowledge relating to the protection, management, and sustainable use of flora species as a food source, for medicine, shelter, tools and utensils or for totemic, religious and ceremonial purposes. Any future loss of flora species compromises First Nations People’s responsibility to maintain their cultural knowledge systems and connection to country through culturally led stewardship.
More information:
Relevant Sustainable Development Goals’ targets
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Download data from Queensland Government data
Metadata
Count of threatened flora species' conservation status, comparing between 2007 to 2020. Categorised into flora groups including: Flowering plants, Cycads and conifers, Ferns, club mosses and whisky ferns and Algae. Data current as at 20 September 2019 Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006 which the last change to the regulation that lists threatened species.