Koala (QLD, NSW and ACT)
Phascolarctos cinereus
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Endangered
Listed since: 12/02/2022
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Vulnerable
Listed since: 27/05/2014
Population trend: Decreasing
Other names: None
Priority Species? Yes
The Australian government's Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 selected over 100 priority species derive from consultation with threatened species experts and the wider community. While all species are important, focusing on a limited number of species can help target effort and resources so that outcomes can be achieved, measured and shared.
Description
Koalas are tree-dwelling, obligate folivores (leaf eaters) with a highly specialised diet. Koalas are nocturnal and spend significant periods of time moving across the ground between food and shelter trees. Primary food species differ across habitats and may be as few as two at a particular location and research shows there are regional differences which are influenced by the chemical profiles and water content of different target food leaves.
Threats
The koala is threatened by wide-scale climate change drivers which include the increased frequency and intensity of drought and high temperatures, the increasing prevalence of weather conditions which promote bushfire, and a shrinking climatically suitable area. Koala populations are being impacted by diseases, specifically koala retrovirus and Chlamydia, human-related activities including habitat loss resulting from land clearance and mining, and mortality due to encounters with vehicles and dogs.
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
54
To help compare the relative vulnerability of different species, we have developed a scoring system based on biological and ecological characteristics that influence a species' ability to survive and recover from environmental change and natural disasters.
The framework is adapted from assessment methods used by conservation experts following the Black Summer bushfires to help identify species most in need of conservation action, research, and recovery funding.
Each species is assessed using a range of factors, including its conservation status, lifespan, reproductive rate, habitat and dietary requirements, ability to disperse or recover after fire, and the number and severity of threats it faces.
In general, the higher a species' score, the greater its overall vulnerability and risk of decline or extinction.
Like all conservation assessments, this scoring system is limited by the information currently available. Many threatened species remain poorly studied and receive limited research funding, meaning some assessments rely on the best available scientific knowledge or information from closely related species. As new research becomes available, scores may be updated to reflect our improved understanding.