And the reason it does that is because we've messed up the habitats in the first place. Australias South West: A Hotspot for Wildlife nd Plants that Deserve World Heritage Status. Robyn Williams: Biodiversity, a problem as shocking as climate change. This equates to retaining natural . Nick Moir. km) of Australia by 2013. Both State and Commonwealth regimes apply the mitigation hierarchy (Australian Government, 2012; The Government of Western Australia, 2011). You develop ownership of these little gliders. "I knew there were a lot of threatened species in Australia, but I didn't realise things were getting worse so quickly.". It offers the biggest elevation range in Australia from a few hundred metres above sea level to more than 2200 m. It covers an array of environments from slopes and plains to mountain peaks, has some of our richest communities of species and is home to two-thirds of NSWs threatened plants and animals. Its better that we try [Mikes] method now, than wish we had in 10 years time. 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. Two-thirds. The landholders are Wayne Stokes and his partner Marcia Macartney, former public servants who moved here from Canberra almost two decades ago. The resolution requires a robust, rigorous and defensible scientific information base. Robyn Williams: Yes, the ants mean lunch and dinner for half the Australian population, including the furry ones. Retrieved from Gaia Resources: https://www.gaiaresources.com.au/state-dieback/, Service, D. o. km of conservation-viable land. He has been working with an existing captive-breeding program that uses artificially cooled enclosures at Vict+orias Healesville Sanctuary. We hope that we are leading by example in the way that we are managing it.. Would you say that we have to preserve everything, or learn how to preserve enough? "Native biodiversity is definitely improved by removing invasive plants and to a lesser extent invasive species.". Receive the latest news on events, exhibitions, scienceresearch and specialoffers. No single discipline like ecology or conservation biology has all the answers. one of the most diverse and unique floras in the world, with over 210 vascular plant families, and 50-80% of species being unique to the state in the largest of these families. 2.2 Southwest WA is one of Australia's 15 national biodiversity 'hotspots' and the only biodiversity hotspot located in . Similarly, Australia lost 5-10% of its biodiversity between 1996 and 2008 while high levels of deforestation to make way for agricultural plantations have particularly affected the species rich rainforests of Indonesia. When the environment changes down on the plains, it changes uniformly over a bigger area. Robyn Williams: Yes, but isn't that the kind of blank cheque argument that the hard economic realities will no longer accept? For example, we look in our cities and we find that there are species that are thriving and doing really well out of the, let's face it, environmental destruction associated with bulldozing natural environments and turning them into cities. On a mountain, you can move around the hill a bit. When one is communicating to others or when one is trying to work out the worth of different species, I think we start to fall into really difficult territory. Australia's biodiversity is in a bad way From time to time, you might hear that another animal is endangered or that more trees have been cut down to make way for new housing. This steep and rocky 20 ha property of apple box and red stringybark woodland is on the western edge of the Snowy Mountains. Reduction in biodiversity was calculated by looking at species that had their IUCN red list upgraded during the period, such as from "least concern" to "threatened", or "vulnerable" to "endangered". (2006). Much like climate change, the global challenge of biodiversity loss is defined by large geographic and economic disparities. Agriculture destroys biodiversity by converting natural habitats to intensely managed systems and by releasing pollutants, including greenhouses gases. Along with UWA colleague Dr Siegy Krauss, Stephen was recently awarded $1 million from the Australian Research Council to test the evolutionary implications of this idea. ABN 18 602 180 512, Office: Lower Ground Floor, 3 Richardson Street, West Perth WA 6005 Western Australia's unique biodiversity Western Australia's globally unique biodiversity Western Australia (WA) has a globally unique biodiversity characterised by significant regional endemism, meaning that we have plants and animals that only live in a particular location. Their hunting practices may have affected population levels of some animals, and the building of fish traps in coastal and inland rivers may also have had environmental effects. Valuing certain species over others, valuing certain ecosystem processes over others is fraught with difficulty. A honeyeater feeds from a eucalypt endemic to south-west Western Australia. 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. The short answer is that Invertebrates are animals without a backbone. Australia must set strong nature laws, become a world leader in forest protection and climate action, and respect and acknowledge the stewardship of Indigenous Australians to care for Country. ONE ALPINE SPECIES the GER may not be able to help is the mountain pygmy possum. By subscribing you become an AG Society member, helping us to raise funds for conservation and adventure projects. Theyve fenced off a creek line and are encouraging native vegetation in order to protect the endangered booroolong frog. Minerals are the building blocks of our planet. Many bird species have been lost in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia. 44-50. ' 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. Greater knowledge enables efficient decisions that take account of the needs and certainty of all stakeholders. The sanctuary is a private wildlife haven. Students learn about food webs at school. AGRICULTURE IS THE big problem, proclaims Professor Mike Archer of the University of NSWs School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. We cause global warming by releasing increasing amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere, which will alter the nature of ecosystems everywhere. ': Remote NT mayor questions response time for flood evacuations. Institute for Global Change Biology, and School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. A variety of grants are already available as incentives from public and private bodies. 200, pp. It concludes that the condition of Australia's environment is "poor and deteriorating". 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Its a legacy.. 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. Many factors are to blame for biodiversity loss, including wetlands destruction, damming and disruption of waterways, invasive species, exotic wildlife diseases and climate change.We also continue to develop more and more of our nation's terrestrial habitats. Clearly, too many of our existing management practices for endangered species arent working. Richard Fuller: That's exactly right, and especially with migratory organisms it's really tough to get it right. Twenty-five kilometres north-west of the Murray River, the farm is near Albury, NSW. The coastal marine biodiversity of WA is ranked second highest out of 18 of the worlds marine biodiversity hotspots (based on species richness and endemism) and fourth lowest in terms of threatening processes. Three major conservation corridors are being developed in Australia. We feel this real connection to the property. 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. The total number of species of birds on earth is estimated to be around 10,000! Kenle, Wikicommons, Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus leucocephalus), Lake Joondalup, Perth, Western Australia, Australia, 2012. A marsupial is born in a very incomplete state. At the University of Queenslands Fuller Biodiversity Lab, Richard Fuller, with colleagues and students studies the connection between people and nature. The Australian Government promotes the conservation of threatened species and biodiversity through the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. On top of all of that are the ecological processes which are managed by the presence of life on Earth. Since living organisms interact in dynamic ecosystems, the disappearance of one species can have a far-reaching impact on the food chain. Nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of the Australian landmass is pastoral or agricultural land. (Credit: Esther Beaton), Yellow box grassy woodland regenerating from farmland on Bush Heritage Australias. 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. Much of the loss is caused by habitat destruction due to unsustainable agriculture or logging. Ecology research Behavioural ecology Functional ecology Evolutionary ecology Thank you for reading. 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. No, there is a race to clear it. Robyn Williams: So, mosquitoes, those sorts of things have to go? Hook Ups & Break ups; . 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. 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. 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. "If you look at where we've had the greatest rates of faunal decline, where Australia has had the highest levels of reductions in our animals has been on the Nullarbor Plain," Mr Andrews told the ABC earlier this month. Despite all we know, biodiversity loss is at an all-time high On The Science Show with Robyn Williams Students learn about food webs at school. Western Australia; Travel Videos; Entertainment. An estimated 10 % of Perths original wetlands remain. Wetlands are neither water nor earth but exist in the meeting of these two, changing seasonally to become more or less of each element, and blending the two elements to form mud. Mark lived overseas for five years and found his way from London and Paris to the base camp of Mt Everest. Professor Wintle estimated Australia needs to spend $1.5 billion to $2 billion a year to halt biodiversity decline. You can imagine a migratory species showing up and being unable to refuel on its journey, for example. Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia. Its clear that conventional conservation is not working and not lasting.. But now this almighty raptor, affectionately known as The Red, has become our nations rarest bird of prey. 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