In the Sydney area, future climate change appears likely to lead to higher temperatures and less rainfall.
The drought tolerant adaptations of many of the native plant species in our Cumberland Plain Woodland are likely to allow them to persist for some time under drier conditions. However in the long-term most populations do need some periodic seedling recruitment, and adequate wet periods will be necessary to allow germination and establishment. If such periods become less frequent, it will be important that the seedling recruitment and growth to maturity are successful whenever those less-frequent conditions occur.
Given adequate rainfall events, other threats that are likely to impact on the recruitment of species include inadequate microsites for germination, and increased seedling predation, particularly by exotic species such as rabbits, though artificially high macropod species numbers may also be a threat at that time.
Competition from similarly drought-adapted exotic species may also threaten native species, though other exotic species may be destroyed by extended dry periods.