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Freshwater reserves in Australia : directions and challenges for the development of a comprehensive, adequate and representative system of protected areas

journal contribution
posted on 2005-12-01, 00:00 authored by James FitzsimonsJames Fitzsimons, Hugh Robertson
The establishment of a system of protected areas that samples all ecosystems, including freshwater environments, in a comprehensive, adequate and representative (CAR) manner is regarded as a cornerstone for the conservation of biodiversity. There have been few quantitative assessments of the comprehensiveness, adequacy and representativeness of freshwater reserves in Australia. This paper reviews and quantifies the effect of classification of freshwater ecosystems for conservation planning, the importance of reservation status and protection measures for developing a CAR reserve system, and aspects of reserve design for freshwater ecosystems. We propose a strategic and iterative process that incorporates these measures to assist in the efficient and effective development of freshwater reserve systems worldwide. However, the provision of suitable water regimes for freshwater reserves presents further ecological and political challenges, and even adequate reservation of freshwater ecosystems may not conserve constituent biodiversity without effective management.

History

Journal

Hydrobiologia

Volume

552

Issue

1

Pagination

87 - 97

Publisher

Springer-Verlag Dordrecht

Location

Delft, The Netherlands

ISSN

0018-8158

eISSN

1573-5117

Language

eng

Notes

To obtain full text, please contact the author at jfitzsimons@tnc.org

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2005, Springer