Threatened species and communities

Beach Thick Knee Photo: D Milledge

Legislation and definitions

“The NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 identifies and protects native plants and animals in danger of becoming extinct. The Act also provides for species recovery and threat abatement programs.” (DEC)

• Schedule 1 lists threatened species, populations and ecological communities and species that are endangered or presumed extinct.
• Schedule 2 lists vulnerable species
• Schedule 3 lists key threatening processes.

Endangered, vulnerable or extinct?

• A species that is 'presumed extinct' has not been located in nature during the preceding fifty years despite the searching of known and likely habitats.
• An 'endangered' species, population or ecological community is likely to become extinct or is in immediate danger of extinction.
• A 'vulnerable' species is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances and factors threatening its survival or evolutionary development cease to operate.

Source: Department of Environment and Conservation

Byron Shire's threatened flora and fauna

• Threatened fauna species
  • Common Planigale
  • Eastern Blossom Bat
  • Eastern Long-eared Bat
  • Large-footed myotis
  • Long-nosed Potaroo
  • Red-legged Pademelon
  • Wallum Sedge Frog
• Threatened flora
  • Smooth Davidsons Plum
• Endangered ecological communities occurring in Byron Shire
  • Littoral Rainforest

Endangered ecological communities occurring in Byron Shire

• Coastal saltmarsh
• Freshwater Wetlands on coastal floodplains
• Swamp oak floodplain forest
• Swamp sclerophyll forests on coastal floodplains

• River-flat eucalypt forest on coastal floodplains

• Subtropical coastal floodplain forest
• Themeda grassland on seacliffs and coastal headlands
• Byron Bay dwarf graminoid clay heath
• Littoral rainforest (also listed as Critically Endangered under Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999)
• Lowland Rainforest on Floodplain
• Lowland Rainforest in NSW North Coast and Sydney Basin Bioregion
• Coastal Cypress Pine Forest

Littoral rainforest, Brunswick Heads Nature Reserve Photo: D Milledge

Threatened species links

Litoria Olongburensis Photo: D. Milledge

• Department of Environment and Conservation
  Threatened species, populations and ecological communities of NSW
• NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service: Threatened Species
• NSW Threatened Species Legislation
  Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
• Threatened Species and Threatened Ecological Communities
  Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage

References

Byron Shire Council, 2004. Byron Biodiversity Conservation Strategy: A report prepared by Byron Shire Council.

Department of Environment and Conservation 2004. Biodiversity it’s everyone’s business. Natural Resource Management Advisory Series: Note 12.

Landmark Ecological Services, Ecograph and Terrafocus. 1999. Byron Flora and Fauna Study, August 1999. A report prepared for Byron Shire Council.