An Australian Government Initiative [logo]
ANBG logo

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.

 

Australian Flora estimates 2009   (reference: 9)

Taxon

World Described

Australia Described

Australia Described % of World Described

Estimate World

Estimate Australia

Australia % Endemic

Bryophytes
(mosses, liverworts etc)

16,236

1,847

11.4%

~22,750

~2,200

25%

Algae (plants)

12,272

~3,545

~29%

-

~3,000

-

Total Vascular Plants

281,621

19,324

6.9%

~368,050

~21,645

91.8%

Ferns and allies

(~12,000)

(498)

(4.2%)

(~15,000)

(~525)

(33.8%)

Gymnosperms

(~1,021)

(120)

(11.7%)

(~1,050)

(~120)

(96%)

Flowering Plants

(~268,600)

(18,706)

(7%)

(~352,000)

(~21,000)

(93.5%)

TOTAL Plants
(excluding algae)

297,857

21,171

7.1%

~390,800

23,845

86%

 

Vascular Flora of Australia estimates 1990   (references: 4 + 5)

NOTE: the figures above are the most accurate prediction, these 1990 figures are given for historical context

Total native species estimated in 1990

15 638

Total naturalised species estimated in 1990

1 952

Total native and naturalised species estimated in 1990

17 590

Presumed extinct in 1990

83

 

Species of Vascular Flora for each Australian State (1990)   (reference: 4 and 7)

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)

 

Percentage of Total Flora Occurring in Each State (1992)    (reference: 4)

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 %

 

Largest Plant Families (>300 species) in Australia
1992 [Australian figures refer to native species] (references: 2, 3, 4 + 6)

Australia
World
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

 

Angiosperm families occuring in Australia with more than 50 genera (native + exotic)

estimates 2010 [reference 10] (APC)

Family

No. genera

Asteraceae

309

Poaceae

260

Fabaceae

202

Orchidaceae

133

Myrtaceae

95

Malvaceae

68

Lamiaceae

67

Rubiaceae

64

Brassicaceae

59

Cyperaceae

52

Rutaceae

50

 

Largest Genera (>100 species) in Australia
[native species only] (references: 2 + 3)

Genus Number of species Family

Acacia

~1000

Mimosaceae

Eucalypts (Eucalyptus sens lat)

~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

 

Present Structural Vegetation Types of Australia (reference: 1)

Type Area (sq km) Percentage

CLOSED FOREST (>70% foliage cover)
(rainforest etc.)     [profile]

36 000

0.4 %

OPEN FOREST (30-70% foliage cover)
(mostly eucalypt forest)     [profile]  [profile]

359 000

4.6 %

WOODLANDS (10-30% foliage cover)
(mostly eucalypt and acacia)     [profile]

1 066 000

13.9 %

OPEN WOODLANDS (<10% foliage cover)
(eucalypt, acacia + cleared grazing land)     [profile] [profile]

1 985 000

25.8 %

TALL SHRUBLANDS (shrubs >2m)
(mallee, mulga, arid acacias)     [profile]

2 392 000

31.1 %

LOW SHRUBLANDS (shrubs <2m)
(heath, arid chenopods, alpine)     [profile] [profile]

484 000

6.2 %

HUMMOCK GRASSLAND
(spinifex 'grass steppe')     [profile]

45 000

0.6 %

TUFTED GRASSES/GRAMINOIDS
(Mitchell grass etc)     [profile]

714 000

9.2 %

OTHER HERBACEOUS PLANTS
(mostly pastures)

495 000

6.4 %

LITTORAL COMPLEX
(mangroves etc)     [profile]

22 000

0.3 %

OTHER
(urban, intensive cropping, no veg, etc)

110 000

1.5 %

See profiles of more vegetation types at NLWRA web site

National Reserve System (reference: 11):

The latest NRS figures (June 2010):  there are now nearly 9400 protected areas covering 102.5 million hectares (over 13%) of Australia.
Marine protected areas cover nearly 10% of Australia's marine area.
On land, while half of the protected areas are under 100 hectares they only contribute about 0.1% to the overall conservation estate.
The bulk of the NRS, about 82%, comprises 171 reserves larger than 100,000 hectares.

Some very simple maps:

Vegetation map of Australia

Seasonal rainfall map of Australia

References

    (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

    (9) Chapman, A.D. (2009) Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, 2nd ed . Report for the Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra, Sept 2009. ISBN 978 642 56860 1
    [ www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/species-numbers/2009/ ]

    (10) Australian Plant Census - family translation tables data
          www.anbg.gov.au/chah/apc/family-translation/brummitt-APC-fam.html
          www.anbg.gov.au/chah/apc/family-translation/brummitt-APC-gen.html

    (11) Address to the Parks Forum 'Common Ground' conference in Sydney, August 2010, by Peter Cochrane, Director of National Parks.

 

^ top