Forests of East Australia: The 35th Biodiversity Hotspot

Abstract

The newly identified "Forests of East Australia" Global High Biodiversity Hotspot corresponds with two World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Ecoregions: the Eastern Australian Temperate Forests and Queensland's Tropical Rain forests. The region contains more than 1,500 endemic vascular plants, meeting the criterion for global biodiversity significance, and more than 70% of natural areas have been cleared or degraded, meeting the criterion for a hotspot. The hotspot, although covering a large latitudinal range (15.5 -35.6 South), has a predominantly summer rainfall pattern with increasing rainfall seasonality northwards into tropical areas of north Queensland. It covers large tracts of elevated tablelands and drier inland slopes, particularly in New South Wales, where it extends inland beyond the New England Tablelands and the Great Dividing Range. Varied soils result in a mosaic pattern of vegetation. Sclerophyllous communities dominated by Australia's iconic plant, the gum-tree (Eucalyptus species), are the most prevalent vegetation type. Significant areas of rain forest exist throughout the region, much of which has persisted continuously since Gondwanan times, providing a rich living record of evolution over more than 100 million years. The human population of the hotspot as of 2006 was over nine million, with a population density of 36 people per square kilometer, mainly concentrated along the coast. About 18% of the land area is under some form of formal protection for its natural values. Gaps in the protected area network include some centers of plant endemism and some areas of critical habitat for threatened species. Whole of landscape conservation initiatives are enhancing connectivity throughout the Great Dividing Range through voluntary protection and restoration programs.

The Hoverflies of an Oak Dehesa from Spain, with a New Species and Other Insights into the Taxonomy of theEumerus tricolorGroup (Diptera: Syrphidae)

“…With a long history of human use, the Mediterranean Basin is one of 35 biodiversity hotspots on Earth (Myers et al 2000, Williams et al 2011. The entire Iberian Peninsula except for some northern and north-western parts is included in this hotspot (Marchese 2015).…”

Land Use in Australia: Past, Present and Future

“…• the longest range of mountainous and upland landscapes on the continent, spanning 21 degrees of latitude and including our greatest altitudinal gradient • the most reliable source of water, providing fresh water for at least 11 million people across eastern Australia, both on the coast and across the inland catchments • the greatest variety of habitats and species, including globally significant hotspots for species diversity and endemism, and habitat for 60 per cent of Australia's threatened animals and 70 per cent of its plants • ancient species like the Wollemi Pine and ancient flowering rainforest plants, which provide living connections to our deep geological history • migration pathways supporting the annual seasonal dispersal and long-distance movement of up to 60 per cent of Australia's forest-and woodland-dependent birds, such as the rainbow bee-eater (Merops ornatus) and regent honeyeater (Xanthomyza phrygia), as well as iconic Australian species such as the grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus), bogong moth (Agrotis infusa) and Richmond birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera richmondia) • an extensive network of more than 2,000 existing protected areas on public and private lands, which provides the basis for seeking to achieve the GER vision (Australian Conservation Foundation [ACF], 2015;Dean-Jones, 2009;Hyder Consulting, 2008;Williams et al, 2011).…”

Evaluating Global Biodiversity Hotspots – Very Rich and Even More Endangered

“…Now there are 36 hotspots, covering 2.4 % of the land surface. Forests of East Australia were identified in 109 2011 and North American Coastal Plain in 2016 (Williams et al, 2011;Noss et al, 2015;CEPF, 2016).…”