There is approximately less than two million hectares of rainforest left in Australia and its distribution is declining rapidly. Originally there would have been four times this amount, but rainforests have always occupied a small portion of the continental area. Although most areas of rainforests are found in small remnants, they contain a rich and diverse ecosystem which holds a much greater diversity than other communities.

Rainforests can be defined as having a closed canopy of trees (more than 70% foliage projection of the tallest stratum). The flora are mainly humidity dependent, particularly in the early stages of their life cycles. They usually have more than one tree layer and contain characteristic vines and epiphytes. They contain a huge diversity of flora and fauna species. Rainforest plant species are those which regenerate under shade or in natural gaps in the canopy rather than the open light.

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Australian rainforests are of great significance and scientific importance because they contain more than 60% of all the families of vascular plants on the continent. Many of these plants are only found in rainforest locations which highlights the importance of conserving our natural ecosystems, especially rainforests.

They contain the greatest concentration of primitive (plants that have undergone the least evolutionary change) plant families in the world.

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