An ecological community is a naturally occurring group of plants, animals and other organisms interacting in a unique habitat. The complex range of interactions between the component species provides an important level of biological diversity in addition to genetics and species.
Definitions, Categories and Criteria for Threatened and Priority Ecological Communities147.19 KBConserving Threatened Ecological Communities (brochure)485.75 KBBecause ecosystems and the links between their community members are so complex, it is important to identify, maintain and manage whole ecosystems, their processes and communities (including the many thousands of species of invertebrates, non-flowering plants like fungi and seaweeds, and micro-organisms), rather than just on a species by species basis.
It is also more cost-effective and efficient to prevent species from becoming threatened by conserving them as part of viable, functioning communities than it is to attempt to manage individual species.
The Minister for Environment previously listed ecological communities as threatened through a non-statutory process if the community was presumed to be totally destroyed or at risk of becoming totally destroyed. The Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (BC Act)provides for the statutory listing of threatened ecological communities (TECs) by the Minister. The new legislation also describes statutory processes for preparing recovery plans for TECs, the registration of their critical habitat, and penalties for unauthorised modification of TECs.
The department has been identifying and listing TECs since 1994 through the non-statutory process.
As at January 2019, an additional 393 ecological communities (community types and sub-types) with insufficient information available to be considered a TEC, or which are rare but not currently threatened, have been placed on the Priority list and referred to as priority ecological communities (PECs).
Priority ecological communities list641.01 KBThreatened ecological communities endorsed by the Minister for the Environment (June 2018)130.14 KBTEC and PEC occurences are entered into the threatened and priority ecological community database.
Under section 45 of the BC Act the Minister may authorise a person to modify an occurrence of a TEC. Under the provisions of the BC Act, significant penalties (up to $500,000) are prescribed under section 48 where a TEC is modified without authorisation.
Guidance note - Modification of an occurrence of a threatened ecological community233.21 KB provides guidance on completing an authorisation under the BC Act to modify an occurrence of a TEC. An application for authorisation to modify a TEC must be submitted using the form 
Application to the Minister for authorisation under section 45 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016105.25 KB.
Find out more about an authorisation to modify a threatened ecological community.
This is one of the main tools for monitoring TECs in Western Australia.
Threatened ecological community occurrence report form167.58 KB
Threatened ecological community occurrence report form1.1 MB (Word version—can be completed electronically, and then printed or emailed for submission)Threatened ecological community occurrence report form - field manual1 MB (to assist in collecting and recording data through explanations, examples and parameters for the various fields on the form to ensure consistency.Send report forms to:
Species and Communities Branchor email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Recovery plans outline the actions that we need to take to help threatened species or ecological communities survive and 'recover' to a healthy level.
The Biodiversity Conservation Act provides for recovery plans to be prepared for the conservation, protection and management for one or more threatened species, or one or more threatened ecological communities, or a combination of threatened species and threatened ecological communities. A recovery plan must provide for research and management actions to stop the decline, and support the recovery, of each threatened species or threatened ecological community to which the plan relates so that its chance of long-term survival in the wild are maximised.
Draft recovery plans and plans proposed for adoption under the Biodiversity Conservation Act will be available for public comment prior to approval of the recovery plan by the Minister for Environment. Approval of recovery plans will be published in the Government Gazette and on the department's website.
Interim recovery plans are preliminary versions of recovery plans that are prepared where full information is not available.
Recovery plans and interim recovery plans are prepared for threatened species and ecological communities on a priority basis, commencing with those ranked for conservation action by the Minister for Environment as ‘Critically Endangered’.
They are developed with a range of stakeholders, with a term of 10 years, but remain in operation until revised. They are modified when changes in knowledge occur. They provide an assessment of the current status, and detailed information and guidance for the management and protection, of threatened ecological communities.
Interim recovery plans are used to manage and protect threatened or harvested species, threatened ecological communities or other species in need of management where a plan is required urgently but where there are insufficient data available to prepare a full recovery plan.
Recovery plans prepared by the department may be adopted by the Australian Government, and are then referred to as national recovery plans.
Examples of monitoring protocols for a selection of threatened ecological communities are provided below.
Augusta Microbial Threatened Ecological Community643.62 KB Monitoring the impacts of fire and Phytophthora within the shallow soil plant communities of the Mt Lindesay threatened Ecological Community, Denmark WA1.79 MBAppendix A: Proposed monitoring sites for the Mt Lindesay Threatened Ecological Community3.21 MB
Appendix B: Transect locations at Mt Lindesay945.35 KBAppendix C: Mt Lindesay Transect Photographic Records13.56 MBWeed control within Brixton Street Wetlands Herb Rich Shrublands in Clay Pans (FCT 8) Threatened Ecological Community2.41 MBLong Term Monitoring of the Lake Bryde Threatened Ecological Commmunity4.27 MBMonitoring the effects of stock access and weed invasion on a vegetation unit within the Billeranga System Threatened Ecological Community1.63 MBMonitoring of the extent of Dampier Peninsula Vine Thickets Threatened Ecological Community1.36 MBMonitoring the Effectiveness of Weed Control in Dampier Peninsula Vine Thickets Threatened Ecological Community1.68 MBMonitoring of the Invertebrate Assemblages of Mound Springs of the Three Springs Area Threatened Ecological Community1.84 MBAppendix A: A Survey of the Aquatic Invertebrates of Some Organic Mound Springs, Shire of Three Springs, WA236.03 KBAppendix B: Report on August 2001 sampling of invertebrate assemblages at mound springs, Three Springs area2.41 MB