Richard Fuller: My own conservation philosophy is that the world becomes a poorer place every time we lose a species from it. So I think very often we have to intervene and manage from a conservation perspective, not just try to keep things as they were in some historical time, in many ways it's already too late for that and we need to be much more open I think to continuous and innovative management of our environment. An estimated 10 million hectares (100,000 sq km . . His work, starting in the 1980s, showed that birds tended to move between different trees to feed, rather than between flowers on the same tree. The growing demands of an expanding human population (often associated with changes in demography) and growing global markets are placing additional pressures on our natural wealth with long-lasting consequences. Nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of the Australian landmass is pastoral or agricultural land. Australia is one of seven countries responsible for more than half of global biodiversity loss, according to a study published today. We cause habitat change through agricultural, urban and industrial development, and the exploitation of natural resources. Most of our work on Our World in Data focuses on data and research on human well-being and prosperity. Land clearing on a property in northern NSW in August 2017 after biodiversity laws were weakened. "I knew there were a lot of threatened species in Australia, but I didn't realise things were getting worse so quickly.". The loss of wetlands that began in 1829, and continues into the present day, is a deciding factor in Perth being able to retain its status as a biodiverse city. Clearly, too many of our existing management practices for endangered species arent working. Our conservation record has been poor so far and has typically focused on national parks, he says, suggesting there has been a problem with that strategy. The success of Western Shield and previous programs has resulted in the removal of the woylie, tammar wallaby and quenda from Western Australia's threatened species list. These trends are all shaped by other indirect . Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. More than 80% of Australia's flowering plants and land mammals are endemic, as are 88% of our reptiles, 45% of our birds and 92% of our frogs. (Credit: Esther Beaton), Yellow box grassy woodland regenerating from farmland on Bush Heritage Australias. I know that you worked to some extent with Hugh Possingham who I think was the Queensland Chief Scientist last year, this year as well, and he came into an argument in South Australia talking about the need to cull koalas because in a certain area they were interfering with, say, the tree growth and suchlike. Biodiversity, or biological diversity, is a term used to describe the variety of living things in the natural environment: the different plants, animals and micro-organisms; the genes they contain; and the ecosystems in which they occur. The new research will help explain why the region is so rich in endemic plants, Stephen says, while also revealing how so many of them can be found in geographically separated populations, where inbreeding should be rife, but its effects appear to be muted.. Next door is the Blue Metal Travelling Stock Reserve, home to a colony of squirrel gliders and a population of an endangered bird the grey-crowned babbler. If you look at what we currently have under protectionwe only need to get another 9 per cent of Australia into conservation-capable form. To pick up the shortfall, he argues, we must find ways of getting pastoralists to value the native wildlife on their properties. 1).It experiences a strongly Mediterranean climate with frequent droughts (Saunders et al., 1993, Hobbs and Cramer, 2003) and is part of the South West Australian Floristic Region, a recognized global biodiversity hotspot (Mittermeier et al . By examining extinction rates in the fossil record and Australias relationship to the size of different islands, Mike has calculated that to give all Australian species a good chance of surviving whatever the future throws at them will require a minimum of about 1.5 million sq. Managing farmland for conservation also benefits agricultural productivity. Half of the world's land Astronomer Professor Richard de Grijs from Macquarie University explains all the upcoming celestial events visible from Australia this year, and the best datesand times to see them: Make miniature mechanised minions with teeny tiny tools! Section snippets The WA wheatbelt. The Eastern Curlew pictured here at Roebuck Bay near Broome, Western Australia is critically endangered. When the environment changes down on the plains, it changes uniformly over a bigger area. The worst thing we can do is the nonsense of wildernessthere are few places on the planet that havent had humans managing them in some way, Mike says. An estimated 10 % of Perths original wetlands remain. Bruce and Mark share a passion for squirrel gliders that has brought them closer together. There is a similar sort of argument about rewilding bringing the wolves back to Yellowstone Park so that you cull some of the herbivores and allow the balance of nature to come back again. Write an article and join a growing community of more. The beginning of biodiversity conservation in WA is rooted in the setting aside of land by the State for the protection of flora and fauna in the late 1800s and early 1900s when the first reserve declared was in September 1899 for the purpose of the Protection of Boronia near Albany; and the first national park, Greenmount National Park (which has now become John Forest National Park) was established in 1900 on the outskirts of Perth. The fact is, in the past few hundred years, Australia has the worst record in the world for mammal extinctions. CLIMATE CHANGE POSES a major threat to a biota already in decline. The researchers believe that their data can be used to better target conservation efforts. Come and explore what our researchers, curators and education programs have to offer. 1. "We can no longer say . Some animals, such as cats and foxes, directly destroy native species. km of conservation-viable land. This, in turn, has triggered an ever-increasing suite of regulatory controls that are considered to result in delays for the approval of projects. [The] challenge is not to prognosticate about the height of the piles of dead species that will litter the wayside of the future if we stick with current strategies. Other, bolder, more aggressive ideas such as relocating species outside their known ranges and co-opting alien species to help battle native declines come from left field. Loss of biodiversity undermines ecosystems' abilities to function effectively and efficiently and thus undermines nature's ability to support a healthy environment. The prerequisites will be to establish an effective captive-breeding program [at cold temperatures] for the Kosciuszko population. Australia among seven nations responsible for more than 50 per cent of global biodiversity loss, Catch up with The Loop, your quick wrap of this morning's news. Outgoing threatened species commissioner Gregory Andrews caused a stir recently when he suggested there are bigger threats to Australian wildlife than habitat loss. Its clear that conventional conservation is not working and not lasting.. Scientists based their findings on the worsening in conservation status of species between 1996 and 2008 on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. They include: While the Act provides new arrangements for Biodiversity Conservation Covenants, these arrangements do not replace or invalidate existing registered Nature Conservation Covenants which will continue unaffected by the Biodiversity Conservation Act. Nigel agrees that there are a whole lot of opportunities in the balance between sustainable resource use and conservation. These systems include tidal mangroves, sand and mudflats, coastal lakes, subterranean aquatic systems, swamps and marshes. Recent reports and studies have . Bringing farmers like Bruce and Mark on board for conservation is a key step in halting biodiversity decline and an important way to link fragmented habitats. The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigalpeople as the FirstPeoples and TraditionalCustodians ofthe land and waterways on which theMuseumstands. Would you say that we have to preserve everything, or learn how to preserve enough? Join us, volunteer and be a part of our journey of discovery! Coupled with persistent biophysical threats and socioeconomic causes is human-induced climate change, which is projected to exacerbate biodiversity loss through increased risk of species extinctions and ecosystem decline, especially among those already at risk and limited in their climatic range (Conservation, 2006). Introduction of exotic plants and animals, and disease. We see squirrel gliders the next day, but they have been trapped for an RTA-funded project monitoring highway populations and fitting poles to help the marsupials glide the 70 m needed to cross an otherwise insurmountable road barrier. A genial Aussie with an American accent, Mike gesticulates as he meanders from one fascinating topic to another. This has led to habitat change through land clearing and urbanisation, hunting . A key part of their approach has been to plant silver wattles and other trees that provide important habitat for gliders and threatened species such as migratory swift parrots, known to visit a neighbouring property. Bruce Lynchs farm, 150km to the south-west, is also part of the Slopes to Summit region and offers a great example of how adjoining habitat patches can be combined for a better conservation result. Environment Minister Sussan Ley.Alex Ellinghausen. Taking species population as a measure, a significant loss in biodiversity was found in all regions, with encroachment on natural land identified as the most prominent threat to wildlife. The idea of a legacy seems to be a common theme: Like an artist creating a paintingwe wanted to leave something behind that we had made some contribution to, says Wayne. He says the work is important because a bird-pollinated system of plants is likely to be quite different to one pollinated by insects and could yield novel insights. Since 1970, there has been on average almost a 70% decline in the populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. It is already threatened by feral cats, foxes, development and shrinking supplies of bogong moths one of its major food sources. 2.2 Southwest WA is one of Australia's 15 national biodiversity 'hotspots' and the only biodiversity hotspot located in . Such connections are a major focus of some new conservation approaches. On Monday the papers carried a Reuters report on destruction in the Amazon. On a mountain, you can move around the hill a bit. You have reached the end of the main content. Biodiversity. Perth is the capital of the Southwest Australia Ecoregion, one of only 34 internationally recognised Biodiversity Hotspots (Conservation International 2010). This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Bold, new interventionist ideas are needed to save Australias biodiversity. And so, how many times have you come to arguments? Private conservation group Bush Heritage Australia set a goal for itself of purchasing and protecting a further 1 per cent of Australia by 2025. By subscribing you become an AG Society member, helping us to raise funds for conservation and adventure projects. In coming years, Bruce and Mark are likely to fare much better than farmers who have not been making these changes Well still have to adapt to climate change to make a living, Mark says. To slow erosion, Bruce and Mark have planted eucalypts and silver wattles along creek lines and have built dams that capture sediment and stop soil being washed away. Many pastoral properties contain significant conservation values, both in the traditionally understood sense of biodiversity values but also [in the] ecosystem services they provide, such as being a source of fresh water, says Doug Humann, CEO of Bush Heritage. New South Wales and Queensland have been particularly bad for that over the past two decades," Professor Brook said. The short answer is that Invertebrates are animals without a backbone. We found that at least 67 million km 2 of Earth's terrestrial vegetation (79% of the area of vegetation remaining) requires retention - via sustainable and appropriate land use and management - to contribute to biodiversity, climate, soil and freshwater objectives under four United Nations Resolutions. Did megafauna, such as Procoptodon (the giant short-faced kangaroo) or Diprotodon (the giant wombat-like marsupial), that used to roam Australia, become extinct because of climate change or because of hunting? Biodiversity and Conservation Science staff have expertise in animal biology, animal breeding, aquatic ecology, biological survey, collections . Minister backs down in fight to keep WA live sheep exports afloat. In the early days the settlers would have been targeting sections of the landscape that had yellow box to clear for pasture.. The main factor in the loss of biodiversity is the increased rate of population growth. WWF's 2020 Living Planet Report held some alarming news: The world has seen an average 68% drop in mammal, bird, fish, reptile, and amphibian populations since 1970. Biological diversity or biodiversity is the term given to the variety of life on Earth. The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigalpeople as the FirstPeoples and Traditional Custodians of the land andwaterways on which theMuseumstands. Iain Gordon, a biodiversity expert with the CSIRO in Townsville, says land quality is as important as quantity. We really have to aggressively get over our conservatism, because its at the tremendous expense of the survival of species, he says. The Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 provides for species, subspecies or populations of native animals (fauna) to be listed as Specially Protected, Threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable) or Extinct in Western Australia. This South West Biodiversity Hotspot has 8379 native vascular plants (species + subspecies), 47% (3911) of which are endemic (found nowhere else on the planet) 1. The wetlands in WA support a rich natural heritage of plant and animal life. National parks tend to beon marginal land. Allowing landholders to benefit from the harvest of kangaroos for meat and skins is one idea. Basically we are talking about how to sensibly use a finite resource, the landscape, in support of people. Pollution: Garbage dumped into the water supply, chemical runoff from industrial applications, and air pollution from cars and factories all have a negative effect. Its filled with resources that evolutionarily they are suited to eat, says Mike. Weve got to look at very large landscape scalesso that we dont lose the species that are [still healthy].. However, as a country, we are among the worst on biodiversity conservation, with a loss of 5-10% as noted in study between 1996 to 2008. Were excited; greater gliders are normally found in the high country of Woomargama National Park, several kilometres to the south-east not down here towards the Hume Highway. The impact of current threatsis predicted to increase with loss of snow cover from global warming., In what Mike describes as a delicious irony, the species was only known in fossil form until 1966, when visitors to a Mount Hotham ski lodge spied a weird little animal running around a kitchen. Human impact on Australia's biodiversity? Get incredible stories of extraordinary wildlife, enlightening discoveries and stunning destinations, delivered to your inbox. Everyday, more people need more space, consume more resources and generate more waste as world population continues to grow at an alarming rate. While private conservation partners, such as Bush Heritage and the NCT, are buying up properties to fill some gaps, other gaps can be plugged by bringing communities of private landholders on board. the ability for the Minister to agree to Biodiversity conservation agreements; the ability for the Director General of Parks and Wildlife to enter into Biodiversity Conservation Covenants with private landholders; and. In Riversleigh [fossil fields in Queensland], spanning between 24 million and 12 million years ago, Burramys is found all through lowland rainforests in rocky limestone habitat., Mike is convinced the pygmy possum tracked rainforest up the mountain in a previous bout of climate change and became trapped up there in the boulder fields when the rainforests disappeared. [It] also supports a lot of wildlifeand there are a lot of resources there, says Nigel. And so biodiversity and looking after the range of animals and plants and God knows what else is looking at a whole pattern. Its a biodiversity highway aimed at protecting a great ribbon of life, explains the NSW Department of Environments Ian Pulsford, a driving force behind the concept. So we are certainly facing enormous challenges, but I am also optimistic, I do see strong responses to that, both at governmental level but really driven by a groundswell of change, and I think that connection between people and nature is really fundamental, and enhancing that connection enables us to articulate more clearly and argue more persuasively for change at the highest level. Professor Wintle estimated Australia needs to spend $1.5 billion to $2 billion a year to halt biodiversity decline. Connectivity conservation aims to give them the opportunity to roam more widely across landscapes, by persuading landholders to provide protected links between existing parks and reserves. 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