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The threats to Australia's imperilled species and implications for a national conservation response

journal contribution
posted on 2019-01-01, 00:00 authored by S G Kearney, J Cawardine, A E Reside, D O Fisher, M Maron, Tim DohertyTim Doherty, S Legge, J Silcock, J C Z Woinarski, S T Garnett, B A Wintle, J E M Watson
Since European occupation of Australia, human activities have caused the dramatic decline and sometimes extinction of many of the continent's unique species. Here we provide a comprehensive review of threats to species listed as threatened under Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Following accepted global categories of threat, we find that invasive species affect the largest number of listed species (1257 species, or 82% of all threatened species); ecosystem modifications (e.g. fire) (74% of listed species) and agricultural activity (57%) are also important. The ranking of threats was largely consistent across taxonomic groups and the degree of species' endangerment. These results were significantly different (P < 0.01) from recent analyses of threats to threatened species globally, which highlighted overexploitation, agriculture and urban development as major causes of decline. Australia is distinct not only in the biodiversity it contains but also in the extent and mixture of processes that threaten the survival of these species. Notably, the IUCN threat classification scheme separates the numerous threats (e.g. urban development, agriculture, mining) that cause habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation, hence further research is required to quantify the net impact of these types of habitat change. We provide feasible suggestions for a more coordinated national approach to threatened species conservation, which could provide decision makers and managers at all levels with improved resources and information on threats and management. Adequate policy, legislative support and funding are critical for ensuring that on-ground management is successful in halting the decline of Australia's threatened species.

History

Journal

Pacific conservation biology

Volume

25

Issue

3

Pagination

231 - 244

Publisher

CSIRO Publishing

Location

Clayton, Vic.

ISSN

1038-2097

eISSN

2204-4604

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2019, CSIRO

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