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. Mike agrees 1.5 million sq. Although much of his current work focuses on conservation, his background is in palaeontology and he brings this knowledge into other arenas. salinization and waterlogging of ecosystems; over-grazing of native vegetation by domestic animals, loss of soils and altered hydrology in the pastoral rangelands; over-exploitation of native plants and animals; and, the ability for the Minister to approve Biodiversity management programmes;. They used fire as a land management tool long before the arrival of Europeans, and this is thought to have affected vegetation patterns. Since the arrival of Europeans in Australia, just over 200 years ago, there has been an extraordinary increase in the rate of environmental change and in the loss of biodiversity. I dont want Australians, particularly the younger generation, to feel so depressed about our current path that they cant be motivated to do things that have the capacity to result in a far brighter future. the ability for the Minister to make regulations for certain matters identified in the Act. By way of example, there are more species of flowering plants in the Fitzgerald River National Park than in the United Kingdom, contributing to the South West of WA being one of only 34 Global Biodiversity Hotspots(and the only in Australia), defined as geographical regions that have at least 1,500 vascular plant species and have lost at least 70% of their original supporting habitat. Its also revolutionised the way they manage their 356ha pastoral property, located in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the He describes farmers as frontline environmentalists and argues that many of Australias 136,000 farms are already actively managed for conservation. The research, published in the journal Science, found that human land use has driven down the population of many species to a dangerous extent across vast swathes of the planet. Governments are failing us Join us in calling for change JOIN THE MOVEMENT TODAY While feeding on nectar, these animals disperse pollen more indiscriminately than insects while also often travelling great distances and this may have novel consequences for plant evolution, he says. In other words, if you are saying that variety is the best thing, then the hard-nosed developer and the people who want to build a factory where you are protecting wilderness will say, well, you can't have everything, times are too tough, and your argument is that you do want everything. Growing native trees for sustainable forestry or oil production is another. Biodiversity. The UN global assessment report painted a stark picture: the decline of the world's natural support systems means that human society is in danger.. And Australia should worry about its biodiversity. Could these penguin-themed 'icons' become Australia's first heritage-listed rubbish bins? Others have come up with similar figures. In NSW about 50 per cent of the corridor area is already on government-protected land, especially through the Australian Alps. Robyn Williams: Well, who knows, the human race, if it's done anything, has increased the number of coronaviruses around the world, if not much else. Its a legacy.. (2017, July 27). You can imagine a migratory species showing up and being unable to refuel on its journey, for example. There are other good reasons for bringing farmers on board for conservation. Recent reports and studies have . Get incredible stories of extraordinary wildlife, enlightening discoveries and stunning destinations, delivered to your inbox. But we are just one of many species on Earth, and our demand for resources - land, water, food, and shelter - shapes the environment for other wildlife too. Retrieved from Department of Parks and Wildlife Service: https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/plants-and-animals/468-biodiversity-conservation-act-2016, Integrate Sustainability Pty Ltd It is estimated that about 30 billion species have lived since multicellular life evolved, but only about 0.01% of that number live on Earth today. Biodiversity loss affects economic systems and human society. Everywhere weve found fossils of these species of miniature possums its always been in lowland rainforest in Central Australia and the Simpson Desert it was there in scrubby lowland rainforest. Are we preserving the Amazon? unsustainable logging, hunting and fishing), pollution (e.g. Retrieved from Gaia Resources: https://www.gaiaresources.com.au/state-dieback/, Service, D. o. [It] also supports a lot of wildlifeand there are a lot of resources there, says Nigel. 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 . His idea is to try to re-establish a colony in an area of lowland rainforest, abundant in NSW and Victoria. The fact that this part of Australia has been relatively stable over geological history is another reason for the incredible biodiversity here, and such a long-lived and stable ecosystem here is worthy of protection, he says. Credit: M Hele. Human population growth is reducing biodiversity in the following ways: Many ecosystems have been lost during the past 200 years. Private conservation group Bush Heritage Australia set a goal for itself of purchasing and protecting a further 1 per cent of Australia by 2025. The loss of biodiversity among these critical natural resources threatens global food security and the . One of our key research interests is the connection between people and nature, and I come at this really from two angles. No single discipline like ecology or conservation biology has all the answers. We need new strategies, Mike says. I'm really interested in conservation, and conservation ultimately depends on repairing the broken relationship between people and biodiversity. Instead, he argues that the hotspot has the highest incidence on Earth 15 per cent of plants pollinated by birds and mammals, and this might explain why it is so unusual. Join us, volunteer and be a part of our journey of discovery! 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. Unearthed: Mining Stories from the Mid West, WA Museum Collections and Research Centre. A good example is the noisy miner, a species of bird which is superabundant in places where we have fragmented the landscape and created lots of edge habitat that that bird really loves. Other landholders are putting conservation covenants on special patches of their property to protect them in perpetuity. Fewer than 1300 breeding pairs are thought to survive. Ecological conditions range from pristine to ecologically extinct. We pay our respects to Elders both past and present. Environment Minister Sussan Ley.Alex Ellinghausen. High value biodiversity within the State is at escalating risk though a range of processes including: As a consequence, a growing number of ecosystems and individual species are under threat. Richard Fuller: My own conservation philosophy is that the world becomes a poorer place every time we lose a species from it. 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. A marsupial is born in a very incomplete state. Species of animals and plants under threat may be listed in one of the following categories: Mammals are a diverse group of animals that are found below and on the ground, in trees and oceans. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. 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. live, learn and work. The Ministerial Guidelines provide further details on the criteria and procedures that apply. Nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of the Australian landmass is pastoral or agricultural land. A rich diversity of snails in north-west Western Australia is sublime evidence of evolution in action. SUBTERRANEAN FAUNA CONSERVATION. This means our south west is a region where exceptional concentrations of endemic species are undergoing exceptional loss of habitat. The mountains offer a huge diversity of refuges. Retrieved from The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/australias-south-west-a-hotspot-for-wildlife-and-plants-that-deserves-world-heritage-status-54885. Get all the latest science stories from across the ABC. 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. Between 7 and 10% of all species on Earth are located in Australia, with 85% of Australia's plant species endemic to the continent. Donate. Greater knowledge enables efficient decisions that take account of the needs and certainty of all stakeholders. That's where you've had this historical change over many decades and it takes time for extinction to catch up as populations are reduced and fragmented and lose genetic diversity, then gradually fade away.". At the University of Queenslands Fuller Biodiversity Lab, Richard Fuller, with colleagues and students studies the connection between people and nature. Rather I am saying that if you look at countries like Haiti or El Salvador in the hemisphere that I know, which have already lost a lot of their biological resources, they are places which have lowering standards of living and social and political problems, and in fact reach out beyond their borders and affect even the United States. 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. Over 60 per cent of the continent is under assault by inappropriate land use, and in the process there is no valuing anything native; everything is being trampled and pushed back. Contrary to popular opinion, mining is a much smaller problem. Australian Geographic acknowledges the First Nations people of Australia as traditional custodians, and pay our respects to Elders past and present, and their stories and journeys that have lead us to where we are today. Theyve fenced off a creek line and are encouraging native vegetation in order to protect the endangered booroolong frog. ' He explains that, metaphorically, his family is turning off a light switch on their whole farm, which he hopes will make a big difference and influence others. In 2016 the Western Australian government passed the Biodiversity Conservation Act, which will eventually fully replace both the Wildlife Act 1950 and the Sandalwood Act 1929. This enables decision makers to avoid and minimise impacts and, where necessary, develop complementary management strategies, such as biodiversity offsets and restoration to manage residual impacts. Agricultural pesticides have been linked to widespread invertebrate biodiversity loss in two new research papers. Koolanooka Springs, Morawa. We estimate there are less than 2000 adults left, says Linda Broome, an alpine ecologist with the NSW Department of Environment (DECCW). The researchers conceded that species native to multiple countries presented an obstacle to their calculations, but lead author Anthony Waldron says they were able to narrow down where the pressures were coming from. The fact is, in the past few hundred years, Australia has the worst record in the world for mammal extinctions. In this section, explore all the different ways you can be a part of the Museum's groundbreaking research, as well as come face-to-face with our dedicated staff. The report reveals a serious decline in biodiversity, an increase in habitat loss, and increasing levels of pollution. We feel this real connection to the property. This is Lovejoy on The Science Show some years ago: Tom Lovejoy: After a great deal of thinking about it, it seems to us that there is no intelligent way to choose between one species and another, and in fact it's not an intelligent choice to make. 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. When we go away, theres such a beautiful feeling when we come back herethe smells and fragrances at different times of year, or when its wet it helps you get grounded and get rid of some of the stress of the city, Wayne says as we watch a horse cantering across a paddock far below. All content copyright Government of Western Australia, All rights reserved. Nick Moir. A honeyeater feeds from a eucalypt endemic to south-west Western Australia. This is also a property where theres been sightings of swift parrots, a migratory species which breeds during summer in Tasmania and makes a perilous flight across Bass Strait to winter in Victoria and southern NSW. The greatest threat to biodiversity is the size and rate of growth of human population. An estimated 10 million hectares (100,000 sq km . Draft A 100-year Biodiversity Conservation Strategy for Western Australia: Blueprint to the Bicentenary in 2029. Bold, new interventionist ideas are needed to save Australias biodiversity. Biodiversity loss disrupts many ecosystem processes, such as community structure and interactions, and can cause ecosystem malfunctioning, ranging from reduced biomass productivity to weakening ecosystem resilience (1, 2).The current loss of global biodiversity is much faster than in the paleorecord (), and it has been estimated that more than 1 million species are threatened with extinction . Nature, and conservation ultimately depends on repairing the broken relationship between people and nature D. o stunning,! Are other good reasons for bringing farmers on board for conservation.. ( 2017, 27. 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