Biodiversity: Introduction
Introduction
'Biodiversity' refers to all living organisms on earth and the ecological systems where they live. It can be explained at four different levels: landscape, ecosystem, species and genome. Biodiversity is very important for all life and provides humans with many economic, social and physical benefits (also called 'ecosystem services', EPA 2006, page 1).
Queensland includes parts of 19 biogeographical regions, encompassing rich biodiversity and many unique attributes. The state has a large and unique range of species and ecosystems and many remain to be discovered. Almost half the species living here are found nowhere else in the world. More native plants and animals live in Queensland than in any other state in Australia. For example, there are over 8000 species of flowering plants, gymnosperms and ferns in Queensland. The state is home to 80% of Australia's native birds (594 species), 70% of its native mammals (210 species), and just over half of its native reptiles (429) and frogs (114). This rich and unique biodiversity is the result of the long isolation of Australia's east coast from other continents.
Biodiversity loss and decline in Queensland is continuing. Knowledge of the state's biodiversity is improving for some species and ecosystems, but for many species little or nothing is known. New species are still being discovered, with over 50 previously unknown plant species being described every year.
The major pressures on the state's biodiversity include the loss, modification, degradation and fragmentation of native habitat, competition from introduced plant and animal species, and climate change. The rate of habitat loss has risen during the past decade, although vegetation clearing has declined since 2000 when the Vegetation Management Act 1999 was introduced. The cessation of broadscale clearing of remnant vegetation at the end of 2006 has decreased this threat to Queensland's biodiversity. The condition of habitat and other pressures on biodiversity, such as altered fire regimes, grazing pressure and climate change, are areas that require much more research.
The number of rare and threatened species has increased slightly with improved knowledge of the state's biodiversity. There has been a decline in the number of species that are presumed extinct with two species being rediscovered. The EPA is currently conducting an extensive review of listed and other species of conservation significance. The provisions of the Vegetation Management Act provide for the declaration of areas of essential habitat. This provides protection for threatened species habitat contained within remnant vegetation, and is based on modelled and voucher-backed information for all species listed under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 .
Queensland has a special responsibility for biodiversity conservation and management given it is one of the most biologically diverse places on earth. About 4.6% of Queensland is contained within formal conservation reserves. The formal reserve system is being complemented by significant off-reserve conservation areas, including nature refuges, land for wildlife, and acquisitions of reserves by local government and non-government organisations. In 2006, the total area in nature refuges was 590 000 ha.
Maintaining biodiversity requires access to good knowledge and information, so the State Government has developed various programs and databases to provide such resources. The Queensland Herbarium is currently mapping the state's regional ecosystems. Other EPA programs and databases include the vegetation site database CORVEG, the Regional Ecosystem Description Database (REDD), Biodiversity Planning Assessments, Wildlife Online and WildNet.
Although the knowledge base about species and ecological communities in Queensland is growing, further research is needed into the species that exist, their ecology, biology and appropriate management strategies to sustain them.
Since the last two reporting periods, there have been some changes to the biodiversity chapter. In this report, the chapter covers only two issues-habitat protection and species protection, both of which have been tracked over previous policy cycles. Habitat protection will cover five indicators: native vegetation and extent, native vegetation and condition, terrestrial and protected areas, fire regimes, and areas revegetated. Species protection will cover four indicators: extent of endangered, vulnerable and near-threatened species, extent of endangered and vulnerable regional ecosystems, populations of selected species, and recovery plans.
In contrast to previous editions, in this report the section on introduced species has been moved to a separate chapter, Invasive plants and animals. This change highlights the significance of invasive plants and animals and will increase awareness of biosecurity issues in Queensland.
Reference
EPA 2006, Ecosystem Services-How Protecting the Environment Pays, EPA Futures Series (Number 06-1), Occasional Paper, Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane.
<<Return to State of the Environment Report 2007 content page
Last reviewed 12 May 2011
Last updated 13 February 2008