Flora and fauna are essential to Queensland’s rich biodiversity, playing a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and supporting environmental, economic, and cultural values. Native plants provide oxygen, store carbon, and support wildlife by offering food and shelter, while animals contribute to pollination, seed dispersal, and natural pest control. Queensland’s unique species, from towering eucalypts to iconic koalas and cassowaries, are vital to ecosystem balance. Protecting flora and fauna helps sustain industries like tourism and agriculture, preserves Indigenous cultural heritage, and ensures the resilience of the natural environment for future generations.

Knowing how much threatened species habitat has been cleared is crucial for assessing habitat loss trends across bioregions and the state. By understanding the distribution of these habitats before clearing, we can determine how much remains as remnant vegetation and evaluate the effectiveness of current protected areas and conservation efforts. This information helps guide conservation efforts by identifying priority areas for protection or restoration and ensuring threatened species have the habitats they need to survive. It also supports better land management decisions and directs survey and monitoring efforts to where they are most needed.

The focus on threatened species is essential because they are at the greatest risk of extinction, and their decline can disrupt entire ecosystems. Queensland’s native plants and animals are unique and play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity, healthy ecosystems, clean water, and air quality. While all species contribute to ecological balance, threatened species require urgent attention to prevent irreversible losses. Protecting them also safeguards broader ecosystems, benefiting other wildlife and ensuring the long-term sustainability of Queensland’s natural environment for future generations.