LITTORAL RAINFOREST

Littoral rainforest is one of Australia’s most endangered and least understood ecosystems. Found in a narrow band along the east coast, it sits right on the frontline between land and sea — shaped by salt spray, sand, wind and storms.

Despite covering a very small area, littoral rainforest plays an outsized role in protecting coastlines, supporting biodiversity and connecting people to place.

Tony O’Malley, Project Coordinator at Terrain NRM said ‘Littoral Rainforest and coastal vine thickets of Eastern Australia’ is a critically endangered forest type under national environmental law.

“Littoral rainforest provides habitat for over 70 threatened plants and animals and is particularly important to the migratory process for birds and butterflies. It also helps to stabilise dunes and reduce coastal erosion,” he said.

“However, littoral rainforest is under pressure from coastal development and land clearing. Weeds, particularly from garden escapees are also a threat to the future condition of this forest type.”

Some of the best examples of littoral rainforest in the Wet Tropics are at Cape Tribulation in the Daintree, Kurrimine Beach, Mission Beach and Forrest Beach as well as on the nearby islands.

Terrain NRM brought experts together as part of its Forest Resilience Project to identify the most important, vulnerable and improveable areas of littoral rainforest to restore and protect. Partners are working together to manage non-native species (weeds) in the Douglas Shire, Hinchinbrook and Cassowary Coast regions.