Endangered Species in East GippslandEast Gippsland occupies only 5% of the state of Victoria yet its forests contain 273 rare and threatened plant species and 43 rare and endangered animals. This includes Rough Eyebright, a plant which is threatened nationally, all six owl species that are threatened in Victoria, Tiger Quolls which are at risk of becoming endangered, the Long-footed Potoroo which is in danger of extinction and the Orbost Spiny Crayfish of which only 15 recorded specimens have been found since 1956. The area is unique and served as a refuge for plant species during the last ice age. There are some remnant patches of these Gondwanan forests still surviving on the Errinundra Plateau and there are also many plant species that are at the limit of their southern or eastern range in Australia and are therefore vital for the maintenance of evolutionary processes. Much of this forest is threatened and in water catchments that are not protected in National Parks, with some of these areas bordering National Parks. Threatened: Endangered, Vulnerable, RareThe terms Endangered, Vulnerable and Rare are sometimes used interchangeably. The definitions listed below are those of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and here they are used in the context of Victoria.
Table: Species listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (soon to appear here). Table: Commonwealth Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (ESP Act) HOME - ABOUT GECO - FOREST INFO - HOTSPOTS! - ACTIONS & EVENTS - ARCHIVECONTACT US |