Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00287:reg:3:p44
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00287
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3 (pt 44/276)
Character Range: 174651–177503

that are critical to the survival of the species or ecological communities, and what must be done to stop the decline and support the survival of a threatened species or community, including actions to protect and restore habitat. Habitat is a species-specific concept; it refers to the resources and conditions present in an area and not to a specific vegetation type or land cover (Hall et al. 1997; Kirk et al. 2018). Habitat is the sum of the specific resources needed for a species to occupy an area, and to survive and reproduce there (Hall et al. 1997; Kirk et al. 2018).
All the native plant communities on Norfolk Island provide habitat for threatened plant species (Table 12). The remaining areas of moist palm valley forest, moist upland hardwood forest, pine‑hardwood ridge forest, viny hardwood forest and sheltered coastal forest in and around the Mt Pitt section of the national park support the core parts of the populations of the Norfolk Island green parrot, Norfolk Island golden whistler, Norfolk Island robin and Campbell's keeled glass-snail, as well as the greatest density of Norfolk Island morepork territories (TSSC 2016a; TSSC 2016b). Pine/oak vegetation supports the remaining population of Suter's striped glass-snail. Gray's glass-snail has been found in flax on slopes on Phillip Island. Some species also occur in areas of non-native vegetation. For example, the Norfolk Island morepork, green parrot and robin are found in both native and weed-infested forests (Garnet & Crowley 2000; TSSC 2016a; TSSC 2016b). For more information on habitat requirements of individual species, see Part 6.
The extent of native vegetation on the islands has been greatly reduced since European settlement (Map 11 and Map 12; Table 13 and Table 14). The remaining fragments of natural or near-natural native vegetation are largely contained within the network of Australian Government and Norfolk Island Regional Council protected areas, together with small parcels of privately owned land (Table 16 and Map 12). All vegetation in these areas represents habitat critical for the survival of the taxa in areas covered by this plan.
In view of the restricted ranges of all listed species to which the plan applies (both in absolute terms and relative to their original ranges), all sites known to currently support any threatened species, or containing remnant native vegetation, should be viewed as critical for the group of threatened species collectively. However, these areas alone may not be sufficient. Areas of the island that have vegetation retaining some native elements, or which otherwise provide opportunities for restoration of vegetation, are likely to be important in supporting recovery (refer to the species profiles in Part 6 for more detailed information about the range and habitat requirements of individual species).