A recovery plan to help bring koala populations back to health is five years overdue, despite warnings from experts that new research shows the species faces fresh challenges to cling on to its remnant habitat.  When the status of koalas was changed to vulnerable in 2012, the federal government took the advice of the Threatened Species Commission and committed to create a recovery plan.  …Australian National University ecologist Kara Youngentob said a recovery plan should “absolutely be a priority”, as forestry operations in some areas were damaging koala habitat and contributed to monocultures in forests. After disturbance from logging and fire, just one species of tree was growing back to dominate the forest and creating “food deserts” for koalas, said Dr Youngentob.