Title: Rainforest threatened species and communities and ecosystem processes

2007 in pursuance of the objectives for this year. Progress was good and all milestones were met. Broad outlines for development of the project into years 2-4 were also agreed upon. Description of the results achieved for this year Objectives [for 4 years]: (a) Refinement of existing survey protocols for birds and vascular plants to incorporate flying foxes, signs of fire history, presence and abundance of weeds and ferals, and expand data collection on cassowaries and on ecosystem health. (b) Completion of baseline data for the Tully-Murray-Hull catchments using revised protocol, and collection of baseline for other priority catchments. (c) Clarification of the community composition of threatened lowland Regional Ecosystems (REs) and their role in terms of maintaining rare and threatened species, and harbouring exotic and pest species. Identification of key indicators of ecosystem health. (d) Assessment of key threatening processes, and of effectiveness of current management practices in maintaining lowland ecosystem health. (e) Assessment of likelihood and direction of community change of REs under climate change scenarios, or as a result of changed ecological functioning (linked to 2.5ii.3). (f) Determine physiological mechanisms of impacts of climate change on highland rare and threatened species concentrating on arboreal marsupials and microhylid frogs (linked t