Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2019L00153:body:0:p23
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2019L00153
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 62579–65591

patches of Littoral Rainforest. For example, the root rot pathogen Phellinus noxius is known to affect tree and shrub species found in Littoral Rainforest. P. noxius is known to lead to the death of its host plants by attacking tree roots, causing decay and cutting off water and nutrient supplies to the crown (DEEDI 2010). Literature shows that this native pathogen has caused the death of an endangered scented Acronychia (Acronychia littoralis) individual, and several other plant species, in a patch of Littoral Rainforest in Cape Byron State Conservation Area, New South Wales, in 2003 (Pegg & Ramsden 2003).

2.2.10  Other natural disturbance
In addition to the above anthropogenic sources of impacts, the ecological community is subject to natural disturbances, such as storm events and cyclones, which, depending on their intensity and frequency, can have a detrimental effect. For example, a severe storm can cause coastal erosion and accelerate the rate of weed invasion as the canopy and ground layer are disturbed. In northern Queensland, patches of Littoral Rainforest are highly vulnerable to cyclone damage (Murphy et al. 2008), as was evident in 2011 when Cyclone Yasi destroyed several hectares of Littoral Rainforest (Metcalfe et al. 2011). Cyclone damage appears greatest for early-successional tree species. However, these species tend to recover quickly while late-successional species tend to incur less damage but take much longer to recover (Metcalfe et al. 2011).

   3     Biodiversity considerations

Littoral Rainforest is known to provide significant habitat for a number of endemic and threatened flora and fauna species, as detailed in the Listing Advice and Policy Statement 3.9. Persistence of this ecological community is critical to the survival of a number of these national and state listed species.
Other ecosystems and habitats adjoining the ecological community will also benefit directly and indirectly from actions to improve landscape health within patches of Littoral Rainforest. For example, some patches of Littoral Rainforest are known to overlap with, or closely adjoin, a number of other ecological communities including the Semi-Evergreen Vine Thickets of the Brigalow Belt (North and South) and Nandewar Bioregions ecological community (Endangered) and the Lowland Rainforest of Subtropical Australia ecological community (Critically Endangered).

3.1      Connectivity
The spatial distribution and size of native vegetation patches are important considerations in the long term survival of Littoral Rainforest and the species that depend on this ecological community. Given many species move between different parts of the landscape on a daily or seasonal basis, and migratory species move at even larger scales, the conservation status of many flora and fauna species depends on the network of habitat available to support their populations. Conversely, highly-mobile fauna such as flying foxes and birds can be key seed dispersers for many rainforest trees