km of conservation-viable land. Environmental sustainability professor Barry Brook from the University of Tasmania said there were a number of pressures threatening biodiversity in Australia. Make miniature mechanised minions with teeny tiny tools! Celebrity Life. Southwest Australia is recognised as one of the worlds 35 recognised biodiversity hotspots. Richard Fuller: You're welcome, thank you. But its going to really catch up to other farmers who have been flogging the land.. First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we Richard Fuller: My own conservation philosophy is that the world becomes a poorer place every time we lose a species from it. 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. "Many, many species will be lost." The researchers believe that their data can be used to better target conservation efforts. 75% of rainforests and nearly 50% of all forests; over 60% of coastal wetlands in southern and eastern Australia; nearly 90% of temperate woodlands and mallee; more than 99% of south-eastern Australia's temperate lowland grasslands; over 83% of Tasmania's lowland grasslands and grassy woodlands; about 95% of brigalow scrub that originally grew in Queensland. 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. But it now faces a new threat as the snow cover it needs for insulation during hibernation is reduced annually. This is particularly important in a changing climate in which loss of biodiversity reduces nature's resilience to change. Valuing certain species over others, valuing certain ecosystem processes over others is fraught with difficulty. For them, the goal is to leave their land in a much better state than when they inherited it. Richard Fuller: We study migration in fish and butterflies. Government of Western Australia. This possum with the taxonomic name Burramys parvus is the only hibernating marsupial and inhabits the high alpine boulder fields of NSW and Victoria. Ecology research Behavioural ecology Functional ecology Evolutionary ecology 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. Some scientists believe that we are now witnessing the sixth mass extinction, the only mass extinction to be caused by a single species - humans. 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. Within decades the impact will be felt on the worlds weather with more species likely finding new conditions unbearable. Loss of biodiversity undermines ecosystems' abilities to function effectively and efficiently and thus undermines nature's ability to support a healthy environment. Western Australia is home to many of these plants and animals and has some of the richest and most unusual biodiversity on Earth, much of which occurs nowhere else and is recognised as being significant at both national and global scales. 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. Are we preserving the Amazon? Their property, which falls within the key Slopes to Summit area of the GER corridor, supports species such as the gang gang cockatoo and agile antechinus. live, learn and work. They identified key pressures on biodiversity loss to be agricultural development and increasing population. We estimate there are less than 2000 adults left, says Linda Broome, an alpine ecologist with the NSW Department of Environment (DECCW). 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.. Well, at the University of Queensland there is a special biodiversity lab, and it is headed by Professor Richard Fuller. We introduce exotic species which damage land and water resources and sometimes bring diseases with them. The Southwest Australia Ecoregion is a triangular corner of WA, most of which is to the west of a line drawn from Shark Bay to Esperance. There is still time to act to reverse biodiversity loss and secure a nature-positive world by 2030, but urgency is needed. Deforestation and forest fragmentation have an adverse effect on the biodiversity of animals and plants. One of our key research interests is the connection between people and nature, and I come at this really from two angles. 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. Its a legacy.. . 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. the ability for the Minister to make regulations for certain matters identified in the Act. While researching the scarlet pear gum, an endemic eucalypt, Stephen found it to be visited almost exclusively by honeyeaters, suggesting that some eucalypts are better suited to bird than insect pollinators. . The report reveals a serious decline in biodiversity, an increase in habitat loss, and increasing levels of pollution. Biodiversity is valued by people for many reasons. He is drawn to unusual projects, which he describes as walking out on the edgewhere a lot of the good science is. The main factor in the loss of biodiversity is the increased rate of population growth. Hook Ups & Break ups; . In Australia at the end of 2019 and start of 2020, 97,000km2 of forest and surrounding habitats were destroyed by intense fires that are now known to have been made worse by climate change. Theres no doubt in my mind that we can do this if were not fettered by pessimisminnovative approaches are popping up all over Australia.. Biodiversity. Credit: M Hele. due to agricultural expansion), over-exploitation of natural resources (e.g. Wetlands are the most productive of all biological systems and support a heterogeneous range of wildlife, both aquatic and terrestrial (Jennings 1996). And we play around with the way the world works at our peril, and we may find ourselves being unable to reverse the situation or control the situation when repeated studies have shown us that we are close to planetary tipping points of human pressure on the environment, whether that's through climate change, through human consumption patterns, through us driving species extinct without any real sense of the role that those species play in our own life-support, let alone the support of the ecological systems on Earth. Mikes proposal is certainly a bold and innovative idea and DECCW is exploring it with him, says Linda Broome. 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. Richard Fuller: That's exactly right, and especially with migratory organisms it's really tough to get it right. Aborigines arent managing the bush [with fire] as they have done for thousands of years., Nigel Jones, who advises Bruce and Mark on the sustainable management of their land, agrees on the importance of farmland for biodiversity. Phone: (+618) 9468 0338 These include: A primary cause of biodiversity loss is a general lack of public awareness and appreciation of biodiversity and its values, this disconnect with nature often results in a lack of empathy with our natural heritage, and biodiversity. We hope that we are leading by example in the way that we are managing it.. 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.". 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. 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. One species eats another, each is important. Robyn Williams: The late Tom Lovejoy, one of those I mentioned before in The Science Show we should remember, whose work was so significant, at the same level maybe as Rachel Carson, whose book Silent Spring was published 60 years ago. Write an article and join a growing community of more. Richard Fuller: I think there's no question that we've messed up almost every one of the Earth's planetary systems that govern the way nature works, and that means that intervention by us is often needed to keep things on an even keel or to return them to some kind of functional state. This richness underpins all aspects of human life, from food and fresh water to the strength of the global economy. This is a major commitment, because it is written into the deeds and protects the property in perpetuity from development, but was something both Wayne and Marcia felt was important. If the conditions are too hot there, you can spread your seeds or fly around the corner and its potentially a bit cooler.. A rich diversity of snails in north-west Western Australia is sublime evidence of evolution in action. We also work extensively across a wide range of environments and climates around the world. This equates to retaining natural . One species eats another, each is important. But the incredible levels of biodiversity and endemism in this corner of Australia have presented something of a puzzle for researchers. Nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of the Australian landmass is pastoral or agricultural land. Such connections are a major focus of some new conservation approaches. Many bird species have been lost in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia. Robyn Williams: Biodiversity, a problem as shocking as climate change. Western Australia; Travel Videos; Entertainment. Its better that we try [Mikes] method now, than wish we had in 10 years time. Biodiversity loss affects economic systems and human society. Conservation of Australia's biodiversity Biodiversity is the variety of all life forms on earth - the different plants, animals and micro-organisms and the ecosystems of which they are a part. Your information is being handled in accordance with the. Much like climate change, the global challenge of biodiversity loss is defined by large geographic and economic disparities. Retrieved from The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/australias-south-west-a-hotspot-for-wildlife-and-plants-that-deserves-world-heritage-status-54885. 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