|
The Australian Environment |
The following summary statistics have been compiled to give an indication of the diversity of the Australian vascular flora. The statistics are very much slanted towards the vascular plants rather than the bryophytes, the lichens and the fungi. It is thought that the species richness figures would increase considerably if these groups were to be included.
Also check out the size of Australia compared with the USA , East Asia, and Europe.
Taxon |
World Described |
Australia Described |
Australia Described % of World Described |
Estimate World |
Estimate Australia |
Australia % Endemic |
Bryophytes |
16,600 |
1,852 |
11.1% |
~22,000 |
~2,200 |
25% |
Total Vascular Plants |
272,400 |
18,140 |
6.7% |
~422,000 |
~20,500 |
90% |
Ferns and allies |
(12,838) |
(446) |
(3.5%) |
(~15,000) |
(~500) |
(40%) |
Gymnosperms |
(~930) |
(113) |
(12.2%) |
(~1,000) |
(113) |
(96%) |
Flowering Plants |
(258,650) |
(17 580) |
(6.8%) |
(~320,000) |
(19,000–21,000) |
(91%) |
TOTAL Plants |
289,000 |
~20 000 |
6.9% |
~444,000 |
23,000 |
84% |
It was estimated in the Flora of Australia 1999 that the total vascular flora of Australia, based on the yearly rate of published new species, will be just over 20,000 (reference 7)
| Total native species | 15 638 |
| Total naturalised species | 1 952 |
| Total native and naturalised species | 17 590 |
| Presumed extinct | 83 |
| State/Territory | Native species | Naturalised species | Total species described | % of total described flora | % of total land area |
| New South Wales | 4677 | 1253 | 5930 (6363) | 33.7% | 10.46% |
| Northern Territory | 3293 (3604) | 262 (356) | 3555 (3960) | 20.2% | 17.52% |
| Queensland | 7535 (8106) | 1161 (1165) | 8696 (9271) | 49.4% | 22.48% |
| South Australia | 2748 (2850) | 927 (1230) | 3675 (4080) | 20.9% | 12.81% |
| Tasmania | 1627 (1572) | 570 (717) | 2197 (2289) | 13.0% | 0.88% |
| Victoria | 2773 | 820 | 3593 (4000+) | 20.4% | 2.96% |
| Western Australia | 7463 | 853 | 8316 | 47.3% | 32.87% |
| Total Australia | 15638 | 1952 | 17590 | 100% | 100% |
Light green figures in brackets are updates since 1990 as at 1999 by the various State herbaria (reference 7)
| Native | Naturalised | Total | |
|
New South Wales |
30 % |
64 % |
33 % |
|
Northern Territory |
21 % |
13 % |
20 % |
|
Queensland |
48 % |
59 % |
49 % |
|
South Australia |
18 % |
47 % |
21 % |
|
Tasmania |
10 % |
29 % |
12 % |
|
Victoria |
18 % |
42 % |
20 % |
|
Western Australia |
48 % |
43 % |
47 % |
|
|
|
|||
| genera | species | genera | species | |
|
Myrtaceae |
70 |
1 646 |
147 |
3 000 |
|
Poaceae |
151 |
1 062 |
670 |
9 000 |
|
Fabaceae |
136 |
1 061 |
500 |
12 000 |
|
Asteraceae |
147 |
940 |
1 100 |
25 000 |
|
Proteaceae |
45 |
842 |
75 |
1 500 |
|
Orchidaceae |
90 |
836 |
600 |
30 000 |
|
Mimosaceae |
17 |
833 |
55 |
3 000 |
|
Cyperaceae |
47 |
650 |
90 |
4 000 |
|
Goodeniaceae |
11 |
366 |
17 |
410 |
|
Rutaceae |
41 |
365 |
150 |
1 800 |
|
Euphorbiaceae |
53 |
362 |
300 |
5 000 |
|
Epacridaceae |
28 |
356 |
31 |
426 |
|
Chenopodiaceae |
31 |
300 |
100 |
1 500 |
| Genus | Number of species | Family |
|
Acacia |
~1000 |
Mimosaceae |
|
Eucalyptus |
~850 |
Myrtaceae |
|
Grevillea |
260 |
Proteaceae |
|
Melaleuca |
176 |
Myrtaceae |
|
Leucopogon |
154 |
Epacridaceae |
|
Stylidium |
154 |
Stylidiaceae |
|
Goodenia |
140 |
Goodeniaceae |
|
Hakea |
134 |
Proteaceae |
|
Eremophila |
134 |
Myoporaceae |
|
Hibbertia |
126 |
Dilleniaceae |
|
Pultenaea |
112 |
Fabaceae |
|
Ptilotus |
100 |
Amaranthaceae |
| Type | Area (sq km) | Percentage |
|
CLOSED FOREST (>70% foliage cover) |
36 000 |
0.4 % |
|
OPEN FOREST (30-70% foliage cover) |
359 000 |
4.6 % |
|
WOODLANDS (10-30% foliage cover) |
1 066 000 |
13.9 % |
|
OPEN WOODLANDS (<10% foliage cover) |
1 985 000 |
25.8 % |
|
TALL SHRUBLANDS (shrubs >2m) |
2 392 000 |
31.1 % |
|
LOW SHRUBLANDS (shrubs <2m) |
484 000 |
6.2 % |
|
HUMMOCK GRASSLAND |
45 000 |
0.6 % |
|
TUFTED GRASSES/GRAMINOIDS |
714 000 |
9.2 % |
|
OTHER HERBACEOUS PLANTS |
495 000 |
6.4 % |
|
LITTORAL COMPLEX |
22 000 |
0.3 % |
|
OTHER |
110 000 |
1.5 % |
See profiles of more vegetation types at NLWRA web site
(1) Anonymous (1990). Atlas of Australian Resources - Vegetation. AUSLIG, Commonwealth of Australia.
(2) Beadle, N C W (1981). The Vegetation of Australia. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
(3) Anonymous (1993). Census of Australian Vascular Plants (CAVP) Computer Database (June 1993). IBIS data network, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra.
(4) Hnatiuk, R J (1990) Census of Australian Vasular Plants. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
(5) Leigh, J; & Briggs, J (1992) Threatened Australian Plants - Overview and Case Studies. Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, Canberra.
(6) Morley, B D; & Toelken, H R (1983) Flowering Plants in Australia. Rigby, Adelaide.
(7) Orchard, A.E. (ed) (1999) Flora of Australia Vol 1 Introduction 2nd Edition, Australian Biological Resources Study/CSIRO, Canberra.
(8) Chapman, A.D. (2006) Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World. Report for the Department of Environment and Heritage, Canberra, Sept 2005. ISBN 978 0 642 56849 6
