Parks

National Reserve System

Protecting biodiversity

Larapinta, photo by Peter Taylor
Larapinta
Photo: Peter Taylor

Mornington Sanctuary, photo by Nick Rains
Conducting research at Mornington Sanctuary
Photo: Nick Rains

Australia is identified as a megadiverse country, one of the most biologically rich countries in the world.

Australia is home to between 600,000 and 700,000 species, many of which are found nowhere else. Eighty-four per cent of our plant species, 83 per cent of our mammals, and 45 per cent of our birds are endemic, or unique. Our isolated island location and low rainfall has given us the highest reptile diversity in the world, with 81 per cent found nowhere else.

More than half of the world's broad habitat types are found over Australia's vast land mass. These ecosystems range from the lush northern rainforests of the Wet Tropics, to the vast eucalypt forests in temperate south-eastern Australia and Tasmania.Hummock and tussock grasslands and ephemeral wetlands contrast with some of the largest and driest deserts on earth.

Kangaroo, koala, platypus, wombat, echidna kookaburra and emu are international symbols. Among the less recognised endemic fauna are freshwater crocodiles, 13 turtle species, unusual lizards such as the thorny devil, bearded dragon, geckoe and goanna and unique marsupials such as the numbat and the marsupial mole. Australia is second only to Brazil in our parrot diversity, with 53 species, including spectacular rosellas, lorikeets and cockatoos.

Much of our biodiversity evolved from common ancestors in South Africa and South America with the split up of the ancient super continent Gondwanaland. In more recent times Australia's tropical rainforests have developed from Indo-Malaysian origins. Human pressures on biodiversity in these other parts of the world elevate the importance of protecting it in Australia.

Since European settlement, more than 50 species of Australian animals and over 60 species of Australian plants are known to have become extinct.

In the face of continuing human pressures, the National Reserve System is working to conserve examples of Australia's remaining biodiversity in protected areas across the continent.